Cranberry Crumble Pie Bars
Total Time
3 hours (includes cooling)
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(67)
Ingredients
18-24 squares
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/3 cup (30g) sliced almonds
- 4 cups (400g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) fresh orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh orange juice (for icing)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar (for icing)
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
Step 2
Make the crumble mixture for the crust and topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, two forks, or a food processor, cut in the butter until all the flour is coated and resembles pea-sized crumbles. This takes at least 5 minutes of cutting in with a pastry cutter.
Step 3
Whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour over the flour/butter mixture and gently mix together until the mixture resembles moist crumbly sand.
Step 4
You will have about 6 cups of the crust/crumble mixture. Set 2 cups aside. Pour the remaining into the prepared pan and flatten down with your hands or a flat spatula to form an even crust. It will be a little crumbly—that’s ok. Set aside.
Step 5
Cranberry Filling: Mix all of the cranberry filling ingredients together. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture all over the cranberries. Sprinkle the almonds all over top.
Step 6
Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (with a few jammy cranberry specks!). Mine take about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. After about 1 hour, I stick the whole pan in the refrigerator to help speed things up.
Step 7
Make the icing and cut into squares: Whisk the icing ingredients together. Add more orange juice to thin out, if desired. Drizzle over cooled bars, then cut into squares.
Step 8
Cover and store leftover cranberry bars (with or without icing) at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Step 9
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
Iced or plain bars freeze well up to 3 months. Arrange in even layers in a large freezer container between sheets of parchment. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before icing and/or serving.
Special Tools:
9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or 9×13-inch Metal Baking Pan, Glass Mixing Bowl, Whisk, Pastry Cutter, Cooling Rack
Milk:
I use and recommend whole milk, but nondairy or lower fat milks will work too.
