Who doesn’t need an easy cookie recipe or quick gift idea this time of year? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Cookie exchanges, parties, potlucks, gifts for teachers, neighbors, friends , etc. etc, etc.
These Cranberry Oat Cookie Bars are your answer whether you bake the cookies or just layer the dry ingredients into a jar for a sweet gift that even the baking phobic folks will appreciate.
I really struggled to come up with a Thanksgiving (or Fall) cookie for our monthly Fill the Cookie Jar post this month. I don’t know if my fellow bloggers had the same dilemma. Be sure to scroll below the recipes to see what they created. Suddenly, the vision of sugar plums danced in my head. Ok, that’s Christmas and I used cranberries, not plums. But you get the picture. A jar mix cookie.
I love jar mixes for gifts, both giving and receiving. They make great hostess gifts and are good for teachers and busy parents and just about anyone else you can think of. Most of them involve dumping the ingredients in the jar in a pot or bowl with a few other ingredients and BAM! simple semi-homemade dinner (like the Lentil Soup Mix) or dessert like this one.
The original recipe called for strawberry pie filling, which you could use if you prefer. Or cherry or apple or peach. But to go along with the Thanksgiving theme I chose cranberry sauce. It made them slightly less sugary than the pie filling would have been – which was great. I made my own from the instructions on the pack of cranberries, making sure to mash the berries as it cooked so there weren’t any big pieces of cranberry.
Cranberry Oat Cookie Bars - crispy oatmeal cookie with a tangy sweet layer of cranberry sauce. Delicious Fall cookie bar
- 1 jar Cranberry Oat Cookie Bar Mix
- 2/3 cups butter softened
- 2 cups Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce or 21 ounce jar of fruit pie filling - cherry, strawberry, apple, etc.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine butter and Oat Bar Mix until blended.
- Press 2/3 of crumbs onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- Bake 15 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes.
- If using fruit pie filling or canned cranberry sauce, blend briefly in blender until slightly chunky.
- Pour cranberry sauce/pie filling over baked crust.
- Crumble remaining crumb over the top.
- Bake 20-25 minutes. Cut into bars
Cranberry Oat Cookie Bars Mix - just layer in the jar add the instructions and give as a gift.
- 2 1/4 cups uncooked quick oats
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a one quart jar layer ingredients in the order given.
- Top with fabric and ribbon as desired. Attach a copy of the baking instructions to the jar.
Click here for printable baking instructions to include with the jar mix.
Until next time, happy eating.
~Audrey
Joanne/WineLady Cooks
November 5, 2015 at 11:07 amAudrey, this is a wonderful cookie bar for the holidays. I have to admit I do not make bar cookies but this month I’m sold on your Cranberry Oat Cookie Bars and Cynthia’s Pecan Pie Bars – I’ll just keep baking – who needs to cook dinner ?!#%>
Audrey
November 5, 2015 at 4:31 pmHa ha! That just happened to me tonight. I baked a treat even before I decided what to make for dinner.
Jamie
November 5, 2015 at 3:07 pmYUM – these look amazing!! Might have to make these for our cookie exchange this year! 🙂
Audrey
November 5, 2015 at 4:30 pmThanks, Jamie. They are so easy to whip up.
Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair
November 6, 2015 at 7:09 amOh what a fun cookie bar! These look super easy to make too!
Audrey
November 6, 2015 at 4:00 pmThis time of year, the easier the better in my book.
Winnie
November 7, 2015 at 1:21 pmI love baking with oats, and I love cranberry – so these are wonderful cookies for me to try 🙂
Audrey
November 9, 2015 at 9:55 amThanks for stopping by, Winnie.
Kris ~Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies
November 8, 2015 at 12:56 pmClever, lovely, and delicious! I love everything about this, especially the gift giving potential. Except, if I give them away then I don’t get to eat them 🙂
Audrey
November 9, 2015 at 9:54 amMake two batches like I did 😉 Problem solved, ha ha!
Alayna @AlaynasCreations
November 13, 2015 at 5:31 amMmmm looks great – and easy!
Looking forward to another weekend of good times with the #HomeMattersParty
Wendy @ Living Almost Naturally
November 13, 2015 at 5:35 amThese Cookie Bars look Delicious! #HomeMattersParty
Kim @ This Ole Mom
November 15, 2015 at 8:25 amYour cookie bars look delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Coming over from Home Matters Linky. Thank yiu for hosting. Kim
Audrey
November 20, 2015 at 12:53 pmThanks for coming by.
Sahana
November 15, 2015 at 7:17 pmSuch a great idea for gift giving. And also like your twist of cranberries to make it seasonal Audrey.
Audrey
November 20, 2015 at 12:54 pmThanks, Sahana.
Bev mcmichael
July 7, 2016 at 12:28 pmI bought the coconut salted caramel bars in a mason jar at JoAn’s as a shower gift. The winner said they were delicious so I’d like the recipe please. Anyone have it?