It’s Christmas Eve Eve and we are finally doing some baking and making our gingerbread houses. A little late yes, but I’m ahead in so many other ways that I’m not mad about ha. Today we are sharing our December favourite from Fraiche Table, Cranberry Crumble Bars. These are festive sweet and tart bars, perfect for the holidays. They are a little tart from the cranberries, so if you like things a little sweeter double the maple syrup in the cranberry mixture. P.S. this is a great recipe to make as a dessert if you’re entertaining this holiday. Serve them warmed up with a little bit of ice cream or whipped cream!

Fraîche Table is my go-to for great recipes I know my family will love. Tori is the expert on all things nutritious and delicious! Especially this time of year, she has so many classic holiday cookie recipes, unique brunch ideas for Christmas morning, snacks the whole family would enjoy and even a crockpot stuffing recipe. 

We had a Christmas party a couple weekends ago and the boys were loving some raspberry squares we had so I can’t wait to see how much they are going to love these cranberry crumble bars!! There’s nothing better than when I bake something I know they will enjoy and seeing their little faces light up. Priceless.

CRANBERRY CRUMBLE BARS

8 SERVINGS / 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRANBERRY MIXTURE:

4 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup maple syrup, or more to taste

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/2 cup orange(s), zested

FOR THE OAT MIXTURE:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 cups large flake oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup hemp hearts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup butter, melted

4 egg(s)

2 teaspoons vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper. 

2. In a medium pot over medium heat stir together the cranberries, maple syrup, chia seeds and orange zest. Bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cranberries pop. Gently mash until the mixture resembles a jam like texture. 

3.Serve with pasta if desired, and a sprinkle of parm! In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, almonds, hemp hearts, baking powder, brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

4. Add 2/3 of the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down firmly to create your base. Top with the cranberry mixture and crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Let cool completely before cutting into squares, store in the fridge in an airtight container.

The Fraîche Table Meal Plan takes the stress out of meals and dinner time with Dietitian approved wholesome and delicious meal plans. There are so many resources including a kitchen and pantry guide, interactive grocery lists to save time, money, and food waste as well as options to customize your plan to suit the specifics of your family (if only everyone liked the same things!) 

In addition to recipes and meal planning support, once you subscribe to Fraîche Table, you get access to soooo many good resources and tips like: 

Family Meal Times: A Dietician’s Perspective 

Healthy Snack Ideas 

Tips for Managing Picky Eaters

Gut health 

Download the Recipe: Cranberry Crumble Bars – Fraiche Table

Tori is offering my readers a discount to get started and get organized. Use the code NATALIE for a $99 annual plan. Honestly, give it a try, it’s such a game changer for busy households!

What is a recipe that is festive you like to bake during the holidays? Let me know if you make these Cranberry Crumble Bars, I would love to see how they turned out!