Change up your holiday desserts with these Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. These sweet oatmeal bars will become one of your new favorite desserts.
The other day, my daughter and I went Christmas shopping for some of our nieces and nephews. Buying little clothes and toys is so much fun for those little kids! The only thing more fun would be if we could be there in person to watch them open them. But alas, this year, we are staying put on Christmas day. Last year, we were in the process of moving states, so the holidays were a blur of madness!
As we came out of the store, I had to stop and think about where I parked the car because these days, my short-term memory is not what it used to be. Seriously! It doesn't matter if I'm in the store for 5 minutes or 50 minutes because either way, I'm going to forget where the car is. Is this what it feels like to get older? My knees are already all creaky and sore in the morning. I don't know if I can handle the forgetfulness, too!
Our daughter just gave me that look. She has definitely perfected that teenage look over the past two years. It was kind of funny to see her look at me like I was crazy for losing the car. I'm cool with it, though. There are plenty of quirks that our kids give us grief for these days.
These sweet oatmeal bars were another thing that got some looks from the kiddos. They are used to me making peanut butter bars with lots of chocolate chips in them. So, a cookie with cranberries was a new surprise for them. I think one of them said raisins and cranberries were for old people.
The cranberries really worked well, so they better get used to more old-lady treats. Of course, with my memory, I will probably forget about adding cranberries to something else.
I decided to change up those regular oatmeal bars by adding apple butter and dried cranberries to the mixture. A layer of sweet apple butter frosting with cinnamon sugar was the perfect way to finish these bars.
The sweet hint of apple butter mixed with the tart cranberries was a welcome change to all the chocolate and peppermint treats I have been making lately. One of the parents who came to the youth group Christmas party loved these frosted cranberry apple butter bars so much that she requested a pan to share with her family.
It's time to make two more pans of apple butter goodness—one for my friend's family and one for me. I couldn't get the kids to take one bite of these bars. The cranberries threw them off! Oh well, that means more sweet treats for me this week.
More Apple Butter Recipes
- Brown Butter Glazed Bundt Cake
- Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers
- Apple Butter Rummy Pecan Ice Cream
- The Best Apple Butter Bread
Recipe
Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars
Change up your holiday desserts with these Apple Butter Oatmeal Bars. A layer of frosting and cinnamon sugar gives these fall bars a sweet flavor.
Ingredients
For the Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup apple butter
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons apple butter
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream
- cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Beat the butter, shortening, and sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and apple butter and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Slowly add to the butter mixture until everything is mixed in.
- Stir in the cranberries by hand. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 24-25 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Remove and let cool completely.
- Beat the butter until creamy. Add the apple butter and salt and beat again.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all mixed in. Add the whipping cream and beat on high for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled bars and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
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