Description
These Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are a delightful blend of tart cranberries and a buttery oat crumble, perfect for a wholesome snack or a breakfast treat. With a crisp topping and chewy base, they combine the natural sweetness of brown sugar with the tartness of fresh or frozen cranberries, making for a delicious and satisfying bar.
Ingredients
Scale
Oatmeal Base
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup cold butter, cubed
Cranberry Layer
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Crumble Topping
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure even baking when placing the bars inside.
- Make Oatmeal Base Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 cups rolled oats, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Mix well.
- Add Butter to Base: Add the cold, cubed ¾ cup butter to the mixture and use your hands to mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and holds together when pressed.
- Press Base Into Pan: Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Press the crumbly oatmeal mixture evenly into the bottom of the dish to form a compact base layer.
- Spread Cranberries: Evenly spread the 3 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries over the pressed oatmeal base.
- Prepare Crumble Topping: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons flour, ⅓ cup brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping.
- Add Butter to Topping: Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the topping mixture and mix until it forms a coarse crumble texture.
- Sprinkle Crumble Over Cranberries: Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the layer of cranberries in the baking dish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the cranberry layer is bubbling.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into bars to let them set properly for neat cuts.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. If using frozen, do not thaw before baking.
- For an extra nutty flavor, consider adding chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumble topping.
- These bars keep well stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To make the bars gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend.
- Ensure the butter is cold when mixing for a better crumbly texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Snack, Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 3x2 inches)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: oatmeal bars, cranberry bars, baked oatmeal, healthy snack, breakfast bars, fruit crumble
