Cranberry Orange Breakfast Bars

This holiday season, indulge your family and guests with these yummy Cranberry Orange Breakfast Bars. The simple recipe offers delicious bites of citrus, cranberry, cinnamon, and oatmeal. Serve with coffee or tea and these chewy bars taste even better! Make them ahead of time to have on hand for a tasty breakfast or afternoon snack.

Orange Cranberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients

¾ cup + 2 tbsp. all- purpose flour

1 cup organic rolled oats

½ cup natural brown sugar

½ cup organic sugar

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp baking soda

3/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. natural vanilla extract  

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 egg white

2/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 ¼ cup of dried cranberries

Zest of half an orange, about ½ tablespoon

For glaze:

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. natural vanilla extract

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tsp. orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine ¾ cup flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave and slowly drizzle it into the dry mixture. Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice and mix until a crumbly dough is formed.
2. Press 2/3 of the crumble mixture into a greased 8 x 8” baking dish. Reserve the remaining mixture for the topping.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the dried cranberries, orange zest, yogurt, sugar and egg white with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the remaining flour until all ingredients are well combined.
4. Evenly distribute the filling into the baking dish, using a spatula to spread it over the crust. Top with the rest of the crumble mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
5. While bars are cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp. of freshly squeezed orange juice and whisk until glaze begins to form. Add the vanilla and continue whisking until all lumps are gone. If the glaze seems to thick you can add more juice one teaspoon at a time.

~Recipes and photos by Katie Romey, MS, RD for Foodstirs