Cranberry Apple Crumble Bars Recipe
These Cranberry Apple Crumble Bars are a deliciously festive spin on the traditional Apple Crumble Bars. They’ve got a crispy buttery base, following by a smooth, fruity and slightly tangy cranberry apple filling and topped with more buttery crispy shortbread biscuit. They’re a super easy tray bake to throw together and contain only 5 ingredients!
If you have extra cranberries maybe you wanna try out my Cranberry White Chocolate Cake Recipe?
So how do I make these Cranberry Apple Crumble Bars from scratch?
There are a few steps to this recipe, but they are really straight forward, I promise!
- Shortbread Base & Topping
- Cranberry Apple Filling
- Assembling and Baking
Shortbread Base & Crumble Topping
This shortbread recipe is crazy easy and takes only a few minutes to make. It’s my go to base shortbread recipe as it always results in a crispy, buttery sweet shortbread that just melts in your mouth. Begin making the shortbread by adding your sugar and room temperature softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat well for 2-3 minutes with an electric whisk or paddle attachment on a stand mixer until pale and creamy. Add in the vanilla (optional) and flour. Switch to a rubber spatula and mix together until just combined. Grease and line an 8 inch square/rectangular baking tray. Take about 3/4 of the shortbread dough and press firmly and evenly into the base of the tray to cover. Place into the oven for 20 minutes until baked and a light golden brown colour. While the base is cooking, prepare the filling.
Cranberry Apple Filling
To make the filling, place the chopped apples into a saucepan along with the sugar. Cook on low/medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until the apple starts to break down and become smooth. Add in the cranberries and continue cooking, stirring often, for another 5-10 minutes until the cranberries begin to burst. Remove from the heat and leave to one side. Once the base is cooked, remove from the oven and spread over the cranberry apple mix evenly.
Assembling and Baking
Break the remaining shortbread dough into small crumbles and scatter over the top of the cranberry apple mix. Place bake into the oven and bake for a further 30-40 minutes until bubbly and the crumble topping has a golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully. Place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before trying to cut to allow it to fully set.
For more Biscuit Recipes, check out my Biscuit Category, here.
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Cranberry Apple Crumble Bars
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric whisk or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Small 8 inch square/rectangle deep baking tray
- Small saucepan
- Rubber Spatula/ Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Shortbread Base & Topping
- 180 grams softened butter
- 180 grams caster sugar
- 270 grams plain flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Cranberry Apple Filling
- 500 grams diced bramley apples about 4 medium
- 170 grams caster sugar
- 120 grams cranberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°c (340°f) or 160°c (320°f) if fan assisted.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened, room temperature butter and caster sugar. Beat well for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy with electric whisk or paddle attachment on stand mixer.
- Add in the vanilla and plain flour and switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix gently until just combined and no more flour lumps remain.
- Grease and line an 8 inch square/rectangular baking tray. Take about 3/4 of the shortbread dough and press firmly and evenly into the base of the tray to cover.
- Place into the oven for 20 minutes until baked and a light golden brown colour.
- While the base is cooking, prepare the filling.
- Add the apples and sugar to a saucepan and cook on low/medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often until the apple starts to break down and become smooth.
- Add in the cranberries and continue cooking, stirring often, for another 5-10 minutes until the cranberries begin to burst.
- Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
- Once the base is cooked, remove from the oven and spread over the cranberry apple mix evenly.
- Break the remaining shortbread dough into small crumbles and scatter over the top of the cranberry apple mix.
- Place bake into the oven and bake for a further 30-40 minutes until bubbly and the crumble topping has a golden brown colour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully. Place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before trying to cut to allow it to fully set.
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