Cranberry Bliss Bars (Starbucks Copycat)
Cranberry Bliss Bars are white chocolate and cranberry blondie topped with sweet cream cheese icing, dried cranberries, and a drizzle of white chocolate.
Why You’ll Love These
These Cranberry Bliss Bars are a perfect copycat for the popular Starbucks seasonal treat!
- This homemade version is spot on! Taste just like Starbucks cranberry bliss bars and you can make them anytime the craving hits.
- These are so simple to make. Just bake a pan of blondies and top it with icing!
- Saves you money.
- They also make great gifts for sharing with friends and family during the holiday season.
Recipe Ingredients
For the bars:
- Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter for my baking. If you are using salted butter lower the salt in the recipe.
- Dark brown sugar – Or light brown sugar. I just prefer dark brown sugar for extra flavor.
- Orange extract – Or you can use fresh orange zest, about 1 teaspoon.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a boost of flavor.
- Eggs – Room temperature eggs incorporate better.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder – Gives a lift to the brownies.
- Ground ginger – We use this instead of candied ginger.
- Kosher salt – Salt brings out the flavor.
- White chocolate chips – For that extra sweetness.
- Dried cranberries – They add a tart little zip to these blondie cookie bars.
For the Topping:
- Cream cheese – Who doesn’t love a tangy cream cheese frosting?
- Powdered sugar – Gives sweetness and body to the topping.
- Salt – Enhances the flavors.
- Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the topping.
- Orange extract – Or about 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest.
- Dried cranberries, white chocolate chips – For the garnish and chocolate drizzle.
Tips
- Always measure the flour properly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
- Line your pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang to use as handles. This makes it much easier to remove the bars from the pan. Use clips to hold the paper out of your way, but be sure to remove them before baking.
- Use the orange extract it adds it brings out that holiday flavor in these bars. Or you can use fresh orange juice and zest.
- You can use almond bark in place of the white chocolate chips for the drizzle over the bars.
How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper leaving overhang handles to lift the bars out easily.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat the melted butter with the dark brown sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and orange extract and beat until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients and blend just until combined.
Stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Spread the blondie batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and it’s golden brown on the edges. Don’t overbake, they will become hard.
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using the parchment paper overhang lift the bars carefully out of the pan and to a cutting board.
For the topping beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pinch of salt together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and orange extract.
Spread the cream cheese frosting over the bars evenly. Sprinkle with the chopped dried cranberries.
Melt the white chocolate and drizzle with a fork over the bars. Or you can place it in a ziplock bag, snip a small hole in one corner, and drizzle it over the bars.
To melt the chocolate chips I just microwave them in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth.
How to Cut Cranberry Bliss Bars
Cut two lengthwise strips. Then slice horizontally three times, then slice each square crosswise into triangles. Or you can just cut it into squares.
I personally think this recipe is way tastier than the Starbucks version. Plus it’s cheaper to make them at home and you can eat as many as you like! No one will know, right?
Yes, although I have never tested this version just switch out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour.
Once the chocolate is completely set, place them in an air-tight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, make them as instructed. Slice them and freeze them in a single layer for at least two hours. Place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More Delicious Holiday Dessert Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Creamy Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Peppermint Fudge
- Fig Tart
Cranberry Bliss Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups Dark brown sugar packed
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Orange extract
- 1 cup White chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Dried cranberries
Topping
- 8 oz Cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Orange extract
- 1/3 cup Dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup White chocolate chips melted
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper leaving overhang handles to lift the bars out easily.
- In a medium-size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the melted butter with the dark brown sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and orange extract and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and blend just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and golden on the edges. Don’t overbake, they will become hard.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pinch of salt together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and orange extract.
- Spread over the bars evenly. Sprinkle with the chopped dried cranberries.
- Melt the white chocolate and drizzle with a fork over the bars. Or you can place it in a ziplock bag, snip a small hole in one corner, and drizzle over the bars.