Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Ginger Bars (Low Fat & Low Sugar)

Here’s an easy recipe for Healthy Cranberry Ginger Oatmeal Bars that stir together in minutes in one bowl without an electric mixer! They are a variation of these breakfast oatmeal squares incorporating some of my favorite holiday flavors.   

Packed with wholesome ingredients and bursting with flavor, these bars offer a delightful balance of sweetness and spice without compromising on health. With a hearty base of oats and a blend of sweet and tangy dried cranberries and zesty candied ginger, they are perfect for Weight Watchers and anyone seeking a nutritious treat!

Moist, dense and not overly sweet, make these easy oat bars ahead to enjoy for easy breakfasts, coffee breaks, or a satisfying afternoon snack option.

How Many Calories and WW Points in these Cranberry Triple Ginger Oat Bars?

According to my calculations, each oat bar has just 93 calories. To see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!

Ingredients

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup pure maple syrup (I used ginger-infused maple syrup)
¼ cup Truvia Brown Sugar Blend
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup chopped craisins
¼ cup chopped candied ginger

How to Make Cranberry Ginger Oatmeal Bars, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Alternatively, you can line your baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray. The parchment allows you to remove the oatmeal before cutting into bars and makes cleanup a breeze.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon until thoroughly combined.

Step 4: To the dry ingredients stir in the egg, unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened almond milk, maple syrup, Truvia Brown Sugar Blend, vanilla, chopped craisins and chopped candied ginger.

Step 5: Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.

Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Step 7: Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut into 12 bars.

Step 8: Serve at room temperature, gently warmed in the microwave or right from the refrigerator.

Step 9:Leftover oatmeal bars can be wrapped individually with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes, Substitutions & Variations

The recipe calls for quick cooking oats which provide a better texture in this oat recipe. Don’t substitute old fashioned oats unless you are willing to accept a drier, chewier result. If you don’t have quick cooking oats you can create them by giving old fashioned oats several pules in a food processor.

This recipe can be modified in all kinds of ways to suit tastes and what you have on hand. For example, to give these healthy bars a little something extra, I used ginger-infused pure maple syrup. They are quite spicy. If you are not a fan of ginger you may want to decrease or leave out the candied ginger. 

Here are more ideas:

Gluten Free – To make these cranberry bars gluten free substitute your favorite gluten free flour for the ¼ cup all-purpose flour.

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Bars – Substitute orange juice for the almond milk and add teaspoon of orange zest

Cranberries – Substitute fresh cranberries (chopped) or your favorite chopped dried fruit for the chopped Craisins.  

More Additions to Consider:

Chopped white chocolate
Semisweet or dark chocolate chips
Chopped walnuts or pecans

Substitute raisins for the dried cranberries, if desired.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy these bars by themselves or crumbled and layered with a little Greek yogurt and berries for a simple yogurt breakfast parfait.

These oatmeal bars can be wrapped individually and make a great grab-and-go alternative to store-bought granola bars which are often loaded with sugar. They also make great lunchbox treats for the kids.

How to Store Leftover Baked Oatmeal Bars? 

Leftover oat bars can be store in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator. They can also be individually wrapped in plastic, placed in an airtight freezer bag and frozen for future enjoyment. 

FAQs

Are Old Fashioned Oats the Same as Quick Oats?

No, old-fashioned oats and quick oats are not the same, although they are both types of rolled oats.

Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, are oat groats that have been steamed and flattened with large rollers. They have a thicker, chewier texture and take longer to cook compared to quick oats.

Quick oats, on the other hand, are rolled oats that have been cut into smaller pieces before being rolled. This process allows them to cook faster than old-fashioned oats, hence the name “quick oats.” They cook up creamier.

While both old-fashioned oats and quick oats can be used interchangeably in many recipes, they may yield slightly different textures due to their size and thickness.

Can You Make Old Fashioned Into Quick Oats?

Yes! To turn old-fashioned oats into quick-cooking oats, simply pulse them briefly in a food processor until they are broken down into smaller pieces, resembling the texture of quick-cooking oats. Be careful not to over-process; a few quick pulses should do the trick. Once the oats are the desired consistency, they are ready to be used in recipes that call for quick-cooking oats. This method provides a convenient alternative if you only have old-fashioned oats on hand but need quick-cooking oats for your recipe.

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*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan’s ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.

If you liked these Baked Cranberry Oatmeal Bars, you might also like

Weight Watchers Cranberry Oatmeal Ginger Cookies
Moist & Chewy Low Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal Muffin Cups
Pumpkin Oat Muffin Cups (Vegan)
Breakfast Oat Squares
Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bake

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The post Healthy Cranberry Oatmeal Ginger Bars (Low Fat & Low Sugar) appeared first on Simple Nourished Living.