Homemade Cranberry and Orange Oat Bars
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These cranberry and orange bars have an easy homemade cranberry and orange sauce layer in between a buttery and sweet oatmeal mixture. They are bright and tart in flavor, but still have a sweet balance from the added honey and brown sugar. Enjoy them for a sweet breakfast, dessert or snack.
Cranberry and oranges are a match made in heaven. The winter citrus pairs so perfectly with the tart cranberries! The flavors are so fresh and bright when combined together. The perfect way to bring two winter fruits together for a sweet and tart treat!
Why you will love these cranberry and orange oat bars
Easy: Even though this recipe calls for a homemade cranberry sauce, the ingredients are simple and the prep time required is only about 20 minutes. And the homemade sauce really makes these cranberry oatmeal bars so DELICIOUS!
Seasonal: Cranberries and oranges are in season in the late fall and early winter, making this recipe a great option during the Holidays. It uses what is in season to create a tasty treat! However, you could make these oat bars anytime of the year if you use frozen cranberries instead of fresh.
Lightly sweetened: These oatmeal bars are not too sweet, which is something I love about this recipe. There is enough sugar to counteract the tartness in the cranberries, but it is not overwhelming. Just enough to add to the flavor of the cranberries and oranges.
Ingredients and variations
Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make the cranberry sauce. If going with frozen, no need to defrost! Just toss the frozen cranberries right into the saucepan. It might take a little longer to simmer down if using frozen.
Honey: Honey is used in the cranberry sauce to sweeten it up a little. You can swap the honey for maple syrup.
Orange Juice and zest: Both orange juice and orange zest add a bright citrus flavor to the cranberry sauce. I used fresh orange juice but you can use store bought orange juice as well.
Old fashioned rolled oats: Old fashioned rolled oats make up the majority of the oat mixture. Old fashioned work the best in this recipe. Quick oats would work but they will not have as much texture. And steel cut oats are NOT a good option, they will be too tough.
Flour: A little bit of all-purpose flour is used in the oat mixture. If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of flavor to the oat mixture.
Butter: Melted butter adds moisture to the oat mixture.
Brown Sugar: Gives the oat mixture a little sweetness.
Cinnamon: Adds to the flavor of the oat mixture.
Salt: A touch of salt helps enhances the flavors.
How to make cranberry and orange oat bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line with parchment paper a 8-inch square baking pan.
- To make the homemade cranberry and orange sauce, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and honey together in a medium saucepan. Stir together and turn onto medium heat. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a medium-low. Stirring frequently, simmer the cranberry sauce until the cranberries have all broken down and the sauce has thickened, roughly 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- To make the oat mixture, combine the oats, flour, vanilla extract, melted butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Mix together.
- Place about 2/3 to 3/4 of the oat mixture into the baking pan. Firmly press the oat mixture down into the pan, making sure it is evenly dispersed.
- Pour the cranberry orange sauce over the oat mixture. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the cranberry sauce.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oats are browning and the cranberry sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before enjoying.
Can I use leftover cranberry sauce or store bought?
Yes! You can use leftover cranberry or store bought sauce instead of making your own if you wish. To zest the the cranberry sauce with the orange flavor, stir in the orange zest and about 1/4 cup of orange juice. You can skip heating the sauce on the stove if using already made cranberry sauce.
What to serve with cranberry oatmeal bars
This recipe work well for breakfast or dessert, just swap out what you serve with it!
If you are enjoying this cranberry oat bar for breakfast, you can a dollop of yogurt for added protein.
And if you craving this for dessert, add some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
How to store cranberry and orange oat bars
For leftover cranberry orange bars, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. When ready to serve, just enjoy cold or heat in the microwave for a few seconds to warm up.
Expert tips
- Rub a little oil into your measuring cup before measuring your honey. The oil will help the honey slide right out!
- Use parchment paper to line your baking pan for easy clean-up! But no worries if you do not have parchment paper, you can just grease the pan well with oil or butter.
- If your cranberry sauce seems to thin (it will be at first), just let it reduce a little longer in the saucepan. It will thicken up as it simmers, just give it more time if needed.
- As hard as it not to dig into the oatmeal bars right from the oven, let them cool first! If you try to cut into the oatmeal bars when they are still hot, it will be a mess. The cranberry sauce needs to cool to set up a little.
- These bars are lightly sweetened. If you like your cranberry sauce sweeter, increase the honey from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup.
If you give these homemade cranberry and orange oat bars a try, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
And tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
From my kitchen to yours, happy baking! I hope you love these cranberry orange oat bars as much as we do!
Homemade Cranberry and Orange Oat Bars
Ingredients
Cranberry-orange sauce:
- 12 oz. Bag of fresh Cranberries (about 3 cups, frozen ok)
- 1/3 C. Honey
- 1 Tbsp. Orange zest
- 1 C. Orange juice
Oat Mixture:
- 1 1/4 C. Old fashioned oats
- 2/3 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1/2 C. Butter (melted (1 stick of butter))
- 1/2 C. Brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line with parchment paper a 8-inch square baking pan.
- To make the homemade cranberry and orange sauce, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and honey together in a medium saucepan. Stir together and turn onto medium heat. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a medium-low. Stirring frequently, simmer the cranberry sauce until the cranberries have all broken down and the sauce has thickened, roughly 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- To make the oat mixture, combine the oats, flour, vanilla extract, melted butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Mix together.
- Place about 2/3 to 3/4 of the oat mixture into the baking pan. Firmly press the oat mixture down into the pan, making sure it is evenly dispersed.
- Pour the cranberry orange sauce over the oat mixture. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the cranberry sauce.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oats are browning and the cranberry sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before enjoying.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
