Cranberry Walnut Bars – Easy Recipe
Irresistible Cranberry Walnut Bars … so pretty!
Cranberry Walnut Bars are made with fresh cranberries, rolled oats, yellow cake mix, and a little Christmas spice! An easy and addictively tasty recipe! Fresh cranberries are a must-have for our family every single Christmas. Not sure if it’s the nostalgia, the beautiful bright red color, or the burst of berry goodness in every bite but we really love to bake with these little beauties.
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Do the holidays have you a bit stressed? Maybe even a little grumpy? Let’s see if we can help. Repeat after me…
Tart, sweet, crumbly, chewy, gooey. Mouthwatering goodness. Tastebuds exploding. Must have now!
These Cranberry Walmart Bars are delectable and super irresistible. A tasty treat to brighten up your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day dessert table. How can anyone be anything other than JOYFUL when they’ve got one of these in their mouth?
We had better get started!
What do you need to make Fresh Cranberry Walnut Bars?
Here is what you’ll need from the grocery store:
- Cranberries – 1 12-ounce package of whole cranberries or 1 pound fresh cranberries
- Water – 3/4 cup of water
- Suger – 1 cup sugar
- Yellow cake mix – 1 18.25 package yellow cake mix
- Unsalted butter – 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Rolled oats – 1 cup rolled oats
- Walnuts – 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
- Light brown sugar – 3/4 cup pacled light brown sugar
- Ginger – 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Cinnamon – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Eggs – 2 large eggs
How do you make Cranberry Walnut Bars?
Get yourself ready for a super easy recipe, guaranteed to liven up a holiday party or small family gathering. Or just save them for yourself… you know you deserve it!
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water over medium heat. Stir continuously for about 10 to 15 minutes until all of the berries have cooked long enough to have burst open. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Remove the pan from the heat to cool.
- While you’re waiting for the sauce to cool, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or a baker’s cooking spray.
- Stir together the cake mix, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in the oats, ginger, cinnamon, crushed walnuts, and brown sugar. Spoon out about 2 cups of the mixture and set aside.
- Using the remaining mixture, spread it into the bottom of the greased baking dish. Pack it down to create a firm and even crust.
- Spread out the cooled cranberry sauce on top of the crust.
- For a “CRUMBLE TOPPING” – pinch off chunks of the crust mixture you have set aside and sprinkle it on top of the cranberry sauce layer.
- For “CRANBERRY BARS” – transfer the saved crust mixture to a large piece of wax paper. Using a spatula, spread a layer of the crust mixture across the wax paper about the same size as the baking dish. Carefully lift the wax paper and flip it over the top of the cranberry layer. Smooth out the edges, careful to not disrupt the cranberry layer below.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top crust is a golden brown.
- Remove from the oven to cool for about 45 minutes before you slice or remove from the pan. This will ensure the bars will set properly and remain intact when cutting into bars or squares.
What can I serve with Fresh Cranberry Walnut Bars?
To garnish your Cranberry Bars try one of these options…
Save a handful of cranberries from the bag to use as garnish and pretty up your bars. The burst of the bright reds from the berries and the filling, look so festive on a platter or cake plate. Whip cream on the side is also a great addition to your holiday display.
You can never go wrong topping your bars with a little Orange Icing. Just whish together 2 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice and 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar. Once it’s at your desired consistency, just drizzle it over the top of your bars.
Or just try giving each bar a little sprinkle of powdered sugar, like a dusting of snow! How festive AND tasty!
Can I freeze cranberry bars to serve at a later date?
You certainly can! Layer the bars in a freezer-safe container between parchment paper to keep them from sticking and freezing together. Thaw the bars out the night before in the refrigerator, then add the icing and serve to your guests. If properly stored, you should be able to keep them in the freezer for about 3 months.
Love cranberries? Check out these easy cranberry recipes …
More easy dessert recipes …
- Hummingbird Cake
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Fresh Strawberry Vanilla Cake
- Homemade Sweet Apple Pie (Easy Recipe)
- Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries + Whipped Cream
Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Christmas Cranberry Walnut Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Wax Paper
- Large saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz pkg whole fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 18.25 oz pkg yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
Optional Topping
- ½ cup powdered suger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Using a large saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, and water over medium heat. Stir continuously for about 10 to 15 minutes until all of the cranberries have cooked long enough to have popped open and the mixture has thickened.
- Remove from heat to cool.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or a baker's cooking spray.
- Stir together cake mix, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in the oats, ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Spoon out about 2 cups of the mixture and set aside.
- Using the remaining mixture, spread it into the bottom of the greased baking dish. Pack it down to create a firm and even crust.
- Spread out the cooled cranberry mixture on top of the crust.
- For a crumble topping – pinch off chunks of the crust mixture you set aside and sprinkle it on top of the cranberry layer. For cranberry bars – transfer crust mixture to a large piece of wax paper. Using a spatula, spread a layer of the crust mixture across the wax paper about the same size as the baking dish. Carefully lift the wax paper and flip it over on top of the cranberry layer. Smooth out the edges, careful to not disrupt the cranberry layer below.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top crust is a golden brown.
- Remove from oven to cool for about 45 minutes before you slice or remove from pan. This will ensure the bars will set properly and remain intact when cutting into bars or squares.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top to resemble snow. Enjoy!
Notes
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