Cranberry Streusel Bars: The Perfect Post-Holiday Treat
Looking for a delicious way to use up leftover cranberry sauce? These Gluten-Free cranberry streusel bars are your answer! Whether you swirl creamy cheesecake filling with tangy cranberry sauce or skip the cheesecake to double up on the cranberry (my personal favorite), these bars are a crowd-pleaser. With a buttery streusel topping and a burst of cranberry flavor, they’re perfect for holiday gatherings or as a sweet treat anytime. Bonus: they’re easy to make and even easier to devour!
You can make your own cranberry sauce using this recipe or you can use pre-made cranberry sauce from the store.
Try them out and transform your leftovers into something irresistible
Cranberry Streusel Bars
These can be made with the cheesecake and cranberry filling or leave out the cream cheese and double the cranberry.
Ingredients
- 260 grams 1:1 gluten free flour
- 140 grams rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon salt I prefer kosher salt
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 150 grams light brown sugar
- 280 grams unsalted butter very cold can sub vegan butter*
- 30 grams egg yolk approx. 1.5 yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Filling
- 250 g cranberry sauce (canned or homemade) https://chefalina.com/homemade-cranberry-sauce/
- 224 g cream cheese soft
- 50 g egg (1 lg)
- 200 g granulated or maple sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract, and continue beating until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉
- Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal pan with cooking spray or softened butter and line with parchment. Let the parchment paper hang over the long sides of the pan to make it easier to remove the bars for slicing when baked.
- To make the crust and topping, combine the flour, oats, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until incorporated.
- Grate the the cold butter and using a box grater or food processor with the shredding attachment, toss the butter into the flour mixture, rub gently if needed, until the butter is crumbly and pea-sized.
- Mix the yolk and vanilla together and, using a fork, stir them into the crumbly mixture. Switch to your fingers if you find that easier, and continue mixing the dough until the yolk and vanilla are fully incorporated and the dough holds together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers.
- Remove 330 grams of dough and place in a medium bowl in the refrigerator. Press the remaining dough firmly and uniformly into the prepared pan.
- Drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture and cranberry sauce, alternating evenly, across the bottom crust.
- Use a knife or offset spatula to gently swirl the cheesecake mixture into the cranberry sauce, creating a marbled effect.
- Sprinkle the refrigerated dough over the filling, breaking it into little balls between your fingers for the ultimate crumble topping.
- Bake the bars for about 45 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark, until the oat crumb topping is lightly browned.
- Let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Use the parchment paper to help lift the bars out of the pan to slice.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
*If using vegan butter you may need to freeze it for a short time to make grating it possible. My favorite vegan butter is Miyokos.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 451IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!