It’s cranberry season! I love cranberries but I really only use them during November and December when the grocery stores are stockpiled with fresh ones. This is my first cranberry recipe of the season and it’s delicious. These super simple vegan + gluten free cranberry oatmeal bars are great for breakfast, a snack on the go, or topped with ice cream for dessert.

I added Wild Orange Essential Oil to mine. You can purchase DoTerra essential oil on my website here. It is the only brand I currently recommend due to issues with purity in the industry. It gives the whole dish a wonderful cranberry orange flavor. But this is totally optional. you can omit the orange essential oil or you can use a few teaspoons of orange zest in its place.

Another great option is to use leftover cranberry sauce in this recipe instead of whole cranberries. This is a great idea for after Thanksgiving when you don’t know what to do with all that leftover cranberry sauce. To do this, just press in the base layer, add a layer of cranberry sauce and top with the crumb mixture. Easy peasy.

Now let’s talk cranberries. These little fruits only seem to make an appearance once a year but really pack a nutritional punch. Let’s take a look:

Health Benefits of Cranberries

Helps to manage and prevent UTI’s
Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
Slows cancer progression
Enhances oral health
Good source of Vitamin C and E

With all these health benefits, cranberry’s are commonly referred to as a super-food. Just another to make more cranberry recipes this season!

These cranberry oatmeal bars are delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee. My kids love to grab them out of the pan and eat them for a snack but they are equally as good topped with some vanilla cashew milk ice cream for dessert. Very versatile and festive for the holidays. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 45

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 16 squares

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free oats
1 cup gluten free 1:1 flour I use Bob's Red Mill, it's wonderful
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
10 drops Wild Orange essential oil I used DoTerra. Can sub 2tsp orange zest.
2 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs coconut milk
1 cup whole cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mix oats, gluten free flour, coconut sugar, ginger, baking powder, vanilla, coconut oil, orange oil, and cinnamon. Then pull out 1 cup and set it aside (that will be your crumb mixture)
In the large bowl, to the remaining mix, add 2tbs maple syrup and 2tbs coconut milk.
Press the wet mixture into the bottom of the pan. That's your crust. Then sprinkle the cranberries on top and press into the crust slightly. Sprinkle the entire thing with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.