Description
These Oatmeal Cranberry Bars offer a delightful combination of tart cranberries and a sweet, crumbly oat base and topping. Perfect as a snack or dessert, they are easy to prepare and bake into golden bars with a satisfying texture and balanced flavors.
Ingredients
Oatmeal Bar Base
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup cold, cubed butter
Cranberry Layer
- 3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
Crumble Topping
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the bars.
- Mix Base Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, baking powder, and sea salt to create the dry mixture for the oatmeal bars.
- Add Butter and Form Crumbles: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture and use your hands to mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and holds together slightly.
- Press Base Mixture: Press this crumbly mixture evenly into a 9×13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Add Cranberries: Evenly spread the cranberries over the pressed oat base layer to create the fruit layer.
- Prepare Crumble Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon for the topping.
- Add Butter to Topping: Incorporate the 2 tablespoons of butter into the topping mixture, mixing until a coarse crumble forms.
- Sprinkle Topping: Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the cranberry layer, covering it completely.
- Bake Bars: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the cranberries are bubbly.
- Cool Before Serving: Allow the bars to cool completely for at least 30 minutes before slicing them into squares. This helps them set properly and makes slicing easier.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries according to availability; frozen cranberries do not need to be thawed before baking.
- Ensure butter is cold and cubed to achieve the best crumbly texture in the oat base and topping.
- You can substitute rolled oats with quick oats, but the texture will be softer.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- These bars freeze well; wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
