Gluten-Free Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

These classic oatmeal bars are vegan, gluten-free, easy to make, and help to use up that jellied cranberry sauce left from the holidays.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

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How to Use Leftover Jellied Cranberry Sauce:

Ingredients for making Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 (14 oz.) can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with
1 teaspoon water
3/4 cup Gluten Free Bisquick®
3/4 cup Gluten Free Quaker Oats®
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/8 cup (3/4 cube) vegan butter. We use Earth Balance®
vegan butter sticks

One 8-inch square baking pan

​​Instructions:

1. To begin with, place the jellied cranberry sauce in a 1 or 2-quart saucepan. If you open a fresh can of cranberry sauce, when you remove it from the can it should be about 3-1/4  inches tall (long). So half (7 oz.) of a can would be 1-5/8 inches of the jellied cranberry sauce. If you are using leftover bits and pieces, or a partial can, then you should mash the cranberry sauce first before measuring. So one-half can of cranberry sauce will make 2/3 cup of mashed sauce.
2. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
3. Add the 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch that has been mixed with 1 teaspoon water.
4. Cook and stir over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the oat crumb mixture
   

   1 - Place jellied cranberry sauce in a 1 or 2-quart saucepan

   

   2 - Mash cranberry sauce with a potato masher until smooth.

   

   3 - Add the 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch and water.

   

   4 - Cook and stir over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Set aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup Gluten Free Bisquick®, 3/4 cup Gluten Free Quaker Oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 3/8 cup (3/4 cube) vegan butter.
6. Mix together all of the ingredients with a pastry blender until crumbly. There should be about 2-1/3 cups of prepared oat crumbs.
7. To begin with, place 2/3’s of the crumb mixture (about 1-2/3 cups) in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan.
8. Spread evenly in the pan and firmly pack down with a fork.
   

    5 - In a large bowl combine Bisquick®, Quaker Oats, brown sugar, and vegan butter.

   

   6 - Mix together all of the ingredients with a pastry blender until crumbly.

   

   7 - Place 2/3's of the crumb mixture in lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan.

   

   8 - Spread evenly in the pan and firmly pack down with a fork.
9. Next, pour the cranberry mixture into the pan over the oat crumbs.
10. Gently spread the jellied cranberry mixture evenly over the oat crumbs in the baking pan.
11. Lastly, sprinkle the remaining oat crumbs evenly over the cranberry filling. Then gently pack the crumbs down with the back of a fork. The top layer of oat crumbs does not have to be firmly packed like the bottom layer. Just press them down lightly enough so that they will not scatter all over the place when the bars are cut and served.
12. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into sixteen 2-inch square bars.
    

    9 - Pour the cranberry mixture into the pan over the oat crumbs.

    

    10 - Gently spread the jellied cranberry mixture evenly over the oat crumbs.

    

    11 - Sprinkle the remaining oat crumbs evenly over the cranberry filling.

    

    12 - Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool & cut into 16 bars.

​Variations:

• If you would rather not use the cranberry filling, you can always use about 3/4 cup of your favorite jam. Place the jam in a bowl and mash with a fork so that it is easy to spread. Originally I prepared these bars with apricot jam which was extremely popular.
• You can double this recipe if you have a whole can of jellied cranberry sauce that you would like to use.  Bake the bars in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Lastly, the recipe in the cookbook The Joy of an Empty Pot for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (page 171) makes twice as much and does not require any gluten-free ingredients.

Two gluten-free vegan cranberry oatmeal bars.

If you enjoy these gluten-free bars, be sure to try our gluten-free Vegan Pecan Shortbread Cookies.

5 from 1 vote

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Gluten-Free Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

 These classic oatmeal bars are vegan, gluten-free, easy to make, and help to use up that jellied cranberry sauce left from the holidays.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword baking, bisquick, cranberry, filled bar, gluten-free, jellied cranberry sauce, vegan, vegan butter

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 16 bars

Calories 126 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 14 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce (7 oz.)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp water
• 3/4 cup gluten free Bisquick
• 3/4 cup gluten free Quaker oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/8 cup vegan butter

Instructions

1. Place the jellied cranberry sauce in a 1 or 2-quart saucepan. 

2. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.

3. Add the 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch that has been mixed with 1 teaspoon water.

4. Cook and stir over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the oat crumb mixture.

5.   In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup Gluten Free Bisquick®, 3/4 cup Gluten Free Quaker Oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 3/8 cup (3/4 cube) vegan butter.

6.  Mix together all of the ingredients with a pastry blender until crumbly. 

7. To begin with, place 2/3's of the crumb mixture (about 1-2/3 cups) in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan.

8. Spread evenly in the pan and firmly pack down with a fork.

9. Next, pour the cranberry mixture into the pan over the oat crumbs.

10. Gently spread the jellied cranberry mixture evenly over the oat crumbs in the baking pan.

11.  Sprinkle the remaining oat crumbs evenly over the cranberry filling. Gently pat the crumbs down with the back of a fork. The top layer of oat crumbs does not have to be firmly packed like the bottom layer. Just press them down lightly enough so that they will not scatter all over the place when the bars are cut and served.

12. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into sixteen 2-inch square bars.

Recipe Notes

• If you would rather not use the cranberry filling, you can always use about 3/4 cup of your favorite jam. Place the jam in a bowl and mash with a fork so that it is easy to spread. Earlier I prepared these bars with apricot jam which was extremely popular.
• Finally, you can double this recipe if you have a whole can of jellied cranberry sauce that you would like to use.  Bake the bars in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes.