Cranberry Oat Bars - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

These gluten free and dairy free cranberry oat bars are the perfect combination of sweet and tart! It has a rich and sweet oatmeal cookie dough base, with a tangy and jammy cranberry layer in the center!

Cranberry Oat Bars

Does anybody else get super excited when they start seeing fresh cranberries at the store toward the end of September? I get so happy knowing that the holidays are nearer, and end up buying 4 or 5 bags of cranberries and keeping them in the freezer.

Whether you're like me and buy extra bags of cranberries, or you have leftover cranberries in the freezer from last year, you've got to make these gluten free and dairy free cranberry oat bars! They're so delicious, and the perfect treat to bring with you on the go, or to share with friends!

After all, the holidays are all about sharing with our loved ones!

Ingredients you need for this recipe

• Gluten free all purpose flour (with xanthan gum!)
• Almond flour
• Old fashioned oats
• Fine sea salt
• Orange zest
• Vegan butter
• Granulated sugar
• Non-dairy milk
• Vanilla extract
• Sliced almonds
• Fresh cranberries

How to make cranberry oat bars

In a bowl, combine the gluten free all purpose flour, old fashioned oats, almond flour, salt, and orange zest. Set it aside.

In another bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined and you don't see any dry bits of flour. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.

Press ⅔ of the rested dough into the pan. Top it with the cranberries. Take the rest of the dough and spread it over the cranberries. Top it with the sliced almonds.

Bake it in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool completely before taking it out of the pan and cutting them!

Why do I need to let the dough sit?

Gluten free flours need extra time to hydrate! Without resting the dough, your dough will have a gritty mouthfeel. Who wants that?!

Can I grease the pan instead of using parchment paper?

I highly recommend using parchment paper for two reasons:

1. It's a whole lot easier to take the bars out of the pan once it's cooled.
2. It protects the pan from the acid in the cranberries. Cranberries are quite acidic and can eat at the metallic pan if you leave it in for too long!

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes! You can defrost the cranberries first, or you can use them frozen but bake them for longer.

More Fall & Winter Desserts!

• Cranberry orange muffins (GF/DF)
• Pumpkin spice blondies (GF/DF)
• Apple crumble pie (GF/DF)
• Pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies
• Pumpkin bread (DF)

SAVE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER!