Cranberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Step 1

Combine the cranberries, lemon juice, maple syrup and chia seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Step 2

Once it reaches a gentle boil, turn the heat to low. Continue stirring and mashing the cranberries or popping them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, for 6-8 minutes until it’s thick and has a jam-like consistency. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside for now.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan, line it with parchment paper or spray with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray.

Step 4

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined.

Step 5

Add the melted coconut oil, lemon juice and nut milk, starting with 3 tbsp. Mix into a crumbly dough, adding more almond milk as needed until you can press the dough together in your fingers. It should be crumbly but moist enough to start sticking together. It should not be overly wet or as moist as cookie dough or cake batter.

Step 6

Reserve about 2/3 cup of the dough then firmly press the rest into the bottom of the pan. Evenly spread the cranberry mixture in an even layer on top of the bottom layer. Sprinkle the rest of the oat crumble evenly over the cranberry layer.

Step 7

Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown then let cool completely in the pan. It’s important to let them cool completely so they set up firm.

Step 8

Slice the bars into 16 squares or 32 mini bars.