Cranberry Bliss Bars

These cranberry bliss bars are a homemade version of the popular Starbucks treat that many know and love! Full of flavor and come together easily– these will be a favorite!

Table of Contents

• Here’s Why You’ll Love These Bars
• Grab These Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Photos: How To Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
• 2 Important Success Tips
• FAQ
• More Bar Recipes To Try

Starbucks fans are you ready for this? The recipe that many know and love– soft and chewy blondie based studded with white chocolate chips and cranberries, topped with a zesty orange cream cheese frosting. These cranberry bliss bars deserve to be eaten year around!

Here’s Why You’ll Love These Bars

• A copycat of the beloved Starbucks recipe
• Soft in the center, crisp around the edges
• Makes a large batch to serve a crowd
• No dough chilling, no rolling, and no cut outs needed– a no fuss dessert recipe!
• Topped with a thick layer of frosting

Grab These Ingredients

• Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this recipe providing enough structure and sturdiness for the cookies.
• Butter: Like most of my cookie recipes, I recommend unsalted butter that way you have more control over the salt.
• Sugars: Both brown sugar are used in this recipe– brown sugar to sweeten and keep the cookies soft (while adding flavor) and powdered sugar in the frosting.
• Eggs: You need 2 large eggs to bind everything together, add richness, and help create a chewy texture– a trick I often use in many cookies and bars!
• Baking Powder: Give the bars a lift while they bake.
• Vanilla: Added for flavor.
• Ginger, Cinnamon & Salt: Each added for flavor.
• Orange Zest: Adds brightness and flavor (just like in this orange creamsicle cake).
• Cream Cheese: Adds wonderful tang to the frosting. Make sure you use block cream cheese, not the one in the container.
• Chocolate: The white chocolate is the star here so you want quality chocolate chips for in the cookies and the frosting.
• Cranberries: Tart dried cranberries are added into the cookies and sprinkled over the bars.

Step-by-Step Photos: How To Make Cranberry Bliss Bars

Step 1: Combine the butter and brown sugar together until combined.

Step 2: Stir in the remaining wet ingredients until combined.

Step 3: Mix in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and orange zest.

Step 4: Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Step 5: Spread evenly into a 9×13-inch baking pan and bake until the edges are golden brown.

Step 6: Once the bars have cooled completely, spread the frosting over the top. Sprinkle the cranberries on top with a drizzle of white chocolate.

2 Important Success Tips

• Press the Dough into the Baking Pan: In order for the bars to bake evenly, press the cookie dough into an even layer into the baking pan. As best you can, smooth out the top.
• Cool Completely: Before adding the frosting, make sure the bars are completely cooled otherwise the frosting will melt off the bars.

FAQ

More Bar Recipes To Try

• Millionaire’s Shortbread
• Peanut Butter Blondies
• Chocolate Chip Blondies
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

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Cranberry Bliss Bars

Servings: 24 bars

Prep Time: 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

These cranberry bliss bars are a homemade version of the popular Starbucks treat that many know and love! Full of flavor and come together easily– these will be a favorite!

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Ingredients

Blondie Layer:

• ▢ 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g), cut into pieces
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (280g)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (335g)
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (9g)
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cranberries (63g)
• ▢ 1 cup white chocolate chips (156g)

Frosting Layer

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar (126g)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup white chocolate chips (156g), melted
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cranberries (63g), chopped
• ▢ optional: 1-2 teaspoons orange juice

Instructions

 

• Start with the blondie layer: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until melted. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Then, stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and orange zest. Finally, fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
• Spread the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out *mostly* clean. Let cool completely. (To speed this up, you can place in the refrigerator after 10 minutes to finish cooling).
• To make the frosting: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth on medium-high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and add the powdered sugar, scraping the bottom and sides as needed, until fully combined. Add the vanilla, orange juice (if using), orange zest, and salt, and beat together until combined. Slowly add half of the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled blondies and sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate. Cut into 12 bars, then cut each square into triangles.
• Leftover bars stay fresh, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: The frosting can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to soften at room temperature for about 20 minutes before stirring and spreading over the bars. The bars (unfrosted) can be made up to 3-4 days in advance.
2. Freezing Instructions: The unfrosted or frosted bars an be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the bars to cool completely before storing.

Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 90mg, Potassium: 96mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 329IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

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