Description
Delightfully tart and sweet cranberry bars featuring a buttery crumble crust and topping, enhanced with a hint of orange zest and crunchy pecan chips. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a cozy dessert anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 large egg
Cranberry Filling
- 6 cups fresh cranberries (about 3 12 oz bags)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- Zest of one large orange
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
Topping
- 3/4 cup pecan chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal of bars later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Crust: In a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Add Butter: Add the softened butter to the dry mix and mix until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Incorporate Egg: Beat in the large egg until the dough comes together. Reserve about 1 cup of this dough for the crumble topping.
- Form Base Crust: Press the remaining dough evenly into the lined baking dish to form the crust layer.
- Set Aside Base Crust: Set the crust aside while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare Cranberry Filling Ingredients: In a large saucepan, combine 3 cups of the fresh cranberries, sugar, applesauce, maple syrup, orange zest, and salt.
- Cook Cranberry Mix: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Stir and Soften: Gradually stir the cranberries until they start to soften and burst.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to a simmer once the cranberries have softened.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
- Thicken Filling: Pour the cornstarch slurry into the cranberry mixture, stirring constantly to combine.
- Cook to Desired Thickness: Continue cooking for 2 minutes or until the cranberry filling thickens.
- Add Remaining Cranberries: Stir in the remaining 3 cups of fresh cranberries for added texture.
- Spread Filling: Evenly spread the thickened cranberry filling over the crust in the baking dish.
- Add Crumble Topping: Sprinkle the reserved crumble dough evenly over the cranberry filling, then top with pecan chips.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping turns a light golden brown.
- Cool: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the cranberry bars cool completely to set before slicing.
- Serve and Enjoy: Cut into 12 bars and enjoy this tart and sweet treat!
Notes
- For firmer filling, ensure the cranberry mixture simmers long enough to thicken with the cornstarch.
- Use fresh cranberries for the best texture; frozen can be substituted but may yield a softer filling.
- Line the baking dish with parchment for easy removal and clean-up.
- Allow the bars to cool fully before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- These bars store well in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.
