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In these easy Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars the cinnamon streusel doubles as both the top and bottom crusts with a gooey, spiced cranberry filling in between.
It’s here! It’s officially Christmas Cookie Season and I am kicking off my annual 12 Days of Christmas Cookies with these incredible Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars!
12 Days of Christmas Cookies!
There are few homemade desserts easier than jam bars and these Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars are not only easy they pack serious holiday flavor! The cinnamon streusel doubles as both the top and bottom crusts with a gooey, spiced cranberry filling in between.
The spiced cranberry jam that is just a little bit tart pairs perfectly with the soft, buttery, cinnamon streusel on the top and the bottom of these bars. They are sensational!
I wanted to use Christmas jam in these bars but I could not find it for the life of me. Stores must’ve hidden it with the candied lemon peel. Jerks.
Everything I found was more like a cranberry chutney and less like a jam, so I pureed the jams, added some sugar and cooked it until it thickened slightly. Perfect. I chose a jam that had some orange juice and spices in it to round out the flavor profile.
You do you.
Or you could make your own. Pureeing this cranberry sauce would be nothing short of amazing
Good news holiday bakers! These bars actually improved overnight. They became a bit softer and the flavors more prominent. So go on – make them ahead of time and kick back and relax until your guests arrive!
These easy bars are perfect for company, cookie exchanges, holiday gifts, or traveling to family. Love that.
And just to add a little something extra, I minced some candied ginger (which I did NOT candy myself. Thank you.) and sprinkled it on top after baking. Next time I’ll sprinkle it right after it comes out of the oven so that they stay put! I ended up with a big pile of candied ginger in my Rubbermade container long after the cookies were gone. Sad. So much flavor left behind.
Get excited because it’s going to be 12 days of nonstop cookies up in here!
Cranberry Cinnamon Jam Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter salted, room temperature
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cranberry jam or Christmas jam
- Candied ginger minced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 9×13 baking dish or a quarter sheet pan.
- In a large bowl combine butter and sugars, mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat to combine after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not over mix.
- Press approximately ½ of the dough into the prepared baking pan, and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. It won’t look done, because it’s not… Refrigerate the remaining 2/3 of the dough.
- Pour the cranberry jam over the crust and spread it out evenly with an offset spatula. Crumble the remaining dough over top.
- Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is lightly golden, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle candied ginger over the top.
- Let cool before cutting into squares. (I know, I know…go ahead and cut a corner out for quality control…the things we must do as bakers…)
This recipe doesn’t actually say when to add the cinnamon.
Updated! 🙂
Do you think freezing these squares would be OK?
Absolutely, Stacy! Also they keep refrigerated for a few weeks. Just make sure they are very tightly wrapped so they don’t absorb any refrigerator taste 🙂
I have some of Nana’s cranberry chutney left over from Thanksgiving. Do you think it would work to puree and boil that for the filling?
Absolutely! Depending on how thick it is after you puree it, I would add a little sugar and then cook it in a saucepan to thicken it.