Cranberry Crunch
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These cranberry crunch bars include sweet and tart cranberries with a buttery streusel-like crumble topping and base that make them the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table this year.
Some recipes just get you talking about the old days, which is why we love them so much. Cranberry crunch is one of those recipes that gets my mother talking about her childhood. The school lunch ladies often made this around the holidays and she loved it so much that one of them gave her the recipe for it, which has led us to enjoy it for the past couple of generations. Nothing like an heirloom recipe to bring memories back to life, especially around the holidays.
You only need 5 ingredients to make this old-fashioned cranberry crunch recipe: cranberry sauce, flour, oats, butter, and brown sugar. All we’re going to do is combine our dry ingredients (flour, oats, and sugar) in a mixing bowl and then cut in the butter to make it deliciously crumbly. Then we press half of this into the bottom of our baking dish before adding all the cranberry sauce and then the remaining crumble topping.
Then you have to patiently wait for it to bake before grabbing a bowl and serving your cranberry crunch bar with a big dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I’ve also been known to enjoy one for breakfast, too. If you’re a fan of the humble crumble, you will love cranberry crunch. The combination of tart yet sweet cranberries with the buttery streusel-like crumble topping will be the perfect addition to your holiday table this year.
Recipe Ingredients
- Whole berry cranberry sauce
- Old-fashioned oats
- Flour
- Dark or light brown sugar
- Butter
How To Make Cranberry Crunch
Place your flour, oats, and brown sugar in a large bowl.
Stir them up.
Add your butter and cut that in with a long-tined fork or pastry cutter.
It will look like this.
Now spray a pie plate or 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
You can see some of these pretty dishes by fellow food blogger, Ree Drummond here.
Press half of your crumble mixture into the bottom of the pie plate to form the crust for the cranberry crunch.
Top that with the entire can of cranberry sauce.
Then take that same spoon and spread it around a bit.
Sprinkle the remaining topping over the cranberry sauce.
Bake cranberry crunch at 350, uncovered, for 45 minutes to one hour, or until bubbly and golden brown.
Cranberry crunch is excellent served with whipped cream or ice cream but you can also serve it as a side dish. Enjoy!
Storage
- Store leftover cranberry crunch in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can serve it at room temperature, cold, or reheated either in the oven or the microwave. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time this Thanksgiving.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- I use old-fashioned rolled oats but quick oats will work just as well if that is what you have on hand.
- As for brown sugar, I’m using dark because it is my very favorite, but if you have light or prefer light, knock yourself out!
- I don’t recommend using frozen or fresh cranberries for this particular cranberry crunch recipe, as the cranberry sauce has added sweetness, which is exactly what we want.
- If you like, you can add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans to the crumble mix for added flavor and texture.
- Another option is to make cranberry apple crunch. Spread a cup or so of chopped apples over the cranberry sauce before adding the topping.
- Another way to add flavor is to add some spices to the topping. I’d recommend 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
Check out these other tasty cranberry treats:
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread With Caramel Glaze
Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Recipe
Upside Down Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
Instructions
- Mix the oats, flour, and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a long-tined fork or pastry cutter.1 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- Press 1/2 of the crumble mixture into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish.
- Spread cranberry sauce over the crust before topping it with the remaining crumbs.1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until lightly brown. Excellent served with whipped cream or ice cream.
Nutrition
Don’t set yourself so firmly on remembering Thanksgiving’s past that you forget to put your heart into this one.
Thank you for sharing your family memories with all of us. The holidays have not been the same due to all our losses. We try to continue the traditions and cook the same things but something is missing without my grandparents, parents and husband. Miss my Mother’s dressing…I almost have the taste right,,, maybe this year.
Oh yum. This looks amazing. I think it may find its way onto my table this Thanksgiving. It will for sure be made for Christmas, that much I do know.
I made this and took it to my Ladies Bible Study last night…So Good!! It was the perfect desert for this time of year, we topped it with ice cream and it was better than I even thought it was going to be. Love it. I have to say I have not been disappointed with one recipe yet…Thanks
I am so glad everyone liked it Nancy!!! Thank you so much for sharing this with me.
That was so beautifully expressed and made me cry, because I can relate to it so well. We really do need to remember to continue the traditions and family memories for our children’s sakes so that they have those great memories when we are gone. I always loved the smells and excitement getting ready for holidays meals at our home when I was a child. Certain things still bring back those memories. Now my son, who is college age, is already reminding me of things we did or cooked when he was a child. Those memories are truly priceless.
This morning, my husband and I sat drinking our morning coffee before I took off to do my Thanksgiving shopping. Today, though, was a special morning because if is our 31st anniversary!! (I know, if you saw me, you wouldn’t believe it either?? LOL). My husband made the statement that he was going to slow down and live in the moments more, then I read your post here talking about being present in the moment, and not entirely in the past. I get it! I can’t wait to be with family on Thanksgiving Day, and hug and love on them a little more, listen a little closer and just try to see not only them…but their heart. Thank you for all you do to bring encouragement and laughter to us thru your site. Blessings to you all!
Christy,
I absolutley loved your heartfelt post to this recipe. I never forward an email, however was so touched by your post that I forwarded it to my family and friends, adding a few words of my own and thanked each of them for being an important part of my life. As others have commented, we often hold back on telling loved ones how much they mean to us and your post reminded me how important it is to let others know how much you love and care for them. Thank you for being an inspiration!
Many wishes to you and your family for a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!!!
This year we will celebrate Thanksgiving with both sets of parent gone on to Heaven. Thanks for sharing your memories and reminding us to let those who remain know we love them and they are important to us. Too often, we hold back on showing affection, never knowing when that could be our last opportunity. This year, I am thankful for family remaining and plan to let them know how much they mean to me.
I am thankful for you and your encouragement you share with us each day. God bless you and your family.