Cranberry Crumble Bars (a/k/a What to do with that leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce bars)

Never to worry again about what to do with that leftover cranberry sauce.  This fabulously quick bar cookie champion  takes the humble cranberry sauce leftovers and breathes new life into them with a homey, glorious and tasty cookie.

I love utilizing leftovers in any form and recreating them, but this seems almost unfair in its simplicity.  As we know, oats are shown to benefit a healthy cholesterol level.  My husband, Tim, greatly dislikes oatmeal so I sneak oats in where I can.

He can enjoy these with his morning cup of coffee knowing he  can get his heart healthy oats in a tasty bite.

gather ingredients

soften butter

mix in dry ingredients

line the pan with parchment...super important

pat down the crust

dollop cranberry sauce

sprinkle on the crumble before baking

Vanilla Paste

​Parchment Paper

Baking Pan

Cranberry Crumble Bars

Makes 16 bars​

1 cup cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cup flour (I actually used a gluten free flour, which worked wonderfully)
1/2 cup oats (not instant)
1 stick soft, unsalted butter, plus a bit more to butter the baking pan
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use vanilla paste)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or chai spice (my homemade version here)
pinch of salt (I like course sea salt)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and then line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper (you can find my preferred parchment paper here).  I use crisscrossing sheets.  This ensures the cookies come out beautifully.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then mix into the very soft butter along with the vanilla until it resembles course sand.  I like to use a fork for this mixing.

Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.

Place spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce evenly on top of the crust you’ve just created, then smooth it out over the crust.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the crumble mixture over the cranberry sauce.

Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and set.
​
Cool completely before lifting out of the pan by the parchment paper.  Cut into 16 squares.