These Easy Cranberry Bars are perfect for the Holidays! We used the same recipe as our Easy Blueberry Pie Bars because we know it works! Fresh cranberries are the star of the show in these Holiday cookie bars!
A little flour, butter, fresh cranberries and a bit of sugar make up this easy bar cookie recipe. The crust does double duty as the topping making this about as simple as you can get.
Ingredients to make Easy Cranberry Bars –
- fresh cranberries
- butter
- flour
- sugar
- sour cream
- eggs
- vanilla
The hardest part of making these bars…well for me anyway. Is to try to REMEMBER TO RESERVE ONE CUP OF CRUST MIXTURE FOR THE TOPPING! To make it easier for you I’m going go give you a visual :).
It’s all down hill after that move :).
How to make Easy Cranberry Bars –
(see below recipe card for detailed instructions).
Step 1 – Mix up the flour and butter crust mixture. Before pressing into pan reserve one cup of the mixture for the topping. Okay I’ve said that enough…
Step 2 – Bake the crust for 10 minutes. It just needs a bit of a head start before added the filling and it also helps it set up.
Step 3 – While the crust is in the oven, combine all of your filling ingredients and pour on top of the baked crust.
Step 4 – Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top of the cranberry mixture.
Step 5 – Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick insterted in the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting and now it’s time to eat! My favorite part!
How to store or freeze Cranberry Bars –
- Keep bars at room temperature for 2 days. After 2 days transfer to the fridge for another day. Freeze in ziploc baggies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
More desserts we think you will love! –
- Chocolate Cherry Cake – a box of cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling and boom!
- Cinnamon Roll Cake – just about the easiest cake you can make and it doubles as breakfast!
- Fresh Orange Cake – we love this during the Holidays!
- Lemon Biscotti – these make a great hostess gift! We find they are easier to make than cookies.
Let’s Eat!
Kathi and Rachel
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Easy Cranberry Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
For Crust and Topping
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter – cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Cranberry filling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For Topping and Crust
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non stick spray.
- Add all the crust ingredients, flour, sugar, salt and cubed butter to mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or your hands combine until just crumbly. (DO NOT OVER MIX or you will have a cookie dough consistency. )
- Remove one cup of flour mixture and set aside for the topping.
- Take remaining crust mixture and firmly press into your baking dish, covering the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven.
- While crust is baking whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, sour cream, flour and vanilla and salt.
- Gently fold in fresh cranberries.
- Pour cranberry mixture on top of cooked crust and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over the top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool slighly before cutting. Store at room temperature for two days then transfer to refridgerator for an addition two days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
I would like to know if I can make these with raspberries?
Excellent! I made these for the Holidays and it was hard for me to save them for the guests. I could have eaten them all myself! I added orange zest to the dough for a little something extra as I like cranberry and orange flavors combined. This recipe is a keeper as it can be used for any berry. Tomorrow I’m making it with blueberries. Thank you so much ladies!
So glad you loved it and the addition of orange zest sounds wonderful!
Hello! Can I use frozen cranberries? What’s the best method to make sure they don’t mess up the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi David – good question! I’ll add this to the recipe . Use them frozen do not thaw. Toss with one tablespoon flour to keep them from bleeding into the center.
I love your blueberry pie bars and these did not disappoint. I love cranberries and this is definitely something different to do with them. I keep cranberries in the freezer so I can enjoy these year round.
Thanks for a delicious treat.
We are so glad you loved them. I already made them two times more since I had a huge bag of cranberries! Happy Holidays! Kathi