Ingredients
- 180 g rolled oats
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 170 g unsalted butter, melted
- 160 ml Québec maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp orange juice
Method
- Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt; stir in butter, 120 ml maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Press two-thirds of the mixture into a lined 20 cm square pan.
- Cook cranberries with the remaining maple syrup, orange zest, and juice for 5 minutes.
- Spread the fruit over the base and crumble the remaining oat mixture on top.
- Bake at 175 °C for 30–35 minutes; cool before cutting.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g brown sugar in the oat mixture and 100 g white sugar in the cranberry filling
Conversion used: Use 160 ml maple syrup in place of 250 g combined sugars; reserve 40 ml for the fruit and reduce any other filling liquid. Bake at 175 °C instead of 190 °C, a 15 °C reduction.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple softens cranberries' sharpness with caramel depth and complements orange zest. Oats, cranberries, and maple create a distinctly northern winter profile.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →