Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars | Gluten-Free & Vegan

These Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars are the perfect balance between tart and sweet, plus they’re made with only 10 ingredients! Vegan & Gluten-Free.
This post is sponsored by  One Degree Organics

While not the most classic of holiday flavors, I’m a huge fan of the cranberry + orange flavor combo! Sweet desserts are great and all, but I love how the tartness from the cranberries and floral notes from the orange help to create a more balanced, well-rounded treat.

I first fell in love via Cranberry Orange Bread, but these Cranberry Orange Bars might just be my new favorite. Not only are they party friendly and pretty to look at, but they’re also made from only 10 plant-based ingredients!

These Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars are just as wholesome as they are delicious! They’re completely gluten-free, oil free, and sweetened only with maple syrup. As an added bonus I used One Degree Organics Sprouted Rolled Oats as the chewy base for our crumble. Not only are these oats certified vegan, gluten-free, and glyphosate-free, but they’re sprouted too – which makes them even easier to digest!

How to Make Vegan Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars:

1. Make the Cranberry Orange Sauce on the stovetop while the oven pre-heats (or up to two days in advance!)
2. Mix the base & crumble ingredients together in a large bowl to form a thick dough
3. Press half of the dough into a lined baking pan, then spread on the cranberry sauce, and crumble the remainder dough on top!

I love how the base doubles as the crumble in these bars, because it makes the cleanup that much easier. It should be pretty easy to crumble with your hands, especially if you keep them slightly damp with water 🙂

The crumble will “puff up” as it bakes in the oven and gets nice and golden and crunchy. The base, on the other hand, will remain soft and hold together well, making these bars easy to slice.

You can serve these Cranberry Orange Crumble bars as-is, but they’re also quite delicious when topped with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream or a dollop of coconut whipped cream. If you’re making these for a party, they’ll last at room temperature for up to 5 days (though they do soften with time and are best on days 1 & 2). If you’re cooking for yourself, you can also freeze any leftover bars to enjoy at a later date 😉

Looking for more easy & delicious holiday recipes?

You’ll also love these Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles, this Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Pie, and this Vegan Pecan Pie!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag @onedegreeorganics &  @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

These Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars are the perfect balance between tart and sweet, plus they’re made with only 10 ingredients! 

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Cook Time: 30 Minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 9 Bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cranberry & Orange Filling:

• 12 ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries*
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh-squeezed orange juice* (about 1 large orange)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Grade A maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Base & Crumble Topping:

• 1 cup (116 g) blanched almond flour
• 1/2 cup (59 g) tapioca starch/flour
• 1 1/2 cups (170 g) One Degree Organics Sprouted Rolled Oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup (198 g) natural almond butter* 
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Grade A maple syrup

Instructions

1. Prepare the Filling: add all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring the mixture frequently to ensure nothing burns or sticks to the pan. The filling is “done” once it has thickened and most of the cranberries have popped. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9” baking pan with parchment paper. 
3. Mix the Dry: add the Almond Flour, Tapioca Flour, Oats, Baking Powder, and Salt to a large bowl. Whisk until evenly incorporated.
4. Add the Wet: stir the Almond Butter and Maple Syrup together in a small bowl until they form an even paste, then add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir well until no dry clumps are left – the mixture should be pretty thick!
5. Assemble: press half of the “dough” into the bottom of the prepared tin, then spread the cranberry orange filling evenly over the top. Use your hands to crumble remaining dough and sprinkle it over the top of the filling. 
6. Bake: for 27-30 minutes, or until the crumb topping is crisp and slightly browned. Let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing into 9 equal bars. Serve as desired; leftovers will last at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the fridge for about a week, and frozen for about a month.

Notes

• You can use frozen cranberries for this recipe if you’d like, but you will need to simmer the filling for an additional 1-2 minutes, as they release more water when cooking
• Almond Butter can be replaced with another nut or seed butter, but this will affect the final flavor. If you must, I would suggest using Cashew Butter or Tahini!
• I have not tested this recipe with any other flour variations so I cannot recommend flour substitutions

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