Cranberry Crumble Bars

I go through phases of inspiration in the kitchen, and lately I've been on a major baking kick. There's just something about the holidays that makes me want to throw on some Christmas music and whip up treats for everyone in my life.

After Thanksgiving, I had a leftover bag of fresh cranberries that I didn't want to go to waste, and thus these Cranberry Crumble Bars were born. They're simple to make and give you all of the holiday flavors you'll love!

You luckily only have to make one mixture for both the crust and the crumble topping, and it also only requires a few pantry staples. Mix together almond flour, oats (gluten-free optional), walnuts, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and salt for a gluten-free and delicious crumble.

Simplicity is also the name of the game for the cranberry "sauce" you'll use for the filling. Add fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, honey, almond extract (y'all know this is my favorite addition to almost everything) and cinnamon to a sauce pan and let it do its thing.

For some extra help in the thickness department, use corn starch or arrowroot starch. I've found this helps the mixture stand up to the crust so it doesn't end up a runny, gloopy mess as well.

Top it all off with the rest of your crumble mixture, and that's it!

These are extra tasty served alongside ice cream or whipped cream, so don't stop here. I'm planning to bring these to my holiday gathering with Sam's family this year and can't wait to see what they think. Let me know if you do the same :) 

Servings: 9 bars

Ingredients

Crust & Crumble Topping

•  2 cups almond flour
•  2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free optional)
•  1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
•  ½ cup coconut oil
•  ½ cup maple syrup
•  1 tsp vanilla extract
•  ½ tsp salt 

Cranberry Filling

• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
• Juice & zest of 2 oranges
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp corn starch or arrowroot starch

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 (or similar) baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. To a large bowl, add almond flour, oats, walnuts, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Mix to combine well.
3. Take 2/3 of the crust/crumble mixture and press into the bottom of your lined baking pan. Use your fingers to create an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then allow to sit for 5 minutes on the countertop. While crust is baking, make the filling.
4. Add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, almond extract, honey and cinnamon to medium sized sauce pan.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for ~10 minutes, until most of the cranberries have popped. Add cornstarch and mix until dissolved. Let cook for another minute or so, until thickened.
6. Pour cranberry filling on top of crust and spread into an even layer. Then take the remaining crust/crumble mixture and use fingers to arrange on top.
7. Bake for ~30 minutes, until the topping begins to brown slightly.
8. Allow to cool completely before slicing into 9 squares. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Enjoy!