Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Indulge in the irresistible fusion of rich chocolate and tangy cranberries with these decadent Chocolate Cranberry Bars. Perfectly layered with a buttery oat crust, a luscious chocolate filling, and a crumbly topping, these bars strike the ideal balance of sweet and tart. Featuring simple pantry ingredients like rolled oats, brown sugar, and dried cranberries, this recipe comes together in just 20 minutes of prep time. A touch of vanilla extract enhances the deep chocolate flavors, while the chewy cranberries add a delightful pop of texture. These bars are baked to golden perfection in under 30 minutes, making them an ideal treat for holiday gatherings, snack trays, or an anytime dessert. Serve them straight from the refrigerator for a cool, crisp bite or at room temperature to enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate layer. Perfect for sharing, this easy recipe yields 12 servings of pure bliss!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 0.75 cup brown sugar
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture forms a crumbly texture.
Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish to form the base layer.
Bake the base layer in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and semisweet chocolate chips. Stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and dried cranberries.
Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over the baked crust. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing it lightly into the surface.
Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Remove the dish from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. For faster cooling, you can place the pan in the refrigerator.
Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper edges. Cut into 12 squares or bars and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
5417 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 209.9 g | 269% | |
| Saturated Fat | 125.0 g | 625% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.3 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 321 mg | 107% | |
| Sodium | 1820 mg | 79% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 837.3 g | 304% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 47.2 g | 169% | |
| Total Sugars | 608.6 g | ||
| Protein | 88.3 g | 177% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.8 mcg | 4% | |
| Calcium | 1555 mg | 120% | |
| Iron | 26.0 mg | 144% | |
| Potassium | 3456 mg | 74% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
