Cranberry Caramel Date Bars

Hold on to your seats, friends.

Did I get your attention yet?

I sure hope so. Because this is one seriously epic recipe.

Cranberry Caramel Date Bars

makes about 40 small bars

Ingredients:

• 1 C fresh cranberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 C whole wheat pastry flour, plus 1/3 C (separate)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 C old fashioned oats
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/3 C brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 C butter, melted
• 1 (10 oz.) package chopped dates
• 3/4 C pecans, chopped
• One 12 oz. jar of caramel sauce

Instructions:

1) Turn on music and put on a cute apron. Both of these things make baking more awesome. Also, preheat your oven to 350. 🙂

2) Assemble your army.

3) Wash cranberries, stir together with 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

4) Into a large bowl, measure out 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour (or white flour — do NOT use regular whole wheat flour — it will be a dense disaster)!

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda:

2 cups of oats: 

1/3 cup of regular sugar:

And 1/3 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed. Put some muscle into it!

Look, it’s a brown sugar sandcastle! 🙂

Stir the flour/oats/sugar mixture together.

5) Place 2 sticks of butter in a pan (or in a bowl in the microwave) and heat until it melts. Yes, this is a lot of butter. Sometimes it’s worth it. This is one of those times.

6) Go on a cheesy photo rampage because you’re waiting for the butter to melt.

I like stirring. No big deal.

7) The butter has melted! Stir it into your flour/oats/sugar mixture.

Mmmm… hot butter.

When the mixture gets crumbly, you’re done stirring.

Take out 1 cup of the mixture and save it for later. Do not eat it. I’m watching you.

8) Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased or sprayed 9×13 inch baking dish.

9) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

10) When it’s done, take it out of the oven and sprinkle it with fun things. First, the chopped dates:

Next, the chopped pecans: 

And then, finally — the secret weapon. The cranberry/sugar mixture!

Gorgeous, right?!

I want to dive headfirst into this photo. 

Drool. Where we were? Ah, yes…

11) Stir together the caramel sauce and the remaining 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour. You may want to heat the mixture a bit in the microwave (just 15 to 20 seconds) so it gets nice and runny.

Then, drizzle the caramel/flour mixture over everything!

Omg. Were you drooling yet? Because if you weren’t, this photo might send you over the edge:

Nommmmm. Try to get a solid layer of caramel over everything — it’s what will make the bars stick together!

11) Last step — sprinkle everything with the 1 cup of flour/sugar/butter mixture that you reserved earlier on. Remember that? You better not have eaten it.

12) Put your masterpiece back into the oven and bake 20 more minutes, or until lightly browned.

Finally. Deliciousness is mine!!

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Cranberry Caramel Date Bars

May 5, 2019 by Anne

These cranberry caramel bars are perfectly sweet, ooey gooey, and so delicious! They're a fabulous holiday dessert and will disappear fast.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Yield

makes about 40 small bars

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Ingredients:

• 1 C fresh cranberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 C whole wheat pastry flour, plus 1/3 C (separate)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 C old fashioned oats
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/3 C brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 C butter, melted
• 1 (10 oz.) package chopped dates
• 3/4 C pecans, chopped
• One 12 oz. jar of caramel sauce

Instructions:

1. Turn on music and put on a cute apron. Both of these things make baking more awesome. Also, preheat your oven to 350. 🙂
2. Assemble your army.
3. Wash cranberries, stir together with 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Into a large bowl, measure out 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour (or white flour — do NOT use regular whole wheat flour — it will be a dense disaster)! Add in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 cups of oats, 1/3 cup of regular sugar. And 1/3 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed. Put some muscle into it! Stir the flour/oats/sugar mixture together
5. Place 2 sticks of butter in a pan (or in a bowl in the microwave) and heat until it melts. Yes, this is a lot of butter. Sometimes it’s worth it. This is one of those times.
6. Go on a cheesy photo rampage because you’re waiting for the butter to melt.
7. The butter has melted! Stir it into your flour/oats/sugar mixture. When the mixture gets crumbly, you’re done stirring. Take out 1 cup of the mixture and save it for later.
8. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased or sprayed 9x13 inch baking dish.
9. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
10. When it’s done, take it out of the oven and sprinkle it with fun things. First, the chopped dates. Next, the chopped pecans. And then, finally — the secret weapon. The cranberry/sugar mixture!
11. Stir together the caramel sauce and the remaining 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour. You may want to heat the mixture a bit in the microwave (just 15 to 20 seconds) so it gets nice and runny.Then, drizzle the caramel/flour mixture over everything! Try to get a solid layer of caramel over everything — it’s what will make the bars stick together!
12. Last step — sprinkle everything with the 1 cup of flour/sugar/butter mixture that you reserved earlier on. Remember that? You better not have eaten it.
13. Put your masterpiece back into the oven and bake 20 more minutes, or until lightly browned. Sample some immediately, burning your mouth in the process, and then let the rest of the mixture cool for awhile before cutting it into bars

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Share with friends and loved ones — but don’t forget to save some for yourself! 🙂

Cranberry Caramel Date Bars

makes about 40 small bars

~ ~ ~

Stir together cranberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine 2 cups flour and next four ingredients; stir in melted butter until crumbly.
Reserve one cup of this mixture. Press remaining mixture into bottom of a lightly
greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with
dates, pecans and cranberry mixture. Stir together caramel sauce and remaining 1/3
cup flour; spoon over cranberries. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup flour/butter/sugar mixture. Bake 20 more minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.

~ ~ ~

This is my entry for Foodbuzz’s Project Food Blog Challenge #4: The picture perfect recipe. Voting opens Monday and as always, I am forever grateful for your votes!

My mom has been making these bars for decades and my family has always loved them. I searched online and found a number of variations, but no original source. If credit is due, please let me know! I decreased the amount of sugar, and subbed whole wheat pastry flour for white all-purpose flour, but otherwise left it unchanged.