B is for Baking:Â Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Bars
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As soon as Thanksgiving time comes around, I start thinking about all things cranberry. I love the tartness that dried or fresh cranberries can add to a dish. I usually have whole cranberries frozen in the freezer and a bag of dried cranberries in the pantry. A handful of frozen whole cranberries adds an elegant touch to a glass of cold ice water, soda water with lime or sparkling white wine. Yum!  A few dried cranberries are a delicious addition to a salad or a bowl of oatmeal.  Another one of my favorite ways to use cranberries is in this recipe for cranberry oatmeal pecan bars. These bars are dense and chewy and bursting with flavor. They are delicious with a hot cup of coffee, but sweet enough to be served for dessert.  Are you ready to make this great recipe? Here we go:
Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, sugar, egg whites, yogurt, coconut oil, milk and vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
- In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir until combined. Gently pour in the yogurt mixture and mix well. Fold in the oats, cranberries, pecans and coconut. The dough will become thick and sticky.
- Spread the dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan pressing down slightly.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars and store tightly covered.
My tiny baking assistant
 Look at all that chewy goodness!
Helpful Tips
- My egg separator is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. How do you separate egg whites without one?
- Another kitchen tool I absolutely adore is my small silicon spatula. It makes getting every last drop of batter out of the bowl a snap.
- Experiment with different kinds of dried fruit – raisins or dried cherries would be delicious.
- Try different kinds of nuts also – walnuts or almonds would make an nice alternative to the pecans. You can also make this recipe nut-free if you prefer.
- I have often thought about adding chocolate chips to this recipe, but have never tried it. Dark chocolate? White chocolate? Semi-sweet chocolate? I bet any kind of chocolate chip would be good.
- Not a Greek yogurt fan? Use regular low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt instead.
- Be sure to let the pan cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars. This great wire cooling rack comes with a free silicon spatula! How cool is that?
- Enjoy!
These hardy, chewy cranberry oatmeal pecan bars are a delicious treat. Not too sweet, but full of yummy flavors. Let me know how they turn out for you in the comment section. Happy baking, my friends!
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These look amazing! my son has a nut-allergy, do you have any suggestions for pecan replacements? Or do you think it would be ok to omit them altogether?
Food allergies are so tough. I have a severe peanut allergy myself so I understand the struggle. I would just make this recipe nut free – I think it will be just as good. Let me know how you like them. Have a great weekend. 🙂
These look like treats I’d have a hard time staying out of!! (And that’s one cute little helper you have!) Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up – Would love to have you give us a comment at the party!
Thanks so much, Helen! These cranberry oatmeal bars are delicious! I was even eating them with a cup of coffee for a light breakfast. Yum! Thanks for always leaving such thoughtful comments.
Sounds like a good recipe Cristina. I like the ingredients you used. More healthy.
Thanks, Char! I really like this recipe too. I have been replacing regular cooking oil with coconut oil in many of my baking recipes and love the results!
Ava, these bars look absolutely amazing, making my mouth water.
Pinned, Printed and thanks so much for sharing on the #OMHGWW this week!!!
Merry Christmas!!!
Thank you, Karren! I really love this recipe and think you will too! Thanks so much for the comment, pin and share. Hope you are enjoying your holidays as well. 🙂
These look great! I love oatmeal and all the healthy ingredients on the list. Pinning!
Kelsey
acupofteawithkelsey.blogspot.com
Thank you, Kelsey! I really love this recipe. They are good enough to eat for breakfast even! I appreciate the comment and the pin. 🙂
Hi Cristina,
Your Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Bars will be perfect for the holidays! Hope you have a fantastic weekend and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen! This recipe is perfect for the holidays, but yummy enough to enjoy all year long too. I appreciate you stopping by with a comment. 🙂
I really need to use cranberries more. I bet these are wonderful! Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday 🙂
Thank you, Angie! I love having fresh cranberries on hand. I also keep a bag in the freezer – they are perfect to add to a glass of sparkling wine or infused water for a festive touch. Thanks for stopping by with a comment.