Cobblers & Fruit Desserts, Desserts, Recipes, Yum-Yum

Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars Recipe

By Amy Johnson

These Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are made with fresh cranberries, oatmeal and pecans for an easy sweet little bite or main dessert for any holiday occasion.

These Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are made with fresh cranberries, oatmeal and pecans for an easy sweet little bite or main dessert for any holiday occasion.

I do love cranberry season, don’t you? There is something so uplifting about those perky tart red berries that just puts a smile on my face. Each year when they start popping up at our local grocers, I can hardly pass them up. They are so vibrant and colorful! I usually grab a bag or two to use in recipes and decorations.

Over the years we have enjoyed cooking with them in both fresh and dried form in some of our favorite recipes, like Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Spiced Cranberry Hot Toddy, Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Muffins Recipe, or these scrumptious Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars. Cranberries always bring a bit of life to the flavor party, not to mention color too!

These Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are no exception. They are a sweet and tart bite balanced with nutty pecans and crunchy oatmeal, and they sure are a pretty addition to any holiday dessert menu. Of course, these bars are perfect for sharing at holiday potlucks. They’re so easy to pack and take along.

These Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are made with fresh cranberries, oatmeal and pecans for an easy sweet little bite or main dessert for any holiday occasion.

Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are about as easy as it gets to making homemade treats. They are kind of like pie in that way, only easier. These are perfect as a small sweet treat to enjoy with coffee or hot tea, or serve larger portions, slightly warmed and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for one delicious dessert. Oh my goodness, I’m wanting to make another batch right now just thinking about it!

These Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars are made with fresh cranberries, oatmeal and pecans for an easy sweet little bite or main dessert for any holiday occasion.

These east Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars can be made ahead of time by a couple of days and kept covered and refrigerated. Or wrap tightly in plastic wrap, slip into a freezer zip-top bag and freeze for up to a month. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Yield: 24

Nutty Oatmeal Cranberry Bars Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
These sweet and tart bars are perfect for serving as a snack during coffee or tea time, or as a main dessert served a la mode.

Ingredients

For Oatmeal Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoon salted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For Cranberry Nut Topping:

  • 1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Grease or coat with cooking spray a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  2. For Oatmeal Crust: Prepare crust by whisking together flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter and lemon juice until combined. Evenly press mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan.
  3. For Cranberry Nut Topping: Combine sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, flour and brown sugar. Spread mixture over crust. Spread fresh cranberries evenly over mixture, lightly pressing into mixture. Evenly spread top with chopped nuts.
  4. Bake at 325-degrees F for 45-50 minutes, until light brown. Let cool completely in pan before slicing.
© Amy Johnson
Category: Cobblers & Fruit Desserts
Originally published November 23, 2015.

Cobblers & Fruit Desserts, Desserts, Recipes, Yum-Yum
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