Cranberry Caramel Bars
Cranberry Caramel Bars
These Cranberry Caramel Bars became a family tradition more than 20 years ago, and they’ve been part of our Christmas celebrations ever since. Now, at every Christmas gathering, someone in the family is always put in charge of making a batch. Sweet, tart, buttery, and gooey with cranberries, dates, pecans, and caramel, Christmas just wouldn’t feel quite the same without them.
Ingredients
- Cranberries
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Crust & Crumble
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, melted
- Filling
- 1 package (10 oz.) chopped dates
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 1 jar (12 oz.) caramel ice cream topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the foil.
- In a small bowl, combine the fresh cranberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Toss together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, oats, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
- Pour in the 1 cup melted butter and stir until the mixture is evenly combined and crumbly.
- Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, combine the 12-ounce jar of caramel topping with the remaining ⅓ cup flour and stir until smooth.
- Remove the crust from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the chopped dates, pecans, and sugared cranberries over the warm crust.
- Spoon or drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the filling.
- Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup oat crumble over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before lifting them from the pan and cutting them into squares.
Notes
These are especially pretty during the holidays because of those bright red cranberries. Be sure to let them cool before cutting—the caramel and fruit need time to set so you get nice, clean squares.