This easy to make recipe for Cranberry Bars is a delicious way to use up leftover cranberry sauce! They’re so good, you’ll want to whip up some sauce just to have an excuse to make them!
This recipe for Cranberry Bars has quickly become one of my favourites and I have already whipped these bars up twice in the last week! They are a wonderful way to use up leftover cranberry sauce but so good that you will whip up some sauce just to make these bars anyway. I mean, I did. Twice this week.
Of all the leftover components of our Thanksgiving or Christmas meals, leftover cranberry sauce is up there as one of the best to have left! I know that is probably not most peoples favourite but when you realize it can be used in baked goodies, you are sure to change your tune!
While I do enjoy homemade (and only homemade) versions of cranberry sauce, I much prefer to use it in baked goodies like Cranberry Sauce Muffins or these delicious Cranberry Sauce Bars! I mean, YUM!
The most delicious buttery crust doubles as an equally delicious and buttery streusel topping (hooray for double duty and less work)! When its paired with a sweet yet slightly tart cranberry filling it is perfection, in my opinion!
So. Darn. Good.
These make a great dessert but I won’t judge you if you eat them for breakfast! I know I do!
Do you use canned or homemade cranberry sauce to make these bars?
You can use either canned or homemade cranberry sauce to make these bars. I personally prefer the Homemade Cranberry Sauce but canned sauce can do the trick too. If you are using canned sauce, you will need to heat it in a saucepan over low to medium heat whilst breaking it down with a spoon until it is soft and more easy to spread on the crust.
What ingredients do you need to make Cranberry Bars
- Butter, melted
- Sugar
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Cranberry Sauce
Step by step guide to making this recipe for Cranberry Bars
Essentially, these bars come down to a few simple steps:
- Make the crust: Mix together melted butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Make the bottom crust: Spread half of the mixture onto the bottom of the baking pan and press down to form the crust.
- Cranberry sauce layer: Add a layer of cranberry sauce over the crust.
- Add the streusel topping: Then, sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top of the filling.
Bake, slice once cooled and enjoy!
How to store these bars
These cranberry bars should be stored in an airtight container. They will last a couple days at room temperature or several days in the refrigerator (if you can make them last that long)!
Cranberry bars can also be frozen. To ensure they do not get freezer burn, I wrap each bar up in plastic food wrap before placing it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. When you are ready to enjoy, just thaw them out!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Cherry Crumb Bars (uses the same base recipe as this recipe)
Cranberry Orange Streusel Cake
Cranberry Sauce Muffins
If you try and enjoy this recipe, I would love to hear about it! Leave a rating and/or comment below to let me know what you think!
Cranberry Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Cranberry Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper (Let the parchment overhang up the sides of the pan so you can easily lift it out of the pan when they’re done cooling).
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugar. Add the flour, baking powder vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and stir together until the mixture is crumbly.
- Spread half of the mixture onto the bottom of the baking pan and press down to form the crust.
- Add a layer of cranberry sauce over the crust. Then, sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top of the filling.
- Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until the crust turns a nice golden brown. Let cool before slicing.
Nutrition
So this recipe calls for vanilla extract and cinnamon but never say when to add it. Does it go in the crust of the cranberry jelly for the middle?
Hi Carolyn! I corrected the recipe- thank you for pointing that out! They get mixed in with all of the other crust ingredients.
I enjoy baking year round and this recipe is perfect for anytime of year with any kind of fruit, jams or a thick layer of cinnamon/butter. BRAVO for a great desert or cut into 18 for any party. I’m very excited to see what else you have for us! Soooo grateful to find herbsandflour.
Thank you so much, Sherry!
This looks fabulous! I love cranberries and these look like they would be right-up my alley!
Thank you for sharing! I need to pin this♥️
We love these bars and they really are a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce (though I have whipped up sauce just to make these bars)!
Hi, Cathy. Thanks for this cranberry bar recipe, we loved these bars. They have just the right amount of sweetness. Have you tried making this recipe with any other fruits? I was thinking of trying apple pie filling in place of the cranberries.
Hi Christine! That makes me so happy to hear! I use the same base recipe for the crumb topping to make all kinds of fruit bars! Apple pie filling is delicious with it. I have an Apple Pie Bars recipe on this site that uses the same base except I add more cinnamon and swap in brown sugar instead of granulated. I use the same recipe for my Cherry Crumb Bars too.
This recipe is very simple to follow, and makes wonderfully delicious bars! I’ve made this recipe twice. Once using leftover homemade cranberry sauce, and once with bottled cranberry and pear chutney. Does not disappoint! Thank you.
Thank you! So happy you liked it!