Shortcut Cranberry Crumble Squares and How I Rotate My Pantry

What has a buttery shortbread crust, a tart, jammy filling, and a textured crumble on top? These mouthwatering Cranberry Crumble Squares! Every year when cranberries go on sale around the holidays, I like to make my super-easy Better-Than-Storebought Cranberry Sauce. I can it and then I have delicious cranberry sauce available whenever I want it, which is usually what I use as a stir-in for my Homemade Greek yoghurt. But if I’m not finishing up the cranberry sauce as fast as I expected to, and still want to rotate items in my pantry, then I make these DELISH Cranberry Crumble Squares!

Enough chatting, let’s get to the recipe!

Yield: 18 squares

Shortcut Cranberry Crumble Squares

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These tart yet sweet dessert squares have a buttery crust and crumble, and have a simple shortcut: a can of cranberry sauce!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. butter, softened
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 can of cranberry sauce (or 1 1/2 c. homemade cranberry sauce)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. butter, softened

Instructions

1. Line a lasagna-sized tray with tin foil or parchment paper (for easy removal of bars).
2. Mix the crust ingredients (the first four ingredients) together with a mixer until a fine crumb (almost sandy)appears. Press the crumb mixture into the lined tray.
3. Pour the cranberry sauce (mushing first if the sauce is chunky or gelatinized) over the unbaked base.
4. Mix the streusel topping (the last four ingredients) together, until a semi-lumpy crumb is formed. Sprinkle streusel topping over the fruit filling.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, until the topping is golden.
   Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 30 minutes (this helps the base and filling become a bit firmer).
6. Once cool, either cut in pan, or lift out of pan using the tin foil edges and cut on a wooden cutting board.
7. Serve and...enjoy!

Notes

If you want, you can create a simple drizzle for the top of the squares, from milk and icing sugar, with a drop of vanilla extract.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1 square
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g

How do I rotate items in my pantry? I use that classic inventory management principle: first in, first out! Ie. the oldest items (which were first in) are used up first, before the newest items get used. And since I stock up on items when they’re on sale, keeping my stocked pantry organized helps save me money! And who doesn’t want to save money?

So if you have leftover cranberry sauce from a meal, or you want to make some yourself to use up some fresh cranberries, definitely make these Shortcut Cranberry Crumble Squares! They’re sweet and tart at the same time, with a buttery shortbread crust and a luscious crumble on top. My mouth is watering just typing out the description! Not into cranberries? Try another variation: Very Cherry Crumble Bars!

Next Post: Maybe my Two-Ingredient Healthy Chocolate Milkshake. I’m definitely making a lot of them during these humid summer days, when I’m craving something chocolate and cold, but still trying to lose the baby weight!