Description
If you want a showstopping holiday bake, these Best Christmas Eve Desserts cranberry bars hit the spot — tender, citrus-bright, and topped with a crunchy crumb.
Ingredients
Ingredients — Cake layer
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (plus extra to grease the pan)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
Ingredients — Fruit
- 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen — do not thaw if frozen)
Ingredients — Streusel topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter a 9-inch square pan or line it with parchment for easy removal. Tip: parchment = tidy edges.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl so everything blends evenly. This keeps the crumb light.
Beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and orange zest until the mix looks lighter and a bit fluffy — about 3–5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla.
Pro tip: use room-temp eggs for smoother blending.
Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions. Start and finish with the flour. Fold gently; don’t overmix or the bars will turn tough. Fold in 1 cup of the cranberries so they distribute through the batter.
In a food processor or by hand, combine the streusel flour, sugars, salt, and the cold butter pieces. Pulse or rub until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the vanilla at the end. Cold butter is key here — it makes those irresistible, crunchy crumbs.
Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of cranberries across the top, then sprinkle the streusel over everything. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the edges turn golden and the middle feels set with a slight spring.
If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
Let the pan cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares. For clean cuts, chill briefly or wipe your knife between slices.
Wrap leftover bars tightly. They stay fine at room temperature for a couple of days, or keep them refrigerated for longer freshness.
Notes
- Zest the orange over the sugar to capture aromatic oils.
- Coat berries lightly in flour if you don’t want them sinking.
- Use cold butter for the crumb — seriously, don’t skip this.
- Don’t overmix the batter — fold gently for tender bars.