Cranberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
These cranberry crumble bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling. They’re easy, you don’t need a mixer, and the crust and crumble topping are one in the same. One less step and one less bowl to wash. I boiled fresh cranberries with sugar and orange juice. Orange and cranberry are such complementary flavors and the subtle citrus brightens up the overall flavor of the bars. Add orange zest to taste if you want to intensify the orange flavor. The bars aren’t overly sweet and the tart cranberry flavor shines nicely making them an easy grab-and-go breakfast bar, snack, or dessert. Plus, they’re egg-free, which may come in handy for some people.
Ingredients in Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
To make these oatmeal cranberry bars, you’ll need:
Fresh cranberries Orange juice and zest Cornstarch Granulated sugar and light brown sugar Unsalted butter Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Old-fashioned oats Salt
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cranberry Bars with Oatmeal Topping
These cranberry oat bars come together so easily! Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post, but here’s an overview of the recipe steps:
Tips for Making Cranberry Oat Bars
When spooning the cranberry filling over the crust, leave a 1/4-inch bare margin around the edges. The cranberry filling will burn if it’s touching the edges of the pan and will also stick like crazy. Before sprinkling on the crumble topping, I squeeze the mixture in my palm to encourage bigger crumble pieces to form. Note that these bars must cool for at least 2 hours before you can slice and serve them. The cranberry layer needs time to set!
Storage Instructions
Leftover cranberry bars with oat topping can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. They do not need to be refrigerated! The bars also freeze well. I recommend freezing them in the baking pan, then transferring to a zip-top freezer bag (this prevents the crumble topping from being squished when initially sealed in the bag). When ready to eat, thaw on your counter for about an hour before digging in!
More Cranberry Dessert Recipes:
ALL OF MY CRANBERRY RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Crustless Cranberry Pie — A FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for holiday entertaining!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Cranberry Bliss Bars (Starbucks Copycat) — Just like Starbucks except even better! Learn how to make these at home with this easy recipe! Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies — Super soft, buttery bars packed with chewy cranberries! And there’s a chocolate overload in every bite!! Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies — Super soft, buttery, and a holiday baking must-make!! Very popular at cookie exchanges and everyone will want the recipe! So good!! Cranberry Orange Bread with Sweet Orange Glaze — The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart! Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer Bars — A buttery graham cracker crust, topped with white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk. Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cake — This fast, easy, no-mixer cake is light, soft, fluffy, and moist. It’s springy and bouncey, with just enough density to give it some heft and dimension. Layered Cranberry Jello Salad — A festive holiday layered Jello recipe with cranberries, pineapple, cream cheese, pecans, and pretzels! A little bit creamy, crunchy, sweet, and a little salty. A nostalgic family favorite with an impressive presentation to wow your holiday guests!
