These soft and chewy cranberry oatmeal bar cookies are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or for snacking on at any time of the year! Not only are they absolutely scrumptious, but these oatmeal bars are also pretty healthy and super easy to make. You can even make them a week in advance so you’re super prepared for those busy mornings when you’re running out the door.
If you’re a fan of oatmeal cookies in general, you’ll also love my healthy banana date oatmeal breakfast cookies and whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (these are a little more indulgent!)
The other thing I love about these delicious snacks is they’re so easy to bake because I always tend to have the ingredients at home already – especially around the holiday season, i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have no doubt that these will become your go-to holiday breakfast bars once you try them out! They also tend to disappear throughout the day when my family is around because snacking is kind of our forte.
How Long Do Oatmeal Bars Last?
These yummy bars can be frozen for about 3 months if you want to cook a big batch. But if you’ll be using them within a few days, you can store them in the refrigerator by layering the bars between waxed paper and placing them in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
How to Make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
- Mix together the first 3 ingredients and cut in the butter until it’s nice and crumbly.
- Press ⅔ of the mix into a greased 9×9 inch pan.
- Pour the cranberry sauce/jelly over the bottom layer when it’s done.
- For the top crumble, add another cup of filling.
- Bake at 350 F for 25-40 minutes until browned.
- Cool completely and slice into 25 squares.
Add Some Extra Chocolate Decadence to This Snack!
You can make your cranberry oatmeal bars even more delicious by adding some white chocolate chips into the mix. They might not be as healthy, but they’re pretty darn tasty!!!
Want to Go Gluten-Free?
It’s super easy to make these bars gluten-free, just make sure to use gluten-free oats and flour. It doesn’t make any difference to how freaking delicious they are and it’s always nice to be able to cater to any gluten-free guests or family members!
You can also make homemade cranberry sauce as well and use it in the middle layer!
Happy baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce/jelly
Instructions
- Mix the first 4 ingredients together, then take the butter and cut it in, until it’s perfectly crumbly. I find that rubbing it between your palms lightly works so well.
- Firmly press 2/3 of the mix into a greased 9 inch x 9 inch pan.
- Once the bottom layer is done, pour the cranberry sauce, or jelly, on top and spread out in an even layer.
- Crumble the rest of the topping over the jelly.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until it's a lovely brown color and crisp on top.
- Cool this completely and then slice into 25 squares. It is crumbly but if you are patient and cool it for a long time, they hold together.
Notes
- Because you don’t make the filling, you can use as much OR as little cranberry sauce for the filling layer as you like in these bars!
Nutrition
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another prairie girl says
Thank you for this recipe! I was looking for ways to use up cranberry jelly that my kids will like. 🙂 This was perfect! The bottom is a nice cookie texture, the middle jammie, and the topping crumbly. I will add this to my recipe box. Thanks again!
A Canadian Foodie says
Now, that is a great way to use up the jelly! I have been using the syrup on ice cream (naughty me) and it is SO delicious! I was thinking of a pavlova with a high bush syrup gelee. Now, doesn’t that sound refined!
I probably won’t make the squares. I do not have kids and I do not need to eat them all myself. But, you have me going. Surprise muffins. I made those with my students: a dollop of jam in the middle (dough half way up, jam in the middle, top with dough)… or thimble cookies. THOSE I will definitely do with this jelly next year when I bake (as I was not well enough this year.)… and hmmm….instead of sugar, mix it with apples in a crisp. Oh YUM.
OK. I just might make those bars… but, I love the idea of the gelee, too. Where are accents for the comments?
🙂
Valerie