Easy Cranberry Oat Bars are layered sweet and tart bars with a buttery brown sugar oatmeal crust, cranberry sauce filling, and nutty oatmeal pecan crumble.
Tasty, easy Cookie Bars like Caramel Apple Pie Bars and Pecan Pie Bars are a great way to enjoy sweet seasonal flavors on the go. Snack on these cranberry bars all fall and winter long!
CRANBERRY OAT BARS
These festive Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are the perfect addition to your holiday dessert menu and cookie exchanges this year! The crumbly oatmeal cookie base is full of pure buttery goodness to balance out the tart, sweet cranberry sauce filling. A crunchy oatmeal crumble finishes off this delicious dessert bar that doubles as a breakfast on the go.
Cranberry Oat Bars are easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and a few steps. The ingredient list might look long, but most the ingredients are in both the soft oatmeal base and the nutty oatmeal topping. Add a can of cranberry sauce and some chopped pecans, or whatever nuts you have on hand, and you have a small sweet treat full of winter flavor!
Make Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars next level delicious with our easy homemade Cranberry Sauce as the filling and toasted oats in the crumb topping and oatmeal crust. Check out the variations section for how to toast oats (also great for any oatmeal recipe), and other ways to make these Cranberry Oat Bars even more amazing.
MORE CRANBERRY DESSERTS
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Cranberry Bread
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Cranberry Bread Pudding
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are a sweet treat to pair with your morning coffee for wintery breakfast on the go. Serve warm Cranberry Oat Bars with Vanilla Ice Cream or with Homemade Whipped Cream for a buttery, cranberry cobbler style dessert. Drizzle your bars with a White Chocolate Ganache after they are cut for beautiful, sweet decoration if you are adding them to a holiday gift basket.
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VARIATIONS ON CRANBERRY OAT BARS
- Toasted Oats: Toast oats in a couple tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan for about 5 minutes, until toasty brown and fragrant. You can also spread oats on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until toasted.
- Fruit: Make Cherry Oatmeal Bars with cherry pie filling instead of cranberry sauce. You could also use fruit preserves like Strawberry Jam, or try chopped fresh cranberries tossed in sugar or honey.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add Pumpkin Pie Spice to the oatmeal mixture and to the crumb topping for more holiday flavor. If you want to make Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars, swap Pumpkin Puree for the cranberry sauce and add pumpkin pie spice to the puree.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon makes everything better! Add a teaspoon ground cinnamon to the oatmeal cookie base and another ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the topping. You could also add other warm spices like allspice or ground nutmeg.
- Nuts: Instead of pecans, use walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds, or you can use seeds like sunflower seeds or baby Pumpkin Seeds. Make toasted pecans or other nuts, for a richer flavor in the topping.
- Peanut Butter: Spread an even layer of nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter over the oatmeal crust before adding the cranberry sauce. They will taste like holiday peanut butter and jelly bars!
MORE EASY THANKSGIVING DESSERT BARS
Pecan Pie Bars
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Cinnamon Pecan Bark
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY OAT BARS
- Serve: Let Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars cool before cutting and serving. You can keep these oatmeal bars at room temperature for up to 4 days covered in a cool, dry place.
- Store: Refrigerate Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars for up to 10 days in an airtight container. Line container with a paper towel to absorb moisture,
- Freeze: Cut Cranberry Sauce Oat Bars before freezing. Flash freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
Ingredients
Cranberry Bars:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup brown sugar , packed
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup flour
- 14 ounces cranberry sauce , whole berry
Pecan Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pecans , chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray.
- To a stand mixer add butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- On lowest speed add in rolled oats and flour until just combined.
- Press mixture into baking dish.
- Spread cranberry sauce evenly over the mixture.
Pecan Crumb Topping:
- In a medium bowl mix together remaining 1 cup rolled oats, pecans, unsalted butter and brown sugar.
- Spread pecan mixture over the cranberry sauce.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, let cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition
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Sabrina, these look yummy! Do you think I could double the cranberry sauce?
Keep up the good work & have a blessed Thanksgiving
I’m so sorry I missed this comment. YES, you can double the filling and thank you for the kind words! Happy Thanksgiving!