Cranberry Crumble Blondies are a delightful fusion of sweet, tart, and buttery flavors. These bars feature a chewy blondie base made with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, giving them a caramel-like richness. The blondie layer is generously topped with a vibrant cranberry filling, balancing the sweetness with a pop of tangy flavor. A crumbly streusel topping, made from flour, butter, sugar, and oats, adds a satisfying crunch and a golden finish. The contrast between the chewy blondie, tart cranberries, and buttery crumble makes these bars a perfect treat for the holidays or any cozy occasion. They’re as beautiful as they are delicious, with a festive burst of red in every bite.
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Cranberry Crumble Blondies
Cranberry Crumble Blondies
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Blondies
Servings
12
Cranberry Crumble Blondies are a delightful fusion of sweet, tart, and buttery flavors. These bars feature a chewy blondie base made with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, giving them a caramel-like richness. The blondie layer is generously topped with a vibrant cranberry filling, balancing the sweetness with a pop of tangy flavor. A crumbly streusel topping, made from flour, butter, sugar, and oats, adds a satisfying crunch and a golden finish. The contrast between the chewy blondie, tart cranberries, and buttery crumble makes these bars a perfect treat for the holidays or any cozy occasion. They’re as beautiful as they are delicious, with a festive burst of red in every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 1/4 cups (405 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
To make the shortbread crust
To make the cranberry filling
To make the vanilla glaze
Directions
Shortbread crust
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix.Set aside roughly 2 cups of the dough (loosely packed) and reserve to use on the top of the crumble.
Press the shortbread dough into the an 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use your hands or the flat side of a measuring cup to press it evenly into the corners of the pan.Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown and the center is just set. Do not over bake.Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crust to cool slightly while you make the cranberry filling.
Cranberry filling
In a large bowl, mix together the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and juice and vanilla. Pour the cranberry mixture over the pre-baked crust.Use your hands to break up the remaining 2 cups of shortbread dough into smaller, flat pieces. Place them randomly on top of the cranberry filling, leaving space between them for the cranberries to peak through.Bake for about 45 minutes, covering the top of the pan with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time so that the crumble does not turn too dark.Remove the bars from the oven. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely before adding the vanilla glaze.
Vanilla Glaze
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (or heavy cream) and vanilla. The glaze should be thin enough to run off a fork but not so thin that it’s transparent. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the bars once cooled.