These Easy Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars are slightly tart and perfectly sweet. They make the best dessert and sweet treat for breakfast!
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.
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.
Jump to:
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.
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 or GF 1:1 flour.
- Cranberries- whole, fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Maple syrup- honey is a good substitution for the 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 all ingredients and quantities.
Equipment
Grab what you need for this recipe:
- 2 large bowls
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Square baking pan
- Measuring spoons needed: ¼ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon 1 tablespoon, ⅓ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup.
Instructions
How to make cranberry oat bars:
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 crumb 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 and enjoy a bar with a cup of coffee or tea.
FAQs
No- you can also use frozen cranberries. However, the cranberries should be unsweetened and not dried. If you use frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them in advance.
The 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.
Yes! The bars can be frozen for 2-3 months. Just 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.
Top tip
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.
Similar Recipes
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 30-MINUTE RECIPE COOKBOOK!
You'll get my 8 best family-friendly, 30-minute recipes, complete with ingredients and instructions!
Recipe
Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble 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!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment. I love to know what you are making and ratings help me to create more delicious recipes for you!
Video
Notes
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.
Leave a star rating and review, ask me a question or leave a tip!