Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 (14-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional, for filling)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything together until well combined, ensuring there are no clumps of brown sugar.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Do not overmix.
- Press about two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Use the back of a spoon or your hands to firmly compact the crust.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce and optional orange zest until well combined. Spread this cranberry mixture evenly over the oat crust in the pan, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Crumble the remaining one-third of the oat mixture evenly over the cranberry filling. Don't press it down; just let it sprinkle loosely to create a crumbly topping.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the cranberry filling is bubbly. The bars will look slightly soft in the center but will firm up as they cool.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. This is crucial for clean cuts and for the bars to set properly. Once cool, lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 12 squares or rectangles.
Notes
For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free rolled oats and a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. You can add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) to the oat mixture for extra crunch. Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They also freeze well for longer storage!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snack Bar
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 170mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg