Moist Christmas Cranberry Bars
Tender oat–shortbread crust layered with glossy cranberry sauce and finished with a crumbly oat topping, these festive bars combine chewy texture and bright tartness for a holiday-worthy treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 2.5 cups quick oats
Wet Ingredients & Assembly
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces jellied cranberry sauce
- 0.5 cup pecans chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
Crust Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and oats.
- In a mixer, cream butter with granulated and brown sugars until light, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until glossy.
- Fold in dry ingredients until just combined, reserving 1½ cups for topping.
- Press remaining dough evenly into pan.
Baking the Crust
- Bake crust 12 minutes until edges turn pale golden.
Assembly & Final Bake
- Spread cranberry sauce over warm crust; sprinkle pecans if using.
- Crumble reserved dough over cranberry layer and top with coarse sugar.
- Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Cooling & Serving
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour until set; lift out and cut into bars.
Notes
Allow butter to soften naturally to avoid greasy pockets.
Chill bars briefly before slicing to achieve clean edges.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 45gCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 28g
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