Cranberry Crumble Bars (Perfect for Leftover Cranberry Sauce!)
If you’re looking for a delicious way to use up leftover cranberry sauce after the holidays, these Cranberry Crumble Bars are the answer! They’re sweet, tart, buttery, and oat-y — the perfect balance of cozy flavors in every bite.
This recipe starts with my homemade cranberry sauce, which is made with just five simple ingredients: fresh cranberries, brown sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. It’s sweet with a good touch of tang and makes the most amazing filling for these crumble bars.
Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Crumble Bars
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Uses either freshly made or leftover cranberry sauce – no waste, just another delicious dessert. - One dough, two jobs – the crust and crumble topping use the same mixture, making prep super easy.
- Perfectly balanced flavor – buttery oats meet tart cranberries for the ultimate bite.
- Freezer-friendly – they hold up great if you want to make them ahead for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the crumble crust and topping:
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Quick cooking oats
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
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Salted Butter, melted
- Cinnamon
For the filling:
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About 1 ½ cups of cranberry sauce. Either freshly made or leftover.
If you’re making it from scratch, my easy cranberry sauce recipe uses:
cranberries, brown sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla.
How to Make Cranberry Crumble Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and melted butter until crumbly.
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Press about two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Spread your cranberry sauce evenly over the crust.
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Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the top, leaving some larger chunks for texture. Follow that with a sprinkle of brown sugar to help balance the tang.
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Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
- Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Tips for the Best Crumble Bars
- Let them cool fully before cutting — this helps them set and hold their shape.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to the crumble for extra warmth.
- These bars taste even better the next day as the flavors meld together.
How to Serve Cranberry Crumble Bars
They’re fantastic on their own, but also amazing warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Whether you make them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just to use up cranberry sauce, these bars are a simple and festive treat that everyone will love.
Save this recipe for later!
Cranberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Cranberry Layer
- 12 oz fresh cranberries (3 1/2 cups)
- 3/4 c light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3/4 c water
- 1 tsp zest of an orange
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Crumble/Crust
- 1 1/2 c flour
- 1 c light brown sugar packed, divided
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 c salted butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted
- 1 1/4 c quick cook oats
Instructions
- Add cranberries, orange juice, water, zest and brown sugar to a pot set over medium heat. Stir well then once the cranberries start popping turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 12-15 minutes. Stir occassionally.
- Smash any fully formed cranberries. Off the heat add the vanilla, stir and allow to thicken and cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add flour, 3/4 c brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon and oats to a large mixing bowl. Mix well then add the melted butter. Stir until everything is fully combined.
- Place 2/3 of the crumble in a 9x9 parchment lined pan. Press the crumble into the bottom of the pan to create the crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Place the remaining crumble in the refrigerator while the crust bakes.
- Pour the cranberry sauce on top of the warm crust and spread out evenly.
- Break up the crumble topping with a fork if it hardened together. Top the cranberry layer with the crumble.
- Finish with a sprinkle on top with the remaining 1/4 c brown sugar
- Bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack.
- Allow to cool for at least 4 hours before cutting.