Sweet, but not too sweet, these gluten-free Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars have notes of bright lemon and they're bursting with cranberries! These oat bars have just the right amount of sweetness, a buttery oatmeal base, and a crumbly coconut topping that puts them over the top. They're soft and slightly chewy.
I'm having a hard time describing just how good these Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars are!
These gluten-free cranberry bars have just the right amount of sweetness, a buttery oatmeal base, and a crumbly coconut topping that puts them over the top. They're soft and slightly chewy.
They're perfect for a holiday baking tray or for snacking any time!
Jump to:
❤️ You'll love these bars because
- they taste amazing!
- they're gluten-free! They're made with oats and gluten-free baking flour.
- these bars are not overly sweet, but they're just sweet enough.
- they have a bright lemony flavour, bursting with cranberries!
- they make a great food gift! Make a batch for a friend, arrange them in a cookie tin and attach a gift tag.
These Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars will be high on my holiday baking list this year. I rarely bake with granulated sugar, except at holiday time, when I like to make some of our favourite family treats. These Zebra Cookies, Nana's Butter Tarts, and Crispy Salted Coconut Cookies or any of these 12 Gluten-free Holiday Cookies and Bars are ones I make regularly.
If you love making these easy cranberry lemon bars, you'll also love these Apple Pomegranate Crumble Bars, also gluten-free!
These cranberry bars are slightly reminiscent of the raspberry coconut bars my Mom used to make every Christmas, but if I recall correctly, there was a lot of butter, a lot of sugar, sweetened long-shred coconut and most of a jar of raspberry jam in those!
Tasty, for sure, but I actually prefer these healthy cranberry oatmeal bars.
🛒 Ingredients
Ready to make a batch of these delicious cranberry oat bars? Here's what you'll need:
- cranberries: you can use either fresh or frozen cranberries
- a lemon: you'll use the zest and the juice in the cranberry filling
- granulated sugar and coconut sugar
- cornstarch
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- gluten-free baking flour: I've tested this recipe with both Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and Cup4Cup Gluten-free Flour
- old-fashioned rolled oats: use certified gluten-free rolled oats, if necessary
- unsweetened medium coconut
🔪 Instructions
Here's a quick overview of what you'll do to make these cranberry oatmeal bars. You'll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- Start by making the cranberry filling. You'll cook it on the stovetop in a saucepan, then set it aside while you make the base and topping.
- Next, you'll combine the crumble ingredients: butter, sugar, vanilla, gluten-free baking flour, and rolled oats.
- Reserve 1 cup of the crumble for the topping. Add ¼ cup coconut to this mixture.
- Press the rest into a lined 8-inch square pan.
- Spread the cranberry filling on top, taking care to leave a ½-inch margin all the way around to prevent the filling from leaking out while it's baking.
- Top with the reserved crumble, sprinkling evenly over the top.
- Bake until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars or squares.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cranberry bars can be ready for the oven in about 15 minutes! Make today, enjoy a few, and freeze the rest for another day.
This recipe makes 9 large bars or 16 small squares.
Yes! These cranberry oat bars slice without crumbling, as long as you cool them completely before slicing.
Store these bars in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Guaranteed not to last that long!
Not all gluten-free flour blends are the same. They contain varying amounts of ingredients. Some have xanthan gum, which provides structure and helps baked goods to rise, others do not. I tested my recipe with both Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-1 Baking Flour and with Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour.
For more tasty gluten-free recipe ideas using rolled oats, see 30 Healthy Oatmeal Recipes.
If you love these gluten-free cranberry oatmeal bars, please give this recipe 5 stars and share how they turned out for you in the comments section. Thanks! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
🗒 More recipes for bars and cookies
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Cranberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Cranberry Lemon Filling
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Oatmeal Base and Crumble Topping
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (not quick oats), gluten-free if necessary
- ¼ cup unsweetened medium coconut, for crumble topping
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest. Add lemon juice and cranberries. Stir to combine. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until mixture begins to thicken.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Add melted butter to a medium bowl (or melt it in the bowl in the microwave). Stir in sugars and vanilla, then add flour and oats.
- Set aside 1 cup of the oatmeal mixture for the topping. Transfer the remaining amount to the prepared pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom to create a firm base.
- Spread the cranberry mixture on top of the base, taking care to leave a ½ inch margin to prevent the cranberry from leaking out the edges while baking.
- Add ¼ cup coconut to the remaining 1 cup oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cranberry layer. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Cathy Pengelly
I made this recipe two days ago and was absolutely delighted with the results. They were so tasty that I made a second pan yesterday.
Thanks for creating this delicious recipe.
Cathy Pengelly.
Elaine
Thanks so much for your kind words, Cathy! I'm so happy to hear you liked these. I appreciate your comment!
Laura
Excellent! I made these with a thickened rhubarb mixture with orange zest instead of cranberry and lemon.
Elaine
I LOVE this idea! Must try it. Thanks!
Christy
Excellent and easy treat!
Elaine
Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Christy! And thanks for the 5-stars!
Danielle
I've made these three times now, so thought I'd finally give it 5 stars! Love these bars.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much!