Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp Bars with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

With a perfect balance of sweet crisp topping and tart cranberry sauce, these gluten-free cranberry crisp bars are sure to be a favorite snack or dessert this fall and winter! They only take a few minutes to put together and are the perfect way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce.

While I love all of the fresh flavors of summer, fall food has always been my favorite! I love all the soups, squash, potatoes and more, but I think my favorite has to be the cranberries. They’re so good in muffins, homemade cranberry sauce, and more.

However, when it comes to cranberry sauce, I have found that there are almost always leftovers after Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not that this is a bad thing – I’ll be the first one to actually hope there are enough leftovers for the next week! But sometimes we want a way to serve delicious leftovers in a new way.

That’s why I love this recipe so much! It’s the perfect way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce to make a delicious snack or dessert. Even my husband who’s not typically a cranberry fan devoured these bars!

Why You’ll Love Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp Bars

Quick & easy – They only take about 10 minutes to put together which is probably all the time you want to spend in the kitchen anyway after cooking a big holiday meal.

Delicious cranberry flavor – These have the perfect balance of sweet and tart cranberry sauce topped with a crunchy oat topping! They will be a crowd-pleaser whoever you make them for.

Refined sugar free – These bars are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar (unless your cranberry sauce has refined sugar in it). If you would like to make a refined sugar free cranberry sauce, you can find my recipe here.

Simple, real ingredients – Made with only simple, real ingredients you can feel great about eating.

Gluten, dairy, & egg free – These bars are made without three of the most common allergens, so almost anyone can enjoy them.

Great way to use up leftovers – I hate wasting delicious food, and this is the perfect recipe to use up your leftover cranberry sauce!

Unique Holiday Dessert

While we all love the traditional pies and cookies, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up a little bit. Especially for second or third celebrations with different groups of people.

This is the perfect unique holiday dessert! It’s full of classic holiday cranberry flavor, but served in a different format. It’s also easy to make and transport which makes it a great dessert to bring somewhere.

These cranberry bars are always a crowd-pleaser, so get ready to share the recipe with everyone who tries them!

How to Store Leftovers

These bars are so good that chances are there won’t be many leftovers! But if there are, you can keep store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They are delicious cold right out of the fridge or at room temperature.

FAQs

What if I don’t have enough leftover cranberry sauce? – If you don’t have enough cranberry sauce, reduce the amount of the other ingredients and bake in a smaller dish.

Will any type of cranberry sauce work? – Yes, you can use any version of cranberry sauce as long as the flavors blend well with a sweet oat topping. While homemade cranberry sauce is the best, you can even use whole berry canned cranberry sauce.

Can I make this even though I don’t have leftover cranberry sauce? – Yes, though you’ll first need to make some cranberry sauce. You can find my favorite recipe for homemade cranberry sauce here.

Can gluten-free cranberry crisp bars be frozen? – I don’t recommend freezing these bars as it will soften the crunchy oat topping. However, leftover cranberry sauce can be frozen until you’re ready to make the bars.

Tools You May Need

Mixing bowl

Silicone spatula

8″x8″ glass baking dish

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Ingredients for Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp Bars

Leftover cranberry sauce – If you don’t have any leftover cranberry sauce, you can find my favorite cranberry sauce recipe here.

Rolled oats – Not quick oats. For extra nutritional benefit, use sprouted oats. If it’s important that the cranberry crisp bar is gluten free, make sure to use gluten-free oats.

Coconut sugar – This is one of the best granulated sugar substitutes in my opinion! In a pinch, you can use white sugar instead, but it will significantly impact the nutritional value of the bars.

Maple syrup – Provides a little more sweetness and flavor and gives the topping a wonderful texture.

Oat flour – Homemade or store bought. If you need this recipe to be gluten free, use gluten-free oat flour.

Almond flour – For the best texture, make sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. 

Coconut oil – Softened. If you don’t need the cranberry crisp bars to be dairy free, you can substitute softened unsalted butter.

Vanilla extract

Salt 

How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Crisp Bars

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish. I like to use coconut oil to grease the dish, but you can use whatever oil you prefer.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, coconut sugar, maple syrup, oat flour, almond flour, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.

Take half of the mixture and press it down firmly into the bottom of the baking dish.

Now spread the cranberry sauce on top.

Finally, sprinkle the rest of the crisp mixture on top of the cranberry sauce.

Place in your preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the topping is just beginning to turn golden brown.

Remove it from the oven and let the cranberry crisp bars cool. Once it has cooled, place in the fridge for a few hours before cutting into individual bars.

Enjoy as a delicious snack or dessert!

If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments! Tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome

More Delicious Cranberry Recipes

Homemade Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

Fermented Cranberries in Honey – Best Cranberry Sauce

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread