Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars are packed with chocolate, dried cranberries, coconut and oatmeal and baked into a chewy cookie bar. The banana, applesauce and honey add a touch of natural sweetness to the bars. These make a nice snack, dessert or holiday treat!
CRANBERRY COCONUT OATMEAL COOKIE BARS
One of my all time favorite cookie recipes is my Mom’s Loaded Oatmeal Cookies.
Those cookies along with some brainstorming with my good friend Jess from Stuck on Sweet {the queen of cookie bars} at a recent blogging conference, inspired today’s Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars.
As kids we made oatmeal cookies a lot. And by a lot I mean weekly our cookie jar had oatmeal cookies in it.
Every time I make oatmeal cookies or smell them baking I am taken back to my childhood, sitting at the counter after high school, eating a warm oatmeal raisin cookie with a glass of milk.
As I got older my Mom got more creative and started making Loaded Oatmeal Cookies and I fell in love. I am a big fan of adding lots of additions to my cookies, so the Loaded Oatmeal Cookies are perfect for those that feel the same way.
Today’s Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars follow that same rule but in the form of a bar.
These beauties are loaded with deliciousness. You can’t beat the combination of chocolate {especially dark chocolate} dried cranberries and coconut together in a baked good.
These Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars are different from your typical cookie bar in that they are made with applesauce, banana and Madhava Organic Pure and Raw Honey .
The applesauce and banana help create a chewy, soft texture to the cookie bars, along with the honey and coconut sugar bringing a hint of natural sweetness.
The pure and raw organic honey is from Mahava Natural Sweeteners.
If you have never heard of them it was started in 1973 by Bart Utley and Craig Gerbore who had a vision of sustainable natural sweeteners.
Over the years the company has grown from its humble beginnings of just two beehives in Boulder Canyon and has since become a recognized and trusted innovator in the sweetener category, dedicated to providing healthy alternatives to highly processed, refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Today, Madhava offers its beloved organic honey and organic agave along with an expanded portfolio of better-for-you sweet treats.
I really like their Organic Pure & Raw Honey which is from Brazilian bees.
They travel all the way to the wildflower fields of Brazil to work with local farmers to harvest gold nectar. To maintain its raw natural pollens and pure unfiltered flavor, they heat it just enough to pour into the jar. Just the way the bees intended, sweet!
After I baked the cookie bars I also drizzled some of the honey over top of the bars. The perfect finishing touch!
With the holidays nearing I know a lot of you are looking for treats, snack, desserts and gifts for family and friends. These Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars would be perfect.
You can easily make these cookie bars a few days ahead of a holiday party and wow your guests with a tray of them. Or make a double batch of these bars and wrap them in cute gift bags for your kids teachers.
These bars are freezer friendly and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Once you are ready to serve them just put them in the fridge overnight and you have a treat ready and waiting.
OTHER CRANBERRY RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
WARM BRIE CRANBERRY NAAN
HAM CHEESE AND CRANBERRY ROLLUPS
OVERNIGHT EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST BAKE WITH CRANBERRY MAPLE SYRUP
CRANBERRY BLISS BARS
Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Cranberry Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars are packed with chocolate, dried cranberries, coconut and oatmeal and baked into a chewy cookie bar. The banana, applesauce and honey add a nice natural sweetness to the bars. These bars are a nice snack, dessert or holiday treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups quick cook oatmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar {you can substitute brown sugar equally for this}
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon Madhava Organic Pure and Raw Honey
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut {you can use unsweetened}
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips, separated {1/2 cup will go into the cookie bars, 1/4 cup will go on top}
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a small amount hanging over the sides. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer to beat together the butter and coconut sugar until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, banana, applesauce and honey and continue to beat until everything is combined.
- Slowly mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat together slowly until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer if using a stand mixer and stir in the shredded coconut, dried cranberries and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Spoon the cookie bar mixture into the baking pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips {and maybe a little more coconut if you want}.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes turning the pan half way through baking, until the cookie bars set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for an hour. Before serving drizzle a small amount of the honey over the bars {optional}. Cut into squares and serve.
- These bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a little over a week. I have also wrapped them individually in aluminum foil, placed them in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer. When you are ready to eat remove from the freezer and leave in the refrigerator overnight to thaw out.
Notes
I like my bars on the chewy side so I tend to bake them towards the 25 minute mark but if you like yours less chewy then you will want to bake for 30 or maybe even 35 minutes. Make sure that if you do bake them for longer you loosely place aluminum foil over the pan after 20 minutes to prevent too much browning.
These bars are very customizable and you can easily add things like pecans, walnuts, a different kind of chocolate or even remove something like the dried cranberries and add something different in its place. I love making bars like these because of how customizable they are.
To get the swirl effect on top of the bars I took the back of a spoon and swirled the hot chocolate chips on top of the bars.
Try using dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet!
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[…] CRANBERRY COCNUT OATMEAL COOKIE BARS […]
Medha @ WhIsk & Shout
Friday 4th of December 2015
Cookies in bar form are so delicious and HALF the work of drop cookies, in my opinion! Always a win :) Love the oatmeal!
Julia
Saturday 5th of December 2015
Yes they sure are!! You just make it, put it in the pan and throw it in the oven. So easy!
Joanie @ Zagleft
Friday 4th of December 2015
These cookie bars look so moist and chewy. I just bought a bag of coconut sugar last week and am experimenting with it. I''m dying to try these bars, I know my kids will love them.
Julia
Friday 4th of December 2015
My kids love them! It can be a bit of a problem so I have to hide them. ;) But yes they are really moist and chewy which I love. Sometimes I find cookie bars to not be chewy so I was glad these turned out on the chewy side!
Danae @ Recipe Runner
Friday 4th of December 2015
Oatmeal cookies are probably my favorite kind of cookie! I love that you turned these into bars and added the cranberries and coconut. I would probably eat the whole pan in one day!
Julia
Friday 4th of December 2015
I was very tempted to eat the whole pan. I had to freeze some just so I wouldn't eat them! Haha. No will-power over here.
Lauren @ Wicked Spatula
Friday 4th of December 2015
Um YUM! These look so delicious! Isn't that honey the best?!
Julia
Friday 4th of December 2015
It is the best! I have a few jars to use and I am so excited. My kids use honey a lot-peanut butter sandwiches with honey, in their oatmeal so I am always on the lookout for a good brand like this. Thanks Lauren.