This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Cranberry bars have a dense, coffee cake-like base with streusel and almond icing. With a gluten-free option.
After Thanksgiving, I’m always stuck with an odd amount of cranberries that didn’t make it into my favorite orange cranberry sauce, a pie, or a crisp. I usually just freeze them to use at Christmas but after making these bars, I now have the perfect use for leftover cranberries!
These cranberry bars aren’t your typical jam-filled fruit bars. They’re definitely a little different. And better! I found a recipe for crustless cranberry pie that I was excited to try and wanted to add a streusel topping to make it extra special. But no matter what topping I tried, it weighed down the batter too much for it to rise. It made sense as the recipe doesn’t have any leavener in it, but I actually loved the result, which is what I’m sharing with you today.
The day that you make these, the cake base is like a dense coffee cake. It’s really delicious but on the second and third days? They’re even better! They get moister and even more irresistible, making them a perfect treat for Christmas, holiday parties, or basically – whenever! If you plan to let them sit overnight, I recommend icing the bars the day of serving, just to be on the safe side.
The cake and the icing have such a lovely almond flavor which goes incredibly well with the cranberries. If you’re not a big fan of almond extract, you can use vanilla extract in its place. Orange extract would also pair wonderfully with the cranberries!
The part that really throws these over the top for me is the icing. The bars are sweet enough without the icing, but almond flavored icing? That’s just destined to improve anything it touches! My husband is a bit of an odd duck and said he preferred these bars without the icing. I just don’t understand him sometimes.
To make these cranberry bars gluten-free, I tried several different mixtures of gluten-free flours. Everything worked fine in the cake portion but what a mess the streusel was! So I turned to this 1-to-1 baking flour and it came out perfectly.
For more gluten-free Christmas treats, check out these cranberry orange muffins or these mint chocolate chip brownies. Really now – gluten-free baking doesn’t have to mean dry and crumbly!
Cranberry Bars
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold
For the base:
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-10 teaspoons milk
- ½ cup toasted sliced almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line an 8"x8" pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- Prepare the streusel. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry blender or your hands, incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract and salt until well combined.
- Stir in the flour and then the cranberries until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon into the prepared pan and top with the streusel.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the topping no longer appears wet and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bars comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- If serving the bars today, prepare the glaze. Otherwise, wait to ice the bars until the day of serving.
- In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, almond extract (use 1/4 teaspoon if you don't want a strong almond flavor), vanilla extract and 4 teaspoons of milk. Add more milk, if needed, so that the glaze is just pourable but not too thin. Drizzle over the bars. Top with toasted sliced almonds, if using.
- Cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely love this recipe!!! I have made it many times and it is always a hit!!!
So happy to hear you enjoy the bars, Kayla! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I made these bars a couple days ago. They are very good. More like a dense coffee cake. I used frozen cranberries and was happy with the outcome. Next time I will try drizzling a good quality, melted dark chocolate over the top. The sweet struesal topping goes perfect with the tart cranberries (I left them whole).
It’s good to know that frozen cranberries work! And white chocolate sounds so delicious. I’ll have to try that! Thanks so much for the tip and for your feedback. :)
Hi, I live where you cant get fresh cranberries. Could I substitute them with blueberries?
I think that’d be fine! Just be careful when mixing them in. It sounds like a delicious variation. :)
This is just amazing… those bars look perfect.. A must share recipe. Thanks
Thanks so much, Amira!
Wondering if frozen cranberries will add too much moisture to an already dense base. Want to give these a try, using orange extract in place of almond (neither hubby nor I like almond flavoring).
I think you’re right in that they’d add too much moisture. Perhaps you could try dried unsweetened cranberries? I hope you’ll enjoy the bars!
Yum! I don’t have much experience with gluten free; I’ll have to give this a try!
I hope you will! And if you don’t need them to be gluten-free, they work wonderfully with regular all-purpose flour. :)