These healthy cranberry oatmeal bars are soft, chewy and lightly sweet. The bars need just 4 ingredients and don’t contain any flour, eggs, dairy, butter or oil. They are easy to make and can be enjoyed for breakfast, snack or dessert.
These oatmeal bars are studded with dried cranberries, adding color and flavor to the oatmeal bars. They are so easy to whip up and you can also customize them further with other add-ins.
Ingredients
- Quick Oats
- Bananas
- Almond butter (or peanut butter)
- Dried Cranberries
Quick oats: These bars work best with quick oats which bind better than rolled oats. Quick oats are rolled oats that have been further processed so that they are smaller and thinner pieces. Quick oats are not the same as instant oats which are oats that have added sugar and flavorings. Quick oats are still just oats– just smaller pieces. If you don’t have quick oats on hand you can pulse your rolled oats in a food processor until they become smaller pieces like quick oats.
Bananas: These bars are naturally sweetened with mashed bananas. Bananas also work as a binding agent. You can substitute bananas with other fruit purees but you will need to make some adjustments. For example, if you use applesauce you will need to add some honey or syrup to the mixture to make the bars sweet enough and to help them bind.
Almond butter: Natural almond butter is used to provide healthy fat to the bars and help them bind. You can also use natural peanut butter but you will taste the peanut butter flavor. For a nut-free substitution you can also use sunflower seed butter. Make sure you are using an almond butter (or peanut butter) that has no added oils. There are some brands that sell natural almond butter/peanut butter but it contains added oils. The only ingredient listed on the nutritional label should be almonds (or peanuts and salt).
Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries add both sweetness and tartness to the bars.
How to Make Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
- The mashed bananas and almond butter are first mixed together. The oats are then stirred in until fully incorporated. Finally, the cranberries are mixed in.
- The mixture is then transferred to your prepared baking pan and ready to be baked. If desired, you can add a few more cranberries on top for presentation.
- The oatmeal bars will need about 20 minutes in the oven.
Recipe Highlights
- This is an easy and quick recipe to make. You don’t even need a mixer!
- This is also a recipe you can make with kids.
- The bars are only very lightly sweetened as they are meant to be healthy oatmeal bars. If you prefer sweeter, you can add sweeter mix-ins like chocolate chips or add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey to the mixture before baking.
- The bars store well in the fridge or freezer.
More Oatmeal Bar Recipes
- 4 Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Bars
- 3 Ingredient Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars
- 3 Ingredient Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
4 Ingredient Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (248 g) mashed bananas
- 1/2 cup (128 g) natural almond butter can substitute with natural peanut butter
- 2 cups (174 g) quick oats
- 1/3 cup (37 g) dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
- Add mashed bananas and almond butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are fully mixed and the mixture is uniform in color. Add in oats and stir until they are fully and evenly mixed in. Stir in cranberries until they are evenly distributed. These bars are meant to be only lightly sweetened. You can taste and adjust sweetness if needed (by adding 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup or honey).
- Transfer batter into prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface. By smoothing the surface, you are also compacting the oat mixture which will help it bind during baking. If desired, you can gently press a few more dried cranberries on top for presentation.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the bars look set and cooked. The surface should also be dry and the edges should turn golden brown. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- These oatmeal bars are meant to be healthier bars so they are not that sweet. If you prefer sweeter, you can add a few tablespoons of honey or maple syrup to the batter or add chocolate chips.
- Make sure to use natural almond butter which only has almonds in the ingredients and no added oils. If you use peanut butter, make sure it is natural peanut butter with no added oils. If you use peanut butter, you will taste some peanut butter flavor in the oatmeal bars which is why I prefer using almond butter because you don't really taste the almond butter.
- I used Happy Belly Quick Oats.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
