Now that it’s officially pumpkin baking season you’re bound to be inundated with all things pumpkin. I’m not one to discriminate so instead of telling you that this one is better just add it to the long list of delicious pumpkin baked goods.
What I will say about these pumpkin bars is that they are versatile.
They’re sweet enough that you could eat them for dessert but not so sweet that you couldn’t eat them for breakfast and feel guilty.
Most pumpkin bars that I run across either have chocolate chips or some sort of cream cheese frosting. Both great options. Both delicious.
But what I think makes these pumpkin bars special is their unique partner in crime – cranberries.
I tend to overlook cranberry as a fall flavor and lump in more in the winter holiday category. But why? Not only do fresh cranberries start showing up in grocery stores about now but the tartness or the cranberry really jives with the sweet pumpkin spices.
It’s a match made in heaven.
And no one says you can’t make it a menage by throwing in some chocolate chips.
Cranberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Prehead oven to 350 and prepare 9×13 pan by either lining with parchment paper or greasing and flouring.
- In a large mixing bowl cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, pumpkin, and buttermilk. Mix well after each addition.
- In separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Stir in cranberries.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and cook 20-25 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed.
- Cool and then cut into bars.
