Cranberry Oat Bars
These Cranberry Oat Bars are my softer alternative to flapjacks (oat squares). Super easy to make, these squares/bars, use juicy cranberries & can also be made using gluten-free flour.
Cranberry Oat Bars
Softer Alternative To Flapjacks
***click to jump to section
What Are These Cranberry Oat Bars?
My cranberry oat bars are based on my softer version of flapjacks (also known as muesli bars in the US).
Made from a brown sugar and oat mixture, this version is filled with a layer of homemade cranberry jam, and topped with a sweet glaze and flaked almonds.
Why Make This Recipe?
- Super Easy Process
- No experience Required
- No Special Equipment Required
- Filling Can Be Changed
- Can Also Be Made Gluten-Free
- Egg-free Recipe
- Great For Sharing
- Can Be Made Ahead Of Time
- Soft Texture & Easy To Eat
Different Fillings
The original recipe was made with a filling of apricot jam.
From that, others fillings naturally developed. Such as using with homemade lemon curd.
Being one of my husband’s favourites, I have also made with a strawberry jam filling. And all went down great!
Those versions don’t have any almonds or glaze on top, and so have even less calories.
Go to Lemon/Apricot Oat Bars recipe.
Ingredient Notes
These cranberry oat bars are made from the following ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Baking Powder*
- Salt*
- Oats*
For The filling & topping:
- Fresh cranberries
- Granulated sugar
- Water*
- Ground Almonds*
- Flaked almonds
- Icing (Powdered) Sugar
- Orange extract
Unsalted Butter
This recipe uses unsalted butter, and unsalted should always be used in baking for a few reasons. The salt content in salted butter can vary from brand to brand, and using unsalted, you can control your own salt intake. Salted butter also has a higher water content than unsalted, so for some bakes, this can have an effect on the end bake.
Flour
I use plain flour for these lemon bars, which is the equivalent to All Purpose flour. Gluten free flour also works. On the old site I had the recipe for the gluten free version, which was made with Plain/All Purpose Gluten Free Flour and 3/4tsp of Xanthan Gum.
Soft Dark Brown Sugar
Dark brown sugar is used, but you could use light brown sugar if needed, or even coconut sugar. If using cups for measurement, be sure to make sure you are measuring ‘packed’ cups.
Almonds
Some flaked almonds are used to decorate the top of the cranberry bars. The US equivalent is sometimes referred to as sliced almonds.
On the top layer of the bars, some ground almonds are added to the dough. Fine almond meal or almond flour that is still coarse and not like regular flour would be fine.
Oats
These soft oat bars use oats and in particular regular porridge oats.
The American equivalent is Old Fashioned Oats or even Oatmeal. No need for any fancy expensive oats.
No need to blitz them either. Use as is. See image here of Scottish porridge oats.
Cranberries
Fresh whole cranberries are used in the filling. Cooked with some sugar and broken down into a jam mixture, with no need for a thermometer.
Frozen cranberries could be used too. Just use straight from the freezer and cook as described in the recipe.
Alternatively, you could use a ready-made cranberry jam or cranberry sauce at a pinch. This homemade cranberry jam is sweetened but still very tart. And you can adjust to your own taste with more sugar if needed, or even by adding some honey.
Tin Size To Use
I usually use a square tin, 20-22.5cm (8-9”) wide. Any bigger than that and the bars will be too shallow. You can bake in a rectangular tin. Just make sure the length plus the width of the tin/pan does not exceed 45cm (18”).
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes 16 bars or squares, about 5.5cm (2.25”) wide.
Top Tips
You can leave the bars overnight before cutting for very clean slices. Alternatively, after cooling for 30 minutes on the rack, you can place in the fridge to speed up cooling and setting.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare The Filling:
1.Begin by cubing the unsalted butter when weighing/measuring out. Cut about 1cm, less than ½” and this smaller surface area makes the butter soften quicker.
2.While the butter is softening (or another day before), prepare the cranberry filling by washing the cranberries in warm water.
3. Add the granulated sugar, water & cranberries to a medium cooking pot and heat on medium heat.
4. Continue cooking and let come to a vigorous boil before reducing to low-medium to simmer.
5. Once thickened & reduced, mix in 2 tsp of orange extract and transfer to a heat-safe bowl, before placing in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. See Photo 1.
Prepare The Dough:
1.Once the butter cubes are softened and room temperature, add to a mixing bowl with the dark brown sugar.
2.Beat on medium speed & ‘cream together’ for about 1 minute or so, until combined and smooth and a little paler in colour.
3.Sieve over the flour & baking powder & mix just until combined.
See Photo collage 2.
4. Add the oats and mix through by hand, don’t use the mixer.
5. Divide the mixture in half, with one half a little bigger than the other.
6.Place the smaller amount of mixture into a bowl and add in the ground almonds.
7.Work in the almonds by hand until combined. Then leave to the side till later.
See photo collage 3.
Construct The Bars:
1.Heat the oven to: 170c/150c fan oven/325f/Gas mark 3.
3. Take some baking/parchment paper to paper-line your baking tin. Place the paper under the tin and cut enough paper to go up the sides of the tin too.
Then cut out where the corners meet to make a thick cross shape. (You can draw on the paper with a pencil or do by hand. See my how to line baking tins accurately tutorial. Or watch the how to paper line tins video.
Take a few minutes to do this and the not only will the cake not stick, preserve your tin, but also most of all, the paper will not bake into the cake like I see happen to others who don’t line properly.
4. Grease the tin, (with some Frylight cooking spray, cake release spray or some homemade cake lining paste (cake goop). Then place the cut-out paper on top and position in place neatly. You can use metal bulldog clips to hold in place if needed. See Photo collage 4.
5. Take the larger half of the dough (without the ground almonds), and place pieces of the mixture all over the bottom of the paper lined baking tin.
6. Using some wet hands, spread out the mixture to cover the bottom in an even layer.
7.Take the prepared cranberry mixture and spread evenly on top of the oat mixture.
8. Now grab the remaining mixture with the almonds, and pinch pieces of the mixture and place on top of the cranberry mixture. Divide up across the pan, carefully use your wet hands to flatten & spread the mixture out. You can use a butter knife or palette knife to help you. A little cranberry jam coming out of the corners is fine.
9.Top with flaked almonds (sliced almonds) and then pop into the centre of the preheated oven to bake.
10.Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden and when you shake the pan, it wobbles only a tiny bit. Leave to cool on top of a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating. (*I baked for 15 minutes, then turned the tin and continued baking).
***TOP TIP – if short on time, leave the bars in the tin, on the rack for 15 minutes to cool, before placing the tin in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to speed up the cooling and setting time.
To Decorate:
1.While the cranberry oat squares are cooling, you can prepare the glaze/icing.
2.Start by sieving your icing/powdered sugar into a bowl (about the size of a cereal or soup bowl).
3.Begin by adding any extract flavourings if using. I added 2 tsp of orange extract but you can use 1-2 tsp. Mixing that in by hand with a metal spoon.
4. Then very very gradually add in the water or milk. DO NOT add all at once. Start with 1 tsp, and work down to 1/8 tsp. Use the back of the spoon to push on the sugar, making it take on as much liquid as possible, before adding anymore liquid.
5.You can learn more and all the consistencies in my Glaze 101 Tutorial & video. But aim for a thick but pourable consistency.
6.Once the glaze is prepared and the bars cooled (but still in the tin), you can go ahead and decorate. (Alternatively, if making the glaze ahead, cover with cling film/plastic wrap, leave out at room temperature, and then give a mix when ready to use, thinning ever so slightly if needed.
7.Drizzle a spoonful of the icing/glaze, high above the baking tin and go for it! Let the glaze drip down in a thin stream for a better drizzle. While it drips, move your hand left to right and back, letting it land in diagonal streaks across the bake. If it doesn’t look so pretty, take a cocktail stick and try and thin out any blobs of glaze. Then take the flaked almonds and scatter on top. Or strategically place on top of the blobs or areas you aren’t so happy with. Let it set &you are done with hard bits.
8. Once the glaze is set, time to slice the oat bars. Holding the paper, lift the bake out of the tin and onto a large chopping board.
**With the greased and paper lined tin, it should come out really easily.
9. Cut in half, then into 4 equal strips, before rotating the bake 45 degrees and cutting again into 4 strips, to end up with 16 bars of loveliness!
See Photo 9.
Serving & Storing
1.Serve the oat cranberry squares with your favourite hot drink or even with some mulled wine!
2.Great for an on-the-go breakfast or quick snack, these bars are perfect served with other seasonal foods on any Christmas table.
3.Elevate the taste experience and serve alongside a quenelle of whipped cream or even some ice-cream.
4.Store the bars preferably with the paper you baked them in, and placed inside a metal cake or cookie tin. I make use of a square metal cookie tin I was gifted. And it is the perfect size for fitting these all-in-one layer.
A rectangular tin would work too. If your tin is smaller, just paper line the bottom, separate the squares, add to the bottom, then use more paper to stack in layers. Make sure that the glaze is set before doing this.
5.Store at room temperature and these will be fine for at least 5 days.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy, beginner
Other Winter Recipes
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Recipe Card
Cranberry Filled Oat Bars
Equipment
- Digital scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cooking pot
- Square baking tin (20 or 22.5cm/ 8 or 9" width)
- Baking/parchment paper
- Lining Paste or Baking/Cooking Spray (Recommend Fry Light cooking/baking spray, or home made lining paste )
- Mixing spoon
- Hand or stand Mixer (optional if using melted butter)
- Spatula or knife
- Timer or Phone Timer
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 187 grams Plain flour (6½ oz, 1 ½ cups Plain/All Purpose Flour)
- 200 grams Dark Brown sugar (7 oz, 1 cup)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 90 grams Porridge Oats (3 oz, 1 cup Rolled Oats/Oatmeal/Old Fashioned Oats)
- 200 grams Butter, unsalted, soft & cubed (7 oz, ¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Ground Almonds (2 level tbsp, 14g, ½ oz, see notes*)
For the filling:
- 150 grams Fresh Cranberries (5¼ oz, 1⅓ heaped cups, whole, or frozen cranberries)*
- 100 grams Granulated Sugar (3½ oz, ½ cup)
- 60 ml Water (2 fl oz, ¼ cup)
- 2 tsp Orange Extract (optional)
For the decoration:
- 125 grams Icing/Powdered Sugar (4½ oz, 1 cup, sieved)
- 2 tsp Orange extract
- 4 tsp Water (up to this amount, may vary)
- 15 grams Flaked Almonds (½ oz, scant ¼ cup sliced almonds)
Instructions
Prepare The Cranberry Filling:
- Measure out the 200 grams Butter, unsalted, soft & cubed. Cut small about 1cm, less than ½" and it will soften quicker)
- While the butter is softening, wash the 150 grams Fresh Cranberries in warm water. Then add to a medium-sized cooking pot, with 100 grams Granulated Sugar & 60 ml Water.
- Mix the ingredients & cook on a medium heat and let it come to a vigorouse boil. Recude to a low to medium heat and let it simmer till reduced & the fruit is soft. The jam will have thickened, so now add 2 tsp Orange Extract, mix and then transfer to another bowl befor eplacing in the fridge to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Prepare The Dough:
- Heat your oven to: 170°c/150°c Fan Oven/325°f/Gas Mark 3.
- Once soft enough, add the butter & 200 grams Dark Brown sugar to a mixing bowl & beat on medium speed with an electric mixer, to 'cream together' for about 1 minute until combined and relatively smooth. Sieve over the 187 grams Plain flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder & ½ tsp Salt. Mix till combined. Add the 90 grams Porridge Oats & mix in by hand.
- Divide the dough in half, with one portion a little bigger than the other. Take the smaller portion and add to a small bowl with the 2 tbsp Ground Almonds. Work in by hand till incorporated. Then leave to the side.
- Grease & paper-line your baking tin. Take the time to cut out a thick cross shape to fit the tin nicely with none of the paper baking into the food. Open out the baking/parchment paper under the tin, with enough to go up the sides too. Cut out the square areas where the sides meet. (See my lining baking tins tutorial). Then greats the tin with the likes of Fry Light, cake release spray, or home made lining paste). Smooth the paper into position and hold down the edges with bull-dog clips if needed.
- Take the large dough portion (without the ground almonds) and pinch pieces of dough, spreading them across the bottom of the paper-lined tin. Use your wet hands to spread out the dough to cover the base.
- Once the cranberry jam is no longer hot, spread this across the first layer of dough. Then take the remaining dough (with the almonds), and spread that on top of the cranberry filling as best you can. Some jam corners is fine.
Baking The bars:
- Pop into the centre of the pre-heated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. After 15 minutes, I turned the tin for an even bake. Start checking at 30 minutes. The top will be golden and set, and the bars should only wobble a tin y bit when shaking the baking tin. A cocktail stick won't be completely clean because of the filling but you will have made a reasonably sharp hole.
- Leave in the tin, on top of a cooling rack to cool down completely before glazing. Alternatively, leave 15 minutes to cool, then pop in the fridge for 30 minutes to speed up cooling and setting of the bars.
Decorating:
- Meanwhile prepare the glaze by adding the sieved 125 grams Icing/Powdered Sugar to a small bowl. Add in 2 tsp Orange extract then very gradually add in the water till you have a thick but pourable consistency. You might not need all the water. Watch my icing tutorial for the different consistencies,
- Drizzle the glaze onto of the oat bars in diagonal lines until all is used up. Then sprinkles the 15 grams Flaked Almonds on top & leave to set.
- Lift the bars out of the tin by using the paper you baked in, and place onto a chopping board. Cut into 16 squares
Serving & Storing:
- Serve as they are with some mulled win or hot chocolate. Elevate by addign some whipped cream or ice-cream on the side.
- Store in an airtight container, preferably in a tin, with the paper still under it to help keep in the moisture. Leave out at room temperature and they will be fine for at least 5 days.
Video
Notes
Butter – use unsalted & cube small.
Flour -I use plain flour/All Purpose flour. Gluten Free flour also works (Plain/All Purpose Gluten Free Flour) with 3/4tsp of Xanthan Gum.
Oats – porridge oats/Old Fashioned Oat/Oatmeal.
Seem ingredient notes before the step-by-step instructions section.
Tin/Pan To Use – square baking tin 20 or 22.5cm/ 8 or 9″ wide.
Yield – 16 squares.
Try some seasonal Jammie Dodger biscuits for your cookie plate this holiday season. (Image above).
More Beginner Bakes – check my baking lessons for beginners. Important Theory lessons, as well as structured Sweet Lessons and Savoury Lessons.
Nutritional Values – I am not a qualified nutritionist, and all values are approximate. Values based on 1 serving, of one cranberry oat square, from a yield of 16 pieces, where all ingredients listed are used. Make smaller or bigger pieces and these values will change. Values calculated on MyFitnessPal.com.
Check out some other seasonal recipes by clicking on the images below, or go to the Occasions page & look at the Christmas, Autumn & Valentine’s recipes.
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