Cranberry Snacking Bars — Cranberry-Pecan Oat Bars

     I stocked up on seasonal fresh cranberries and so my cranberry campaign continues! This time I’m making snacking bars that sandwiches a sweet cranberry-orange filling between layers of oatmeal crumble and coarsely chopped pecans. YUM!

     Extra bags of cranberries to in the freezer and since this recipe can be made with frozen berries (just take them from the freezer and start immediately on the filling), we can enjoy these treats after cranberry season is over.

Cranberry-Pecan  Oat Bars   Make 15 bars

Filling:            

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons orange zest

Juice of half an orange

Oat Crust & Topping:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup old fashioned or quick-cooking oats

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

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½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Filling: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar orange zest and juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook is thick and cranberries are tender (easily squashed with the back of a spoon).

   

   Ingredients in saucepan.

   

   As ingredients cook, they form a sauce.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan, line with foil, then spray the foil.
3. Oat Crust & Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
   
4. Cut in the butter using your mixer or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   
5. Press half of this mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
6. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the base; top with pecans.
7. Distribute remaining oat mixture over the top.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
   
   
   

   

   Once cool, grab the edges of the foil to remove for easy cutting of the bars.

Recipe without photos . . .

Cranberry-Pecan  Oat Bars   Make 15 bars

Filling:             

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 

¾ cup granulated sugar 

2 tablespoons orange zest

Juice of half an orange 

Oat Crust & Topping:

¾ cup all-purpose flour 

¾ cup old fashioned or quick-cooking oats 

½ cup packed brown sugar 

½ teaspoon baking powder 

¼ teaspoon salt 

6 tablespoons butter 

---

½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Filling: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar orange zest and juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook is thick and cranberries are tender (easily squashed with the back of a spoon).
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan, line with foil, then spray the foil.
3. Oat Crust & Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Cut in the butter using your mixer or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Press half of this mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
6. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the base; top with pecans.
7. Distribute remaining oat mixture over the top.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.