Cranberry Lemon Oat Bars

There is nothing more comforting to me than a cup of coffee and a sweet hearty baked good usually in the form of a bar, muffin, or bread. I try to have my freezer stocked regularly with these tasty homemade treats.

This recipe, which is easy on the waistline,  is adapted from the Cooking Light Way to Bake cookbook. I love the combination of tart and sweet flavors in this delightful bar – the kiddos loved them too!

This is a perfect snack freezer recipe. Make a couple batches and stick in the freezer. Take out in the morning and it will be thawed out and ready for you by mid afternoon snack time.

Cranberry Lemon Oat Bars

Servings: 20

Serving size: 1 bar

Calories: 154 * Carbs: 19 * Fat: 6 * Protein: 2 * Fiber: 2

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, melted

juice of one lemon

Filling:

1 ⅓ cup dried cranberries

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons white flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Step 1. For the crust combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir this mixture well using a whisk.

Step 2. Drizzle the butter over the dry mixture. Next add in the juice. Using a spoon (or have fun and use your hands), stir until the mixture becomes moist. Please note that it will be a bit crumbly.

Step 3. Reserve ½ cup of the crumb mixture. Press the rest of the crumb mixture into a 11 x 7 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. **At first it will look like there is not enough mixture but once you start pressing it in you will see that it all fits perfectly. Let the crust sit for about 10 minutes. This will give the rolled oats a little time to soften up.

Step 4. For the filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and egg white.

Step 5. Spread the filling over the crust then sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly on top.

Step 6. Cook for about 40 – 50 minutes or until edges are brown. Mine cooked for about 45 minutes. Cool the bars completely, in pan, before cutting.

Freezer Cooking Instructions

These bars freeze perfectly. Once completely cooled, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap then place all together in freezer bag. Put in freezer.

To thaw, take out of the freezer and let it thaw in refrigerator or on counter.