Baked Goods

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars


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These Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are a must have dessert for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. They’re soft with some texture and a gooey filling. Made with rolled oats, almond flour, maple syrup, and the best sweet and tangy cranberry filling.

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

You can’t have a full Thanksgiving feast without dessert! I’m the kind of person who likes to have a wide spread of desserts for any holiday dinner. To me, there should be as many desserts as there are sides. Now that’s a successful holiday meal!

These Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are a must have dessert for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. They’re soft with some texture and a gooey filling. With just the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

These bars are so easy to make and only call for a few ingredients. It’s also a great treat to make the day after Thanksgiving as they can be made using leftover cranberry sauce. Another thing I love about these Cranberry Oatmeal Bars is that they make for a delicious breakfast too.

These are also gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free. They’re nutrient dense which makes them perfectly acceptable to have for breakfast. I personally make these Cranberry Oatmeal Bars for Thanksgiving dessert. I make enough to have leftover for the next day and have for breakfast. Makes for an easy day after Thanksgiving morning!

Are oatmeal bars healthy?

These Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are a delicious treat yet very healthy. They are made with homemade cranberry sauce, rolled oats, and almond flour. They are nutrient dense and made with no-refined sugars. These bars are also allergen friendly as they are gluten-free and dairy-free.

What you need to make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

Ingredients:

  • Cranberries
  • Orange Juice
  • Orange Zest
  • Maple Syrup 
  • Rolled Oats
  • Blanched Almond Flour
  • Coconut Oil
  • Baking Powder
  • Pink Sea Salt
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Arrowroot Flour
  • Water

Equipment:

  1. 10×15 Baking Sheet Pan
  2. Parchment Paper
  3. Large Mixing Bowls
  4. Medium Saucepan

How to make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

  1. Line a 10×15 baking sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the oatmeal crust; oatmeal, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, baking powder and pink sea salt. Use your hands to work everything together making sure all the ingredients are well combined. Add crust to lined baking sheet pan and evenly spread crust throughout it forming a thick layer. Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour to chill. 
  2. While crust is chilling, in a medium sauce pan combine all of the ingredients for the cranberry filling with the exception of the arrowroot flour; fresh cranberries, fresh orange juice, maple syrup, water, orange zest, vanilla extract, and pink sea salt. Place on stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Keep boiling until cranberries reduce and sauce starts to thicken. About 10 minutes. Turn heat off and add arrowroot flour to help thicken the sauce a bit more. Stir making sure the flour is well combined into the sauce. Set to the side.
  3. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. 
  4. Remove crust from the fridge. Using a spatula, pour cranberry filling over the crust and spread evenly. Make sure you get those corners! Set to the side. 
  5. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the oatmeal crumble; oats, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and pink sea salt. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all ingredients together. Crumble evenly over the prepped crust and cranberry filling. 
  6. Place bars in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to completely cool-off. I like to give it at least an hour. 
  8. Once they’re completely cooled off, place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer they stay in the fridge, the more firm they will get. (see note)*
  9. Remove from the fridge. Lift parchment paper to remove bars from the sheet pan. Slice into four parts horizontally and three parts vertically. Making 15 even squares. You can slice them smaller or larger if you wish. 
  10. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you wish! Enjoy!

Tips for making Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

  1. Use a 10×15 baking sheet pan- Or as close to this size as possible. It’s the best size sheet pan that will fit all of the ingredients evenly for best results.
  2. Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- It will prevent the bars from sticking to the pan and will make clean up after much easier.
  3. Evenly spread crust throughout sheet pan forming a thick layer- Even layer will result in the crust baking evenly.
  4. Chill the bars after they are done baking and have cooled-off- They will firm up better this way and these are better served chilled.
  5. If you don’t want to wait to chill the bars once they are baked you can skip this step- They just won’t be as firm and will be more of a crumble rather than bars. Still just as delicious though!
  6. You can slice bars smaller or larger if you wish- This will result in more or less than 15 bars but you can custom the sizes to your liking.

Substitutes for making Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

  1. Arrowroot flour- Substitute for tapioca flour or cornstarch.
  2. Maple Syrup- Use honey.
  3. Coconut oil- Use unsalted butter if you don’t need these to be dairy-free
  4. No time to make the filling?- You can always use leftover Cranberry Sauce. Use about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Did you like this Cranberry Oatmeal Bars recipe? You may also like these other Thanksgiving baked goods:

5 from 1 vote
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Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

These Cranberry Oatmeal Bars are a must have dessert for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. They’re soft with some texture and a gooey filling. Made with rolled oats, almond flour, maple syrup, and the best sweet and tangy cranberry filling. 

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 15 bars
Calories 381 kcal
Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

Cranberry Filling

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup water (optional)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/4 tsp pink sea salt
  • 1 tsp arrowroot flour

Oatmeal Crust

  • 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup coconut oil (should be hard)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp pink sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Oatmeal Crumble

  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 tsp pink sea salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (should be hard)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Line a 10×15 baking sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the oatmeal crust; oatmeal, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, baking powder and pink sea salt. Use your hands to work everything together making sure all the ingredients are well combined. Add crust to lined baking sheet pan and evenly spread crust throughout it forming a thick layer. Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour to chill.

  2. While crust is chilling, in a medium sauce pan combine all of the ingredients for the cranberry filling with the exception of the arrowroot flour; fresh cranberries, fresh orange juice, maple syrup, water, orange zest, vanilla extract, and pink sea salt. Place on stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Keep boiling until cranberries reduce and sauce starts to thicken. About 10 minutes. Turn heat off and add arrowroot flour to help thicken the sauce a bit more. Stir making sure the flour is well combined into the sauce. Set to the side.

  3. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

  4. Remove crust from the fridge. Using a spatula, pour cranberry filling over the crust and spread evenly. Make sure you get those corners! Set to the side.

  5. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the oatmeal crumble; oats, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and pink sea salt. Use your hands to thoroughly combine all ingredients together. Crumble evenly over the prepped crust and cranberry filling.

  6. Place bars in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

  7. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to completely cool-off. I like to give it at least an hour.

  8. Once they're completely cooled off, place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer they stay in the fridge, the more firm they will get. (see note)*

  9. Remove from the fridge. Lift parchment paper to remove bars from the sheet pan. Slice into four parts horizontally and three parts vertically. Making 15 even squares. You can slice them smaller or larger if you wish.

  10. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you wish! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tips for making Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

  1. Use a 10×15 baking sheet pan- Or as close to this size as possible. It’s the best size sheet pan that will fit all of the ingredients evenly for best results.
  2. Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- It will prevent the bars from sticking to the pan and will make clean up after much easier.
  3. Evenly spread crust throughout sheet pan forming a thick layer- Even layer will result in the crust baking evenly.
  4. Chill the bars after they are done baking and have cooled-off- They will firm up better this way and these are better served chilled.
  5. If you don’t want to wait to chill the bars once they are baked you can skip this step- They just won’t be as firm and will be more of a crumble rather than bars. Still just as delicious though!
  6. You can slice bars smaller or larger if you wish- This will result in more or less than 15 bars but you can custom the sizes to your liking.

Substitutes for making Cranberry Oatmeal Bars:

  1. Arrowroot flour- Substitute for tapioca flour or cornstarch.
  2. Maple Syrup- Use honey.
  3. Coconut oil- Use unsalted butter if you don’t need these to be dairy-free
  4. No time to make the filling?- You can always use leftover Cranberry Sauce. Use about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Amount per Serving
Calories
381
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
26
g
40
%
Saturated Fat
 
16
g
100
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Sodium
 
187
mg
8
%
Potassium
 
147
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
35
g
12
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
18
g
20
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
 
25
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
87
mg
9
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

**Photos updated as of 1/12/2021

**Recipe updated as of 1/8/2021

*Post updated as of 6/27/2020



10 Comments

  1. These look delicious, I will have to make them the next time I need to bring something for breakfast at mops!!

    1. Thank you Sara! They’re great for breakfast!!

  2. Ai

    5 stars
    This looks totally yummy and perfect for someone like me who’s watching their gluten intake. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thank you! I love making treats that everyone can enjoy!

  3. These look so good. I have a hard time finally treats our whole family will enjoy but these are dead on. I’m going to defiantly make these.

    1. Thank You Stacy! I’m so glad these are something your whole family can enjoy! Let me know how you guys like them!

  4. Meagan

    What a yummy treat to make for the holiday season! I

    1. Thank you Meagan! nothing like a good holiday treat!

  5. Those look SOOOOO delicious. I’m going to have to try those for sure!

    -Mama from Mama Writes Reviews

    1. Thank you!! Let me know how you like them!

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