Vegan Cranberry Crumble Oatmeal Bars

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Vegan Cranberry Crumble Oatmeal Bars

Before you throw out any leftover cranberry sauce, I need you to check out these vegan cranberry crumble oatmeal bars first. I make them with almond flour, oats, and orange juice and need just 45 minutes to turn it into a buttery crumble topping with a sweet-tart filling. My family looks forward to this recipe almost as much as Thanksgiving dinner itself.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

1 ½ cups cranberry sauce (perfect way to use leftovers from Thanksgiving)
6 tablespoons orange juice (see note)
2 cups almond flour
1 ½ cups oats , gluten free if needed
½ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup apple sauce
¼ cup almond butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C
Mix the cranberry sauce and orange juice until combined. It should be thick and jelly like.
Put the almond flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine.
Add in the apple sauce and almond butter. Using a fork, cut them into the dry ingredients until it is nice and crumbly. You don’t want to mix it to make a dough, you want it to be a crumble.
Put 2/3 of the crumble in a square baking dish. I used 8 x 8 but 9 x 9 would work too, they will just be thinner. Press the crumble down to form a firmer bottom crust.
Spread the cranberry layer over the top.
Crumble the leftover crumble over the top. Lightly press into the cranberry layer but don’t flatten. You want it to look like a crumbled topping.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
When done, allow to cool completely before cutting or they will fall apart.

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this healthy vegan cranberry crumble oatmeal bar recipe is to always let the bars cool completely before slicing. The cranberry layer continues setting as it cools, giving me clean slices that stay together instead of falling apart.
Thick filling: I use cranberry sauce that is thick enough to spread. If it looks runny, I skip the extra orange juice and add 1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest instead.
Fork method: I always use a fork to combine the wet ingredients into the crumble. This keeps little buttery pieces throughout the topping instead of turning it into a paste.
Firm crust: I press the bottom layer firmly into the baking dish with the bottom of a measuring cup. A compact crust supports the soft cranberry filling much better.
Golden top: I bake the crumble until the surface becomes lightly golden around the edges. Pulling the bars out too early can leave the topping soft.
Use a sharp knife: I chill the bars for about 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife, and wipe the blade after each cut. I do this when I want especially neat squares for serving to guests.

Nutrition