Cranberry Oatmeal Yogurt Bars Recipe

With or without the chocolate drizzle, these Cranberry Oatmeal Yogurt Bars make a wonderful holiday dessert or a healthy afternoon snack. Thanks to Green Valley Organics for sponsoring this post and helping me to share this recipe with you.

You know when you decide to make a light dessert bar recipe, but are convinced that they are going to turn out dry and crumbly? These oatmeal yogurt bars blew that theory out of the water! In fact, the first thing my husband said when he tried one was, “They’re so moist!”

The dried cranberries add great flavor and texture, and the drizzled chocolate makes them perfect for the holidays. That being said, these are just as good without the chocolate. In fact, we’ve all been snacking on these to curb the afternoon munchies. At only 91 calories a piece (112 calories with the chocolate) and a dose of calcium, fiber and protein, these satisfy without piling on the guilt.

The texture is similar to a snack cake, without the pounds of butter and sugar. Instead of butter or oil, I used coconut oil and I replaced traditional sugars with a smaller amount of agave nectar.

The Green Valley Organics yogurt that I used in this recipe is made with real dairy, but is gluten-free and lactose-free, so is a fantastic option for people with dietary restrictions. I used the plain yogurt for this recipe, but there are plenty of flavors to choose from. My favorites are the honey, blueberry and peach, and my kids love them, too.

There are so many reasons why I like serving Green Valley Organics products to my family. First of all, the products from Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hills Farms (their sister farm) are all organic. The people at both farms are clearly committed to doing everything in a way that is environmentally-conscious. They have a staunch commitment to recycling and the use of solar energy.

Besides being gluten- and lactose-free, all of the yogurts, kefirs, sour creams and cheeses are free of artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors and preservatives.

Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farm products can be found at Whole Food Markets and other health food and specialty stores. To learn more about the products, visit the sites or follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Note: To make this recipe truly lactose-free, it is necessary to use chocolate that does not contain lactose. There are a couple of options. Dark chocolates that are certified as “kosher pareve” are lactose-free. You can find kosher pareve chocolate chips at Whole Foods markets. In addition, dark chocolates that contain a higher percentage of cocoa are typically lactose-free. For example, the Lindt 70%, 85% and 99% do not contain lactose.

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in the yogurt, coconut oil (liquid), water, agave and vanilla extract.

Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Stir in the oats and dried cranberries until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Allow the bars to cool completely. Cut the bars into 24 pieces and remove from the pan.

Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-proof bowl and melt in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Serve.

Other treats with a healthy spin:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Cookies
Cookin’ Canuck’s No-Bake Carrot Cake Granola Bites (Low Sugar & Gluten-Free}
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Low-Sugar Gluten-Free Cranberry Apple Crisp
The Healthy Apple’s Holiday Cranberry & Peach Galette
Skinnytaste’s Mini Sweet Potato Meringue Pies

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Cranberry Oatmeal Yogurt Bars Recipe with Chocolate Drizzle

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com

Yields Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup liquid coconut oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (See note in post)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Whisk in the yogurt, coconut oil (liquid), water, agave and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the oats and dried cranberries until combined.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
8. Allow the bars to cool completely. Cut the bars into 24 pieces and remove from the pan.
9. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-proof bowl and melt in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds.
10. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Serve.

by From the kitchen of cookincanuck.com

Recipe Notes

Without chocolate drizzle: Calories 91.3 / Total Fat 3.0g / Saturated Fat 2.1g / Cholesterol 8.3mg / Sodium 55.8mg / Total Carbohydrates 14.8g / Fiber 1.7g / Sugars 5.8g / Protein 1.8g / WW (Old Points) 2 / WW (Points+) 2

With chocolate drizzle: Calories 112.1 / Total Fat 4.6g / Saturated Fat 3.1g / Cholesterol 8.3mg / Sodium 56.7mg / Total Carbohydrates 16.2g / Fiber 1.9g / Sugars 6.8g / Protein 2.1g / WW (Old Points) 2 / WW (Points+) 3

Dara's notes: