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This Starbucks copycat recipe combines everything you love about a blondie recipe with cream cheese frosting. White chocolate and dried cranberries elevate these bar cookies to irresistible territory.
Sure, you could make a stop at Starbucks for coffee and a pastry. Or you could save time and money by brewing a pot of java and whipping up one of my best Starbucks copycat recipes at home!
Try my Coffee Cake Muffins and Lemon Yogurt Cake to recreate other bakery menu favorites. And for quite possibly my favorite copycat recipe for dessert (or breakfast, no judgement!), try these Cranberry Bliss Bars.
This easy bar cookie recipes is designed with the winter holidays in mind, but I happen to think there’s no wrong time of year to bake, slice, and serve a batch of Cranberry Bliss Bars.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Dried cranberries: Also known as Craisins, look for these online, at your supermarket or in the bulk section at most natural food markets. Swap in any other chopped dried fruit, if desired. Figs, apricots, cherries, blueberries, or dates would also taste incredible here.
- White chocolate chips: If you can’t find a high-quality white chocolate chip, buy an equal weight in bar form and chop it into chunks with a sturdy chef’s knife.
- Orange zest: A spoonful of grated citrus zest adds a pleasant amount of zip to brighten up the frosting and keep these bars from ending up too sweet.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the bars:
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and coat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt together. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook about 1 minute longer; the mixture should bubble but not boil. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- To the cooled mixture, add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in dried cranberries and ¾ cup white chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until the center is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 25 to 35 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove from pan using foil sling.
To make the icing:
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl by hand, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well.
- Spread a thick layer evenly over cooled cranberry bars.
- Cut into 8 triangles.
- Melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted. Drizzle chocolate over each the bars.
- Top with dried cranberries and orange zest, and let stand until chocolate is firm. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 triangle or 16 (2-inch by 2-inch) bars.
- Storage: Once cool, cover and store these bar cookies in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze, wrap the cut-up Cranberry Bliss Bars tightly in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
This homemade Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe is designed to be soft and chewy. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool in the baking pan; patience is a virtue.
If cream cheese frosting isn’t your favorite, add a spoonful of grated orange zest to my Powdered Sugar Icing or Buttercream Frosting and spread one of those on top instead.
Blondies
Blondies are like a brownie without the chocolate: Sweet, golden, and buttery, these easy bars are made with just 6 simple ingredients.
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Cranberry Bliss Bars
Ingredients
To make the bars:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries plus more for topping (see note 1)
- 1 3/4 cup white chocolate chips divided (see note 2)
To make the icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest optional (see note 3)
Instructions
To make the bars:
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and coat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt together. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook about 1 minute longer; the mixture should bubble but not boil. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- To the cooled mixture, add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in dried cranberries and ¾ cup white chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the center is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 25 to 35 minutes. Do not over bake.
- Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove from pan using foil sling.
To make the icing:
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl by hand, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well. Spread a thick layer evenly over cooled cranberry bars. Cut into 8 triangles.
- Melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50% power until melted.
- Drizzle chocolate over each the bars, top with dried cranberries and orange zest, and let stand until chocolate is firm. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Dried cranberries: Also known as Craisins, look for these online, at your supermarket or in the bulk section at most natural food markets. Swap in any other chopped dried fruit, if desired. Figs, apricots, cherries, blueberries, or dates would also taste incredible here.
- White chocolate chips: If you can’t find a high-quality white chocolate chip, buy an equal weight in bar form and chop it into chunks with a sturdy chef’s knife.
- Orange zest: A spoonful of grated citrus zest adds a pleasant amount of zip to brighten up the frosting and keep these bars from ending up too sweet.
- Yield: This recipe makes 16 (2-inch x 2-inch) bars.
- Storage: Once cool, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze, wrap the cut-up Cranberry Bliss Bars tightly in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Don’t over-bake. Above all, a homemade Cranberry Bliss Bar should be soft and chewy. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool in the baking pan
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Do you freeze this Cranberry bliss bar with or without the frosting?
Hi Marilyn, you can freeze them with or without the frosting. If you plan to store them in the freezer long-term, I recommend freezing them without the frosting since the frosting’s texture and flavor could change. Either way, make sure they are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap before storing. I hope you love them! – Meggan