What if the dough feels and looks too dry?

The crumbs will most likely look loose, but if you squeeze them together with your hand it will clump together. You don't want the dough to be wet because that means it may be too tough.

What to use instead of clementine

If you can't find any good clementines you can sub in orange instead.

Adjusting the sweetness

If you feel as though the cranberry topping is too tart or sour, you can adjust the sweetness by adding in a little more sugar.

Store the cranberry crumb bars in an airtight container (or sealable bag) at room temp, in the refrigerator. They will stay good for up to 2 days at room temp, and up to 4 days in the fridge.

Cranberry Crumb Bars with Clementines

Description

A Christmas and holiday baking favorite dessert or snack: Cranberry crumb bars adapted from The Simple Art of EatingWell. These have a simple crust that doubles as the crumb topping with almonds. There are fresh clementines mixed into the cranberries and coconut oil and coconut flakes added as well.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust and Topping

1 cup sliced almonds, divided
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened if necessary according to package instructions
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut chips

Filling

5 cups cranberries, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice (save the zest)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup chopped peeled clementine
1 1/2 teaspoons clementine zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Make the Crust and Topping: Combine ¾ cup almonds, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are ground. Add coconut oil and pulse until completely blended in. Whisk egg, sunflower or canola oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and almond extract in a small dish until combined. Turn on processor and drizzle egg mixture through the feed tube and continue processing and then pulsing, scraping down the sides a few times until the mixture becomes crumbly. {Note: the crumbs will be loose, but if you squeeze them together with your hand it will clump together.]
Reserve ½ cup of the crumb mixture and mix in a bowl with the remaining almonds. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish and set aside.
Make the filling: Stir 3 cups cranberries, ¾ cup sugar, clementine juice and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until very thick, about 5 minutes total. Stir in the remaining 2 cups cranberries, chopped clementine, zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Spread the cranberry filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the top. Scatter the coconut chips over the topping and transfer to the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the filling bubbles and the topping is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Storing Tip: Store the cranberry crumb bars in an airtight container (or sealable bag) at room temp, in the refrigerator or freezer. They will stay good for up to 2 days at room temp, and up to 4 days in the fridge.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 180
Sugar: 16 g
Sodium: 73 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g