These Cranberry-Date Bars are thick, hearty and delicious, perfect for dessert, a snack, or as a breakfast bar.

I used fresh cranberries for this recipe, as I had them in-season. I washed and thoroughly dried the cranberries. For the dates, I didn’t use precut, crusty date bits, but freshly chopped up dates that I had purchased at Costco. I much prefer eating those–they are soft, pliable, and especially sweet.

The dates provide a beautiful counterbalance to the tart cranberries. They also act as glue to hold everything together.

The bright red filling makes these especially pretty for the holiday time, too.

PrintBready or Not Original: Cranberry-Date BarsThese thick and hearty fruit-filled bars are great as a dessert, snack, or breakfast bar!Course Breakfast, SnackCuisine AmericanKeyword bars, cranberries, datesAuthor Beth CatoEquipmentmedium saucepan9×13 panfoilnonstick sprayIngredients16 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries8 ounces chopped dates1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 cups all-purpose flour2 cups quick oats1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) meltedInstructionsPlace cranberries and dates in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the berries pop. Remove pan from heat to stir in vanilla. Set aside.Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.In a mixing bowl, place flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in butter and stir until it forms a crumbly mixture. Press about half into the prepared pan, compressing to form an even layer.Bake for 8 minutes. Pull pan from oven. Dollop cranberry-date mixture over top, gently spreading out to create a layer. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top. Put back in oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes; the top should be golden brown with the crumbs set in the middle.Cool to room temperature, speeding the process in the fridge, if desired. Use foil to lift contents from pan onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.OM NOM NOM!