These delicious Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are slightly tart and perfectly sweet. They are the perfect holiday treat and are made using ingredients you already have at home!
I love using cranberries, especially during the holiday season, in both sweet and savory recipes. They add such a delicious tart flavor to any recipe and pair so well with sweeteners. If you enjoy cranberries, you may also like my Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs and Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail.
This cranberry oatmeal bar recipe was inspired by my Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Bars. They are slightly chewy, soft and full of delicious oat crumbles. These crumble bars are perfect for a grab 'n' go breakfast or treat after dinner.
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Simple recipe. This recipe requires minimal equipment and minimal prep time.
- Pantry staples. You most likely already have all of the ingredients on hand in your pantry. The only thing you may need is cranberries.
- Family-friendly. Kids and adults alike will love these crumble bars.
- Vegan and gluten-free friendly. This recipe is vegan and can easily be made gluten-free if you use GF flour or oat flour and GF oats. Pair these with my Spiked Vegan Hot Chocolate for the perfect holiday dessert.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oats- rolled oats are best for these bars. However, you can use quick-cook oats if that is all you have.
- Flour- you can use all-purpose, oat flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- Cranberries- use whole, fresh or frozen cranberries. Do not use dried cranberries.
- Maple syrup- honey is a good substitution for maple syrup.
- White chocolate- the recipe calls for a drizzle of melted white chocolate. This is optional and something you may not want to add if you will be eating these for breakfast.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
- Make the crumble. Mix all of the crumble ingredients in a bowl and add to the bottom of the pan. Make sure to leave some in the bowl for the topping.
- Mix the filling. In a bowl, add the cranberries, maple syrup and lemon juice. Mix to combine and pour on top of the crust. Sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake until slightly golden brown.
- Serve. Drizzle with melted white chocolate, if desired.
💭Recipe FAQs
No- you can also use frozen cranberries. However, cranberries should be unsweetened and not dried. If you use frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them in advance.
Yes! Cranberries are very tart. Adjust the sweetness of the filling to your liking depending on how much you prefer to taste the tartness of the cranberries.
This recipe uses simple healthy ingredients and maple syrup instead of refined white sugar. They are healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Be sure to use a pan that makes it easy to remove the bars. You can grease it very well with cooking spray and/or line it with parchment paper. Parchment paper makes it really easy to lift the crumble bars out of the pan.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. This will allow them to stay together when you cut them into squares.
- The cranberry oatmeal bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can eat the bars straight from the fridge or heat them for 30 seconds in the microwave.
- To freeze, be sure to use a freezer-safe container or bag to avoid freezer burn. Thaw the bars in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. They will last a few months in the freezer.
More Holiday Treats
🍳Recipe
Easy Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup rolled or quick cook oats
- 1 cup flour
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 ⅓ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓-1/2 cup maple syrup*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup melted white chocolate, optional
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8x8 square baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and mix everything until combined.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the pan, saving about ⅓ cup for the topping.
FILLING
- In a bowl, pour in the cranberries, maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Pour the cranberry filling over the crust.
- Crumble the remainder of the topping evenly over top of filling and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes, cut into squares, drizzle with melted white chocolate (if using) and enjoy!
Notes
- Cranberries are very tart. Adjust the sweetness of the filling to your liking depending on how much you prefer to taste the tartness of the cranberries.
- Be sure to use a pan that makes it easy to remove the bars. You can grease it very well with cooking spray and/or line it with parchment paper. Parchment paper makes it really easy to lift the crumble bars out of the pan.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. This will allow them to stay together when you cut them into squares.
- The cranberry oatmeal bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can eat the bars straight from the fridge or heat them for 30 seconds in the microwave.
- To freeze, be sure to use a freezer-safe container or bag to avoid freezer burn. Thaw the bars in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. They will last a few months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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