Cranberry Bliss Bars

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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.

Cranberry bliss bar triangles on a white platter.


 

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.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for cranberry bliss bars.

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:

  1. 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.
A baking pan with an aluminum foil sling next to two bowls with dry ingredients.
  1. 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.
A skillet with a brown liquid and a whisk.
  1. 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.
Cranberry bliss bar batter in a silver saucepan.
  1. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Cranberry bliss bar batter in a pan before being baked.
  1. 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.
Cranberry bliss bars in a pan after being baked.

To make the icing:

  1. In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl by hand, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Making cream cheese frosting in a mixer.
  1. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well.
Making cream cheese frosting in a mixer.
  1. Spread a thick layer evenly over cooled cranberry bars.
Cranberry bliss bars being frosted on a cooling rack.
  1. Cut into 8 triangles.
Cranberry bliss bar triangles on a wooden cutting board.
  1. 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.
Cranberry bliss bar triangles being frosted on a wooden cutting board.
  1. 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.
Cranberry bliss bar triangles cooling rack.

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.
Cranberry bliss bar triangles on a white platter.

Recipe FAQs

I followed the instructions, but these bar cookies look underbaked. What’s wrong?

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.

What other frostings could I use on Cranberry Bliss Bars?

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.

1 hour
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Cranberry bliss bars on a white platter.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

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.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 bars
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 911
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients 

To make the bars:

To make the icing:

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 16 (2-inch x 2-inch) bars.
  5. Storage: Once cool, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

Serving: 1barCalories: 911kcalCarbohydrates: 145gProtein: 5gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 334mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 1gSugar: 130gVitamin A: 759IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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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.

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Comments

    1. 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