Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars

Use up leftover cranberry sauce with these Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars! Sweet, salty and buttery with a layer of tangy cranberry sauce in the middle – these oven-baked bars are easy to make in just one bowl!

I love turning leftover cranberry sauce into new creations! See my fave Turkey Gobbler Wraps and these gorgeous Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Yogurt Parfaits as examples.

This time, I went for crumble bars. So buttery, delicious, sweet, tangy, and ready to pair perfectly with any kind of cranberry sauce you throw at them.

What are the ingredients in these Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars?

Aside from the quite seasonal cranberry sauce element, the rest of these ingredients are pretty standard and you might already have them in your kitchen!

Here’s each ingredient in the Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars and why it belongs in this recipe:

• rolled oats – Crumble bars can be made in many ways, but I prefer the oat crumble style!
• all-purpose flour & unsalted butter – The flour, butter and sugar make up the majority of our crumble mixture. SO GOOD. Please note I have only tested this recipe with all purpose flour.
• brown sugar – Brown sugar and cinnamon and cranberries sounds like fall in a bowl to me. Using brown sugar adds a little bit of molasses background flavor, as opposed to regular white sugar.
• ground cinnamon – I love cinnamon and I add it to all baked goods any time I can. It goes really well here with the cranberry sauce and flavor for the crumble.
• baking soda – This is what’s going to give us a little bit of baked good feels with a small amount of rise and fluff in our crumble mixture.
• fine sea salt – This recipe has good sweet and tangy flavors, so it’s best to round everything out with a bit of salt. If your pretzels are heavily salted, feel free to skip if you want.
• crushed pretzels – Find any plain pretzels in your pantry, crush them up, and use them in this recipe!
• applesauce – To keep the crumble from getting dry, I added some applesauce instead of more butter or oil. There’s already a whole stick of butter in this recipe, and the applesauce worked so well!
• leftover cranberry sauce – The star of the show! Use up about 3/4-1 cup of leftover cranberry sauce. I prefer the chunky kind for this recipe, but any will work.

How do you make these Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars?

First and most important step of any recipe is to gather and measure your ingredients, so the actual process of making the recipe is quicker and easier.

Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature, your oven is preheating, and your pan is lined with parchment paper.

One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the fact that the crumble mixture functions as both the base and the topping. No extra bowls needed!

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup crushed pretzels. Save the remaining 1/4 cup pretzels for topping!

Next, add butter cubes and applesauce to the bowl. The mixture will seem pretty wet at first, but just continue to use your hands to mix and squish everything together. You can also use a pastry cutter if you prefer. Mix completely until a wet crumbly mixture forms.

I prefer a thick base so my crumble bars don’t fall apart. Add about 3 cups of crumble mixture to the prepared pan. Use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the pan, forming a flattened base layer.

Next, spread cranberry sauce in an even layer over the base using a spoon. Try not to go all the way to the edges, but it’s okay if you do a little bit.

Finally, alternate sprinkling the remaining crumble mixture and 1/4 cup pretzels over the cranberry sauce. Lightly press the topping into the cranberry sauce so everything sticks together.

Bake in the preheated 350F oven for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown. You’re gonna need to let the bars cool for a while before you dig in. It’s worth it!!

Cut into 12 bars – or for slightly bigger servings, cut into 8 bars.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of cranberry sauce?

This recipe was created specifically for using leftover cranberry sauce, which most likely been thickened up and has some sugar added.

Regular, fresh cranberries will not work for this recipe. Turn them into cranberry sauce first (like this perfect make-ahead recipe from Ina Garten), and then make the recipe as described.

Can I use a jam or jelly instead of cranberry sauce?

Yes, you can use any thick jam or jelly you have in the fridge for these bars. The crumble base and topping will work with any flavors!

What should you serve with these bars?

These Cranberry Pretzel Oat Crumble Bars are incredibly delicious on their own as a breakfast bar or snack option. They would also go well as a side to some savory breakfast options!

How to store oat crumble bars:

Store in an airtight container or wrapped in foil on the counter for up to 5 days for best quality.

How to freeze oat crumble bars:

These crumble bars can be frozen if necessary, but they may lose some of their crisp. Wrap tightly or store in an airtight freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months for best quality.