Cranberry Bliss Bars are a copycat version of the bars you find at Starbucks. These bars are festive, sweet and the perfect holiday treat. The bars mix together white chocolate with dried cranberries and are topped with a cream cheese frosting. These would be great in holiday gift tins too!
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CRANBERRY BLISS BARS
If you frequent Starbucks at all you might have tried their Cranberry Bliss Bars.
They are so good and pretty easy to make at home! I think they taste a lot like the starbucks version but you control the ingredients in this homemade version.
If you like Starbucks give this White Chocolate Frappuccino a try.
If you were to ask me what my top five favorites foods are, tart cranberries would be one of them.
You might remember the other day when I shared this Cranberry Wine Spritzer with you guys. I must have cranberries on the brain lately.
My family thinks its funny how much I love cranberries.
I think you are either a lover or a hater when it comes to those tart, sweet beauties. At the holidays I make at least ten batches of homemade Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe.
These frosted bars have a chewy texture and they are festive and a great gift to add to holiday season tins or serve your guests at your holiday table.
You will especially love the cream cheese frosting mixed with white chocolate on these starbuck’s cranberry bliss bars. The perfect holiday treat if you ask me!
Recipe Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients: The dry ingredients in this recipe are the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, white sugar and brown sugar.
- Butter: I suggest using unsalted butter to control the salt in the recipe.
- Eggs: This recipe uses 2 large eggs
- White Chocolate Chips: The bars use white chocolate chips or chunks of white chocolate. The cream cheese frosting uses white baking chocolate as a part of the frosting. I love white chocolate actually more than regular chocolate. Some people would call me crazy! If you are a lover of white chocolate you also need to try these White Chocolate Toasted Coconut Cookies or these Oatmeal White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
- Dried Cranberries: The dried cranberries are also both in the bars and in the frosting. I love the sweet flavor they add to these bars. If you like dried cranberries you also need to try these Almond Energy Bites or this Coconut Cranberry Chia Seed Granola.
- Cream Cheese: The frosting is made with cream cheese and is the best part in my opinion. It is the perfect match for the bars.
- Powdered Sugar: Confectioners sugar {powdered sugar} is used to cream the cream cheese frosting.
How Do You Make These Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
1. Mix Together Dry Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 13×9 -inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium-size bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Mix Together Wet Ingredients: In separate bowl mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in 2 batches, until the batter is well mixed.
4. Mix in Chocolate Chips and Cranberries: Fold in the white chips and the dried cranberries and mix well.
5. Spread the Batter: Spread the batter onto the baking pan in an even layer and press down with the back of a spatula to even out the batter.
6. Bake the Bars: Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely.
7. Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese frosting; in a large bowl beat with a hand mixer the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended.
8. Frost the Bars: Frost the (cooled down) bars with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries on top. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.
9. Cut the Bars: When the white chocolate cools down and sets, cut into 9 large squares, then cut easy square diagonally to create triangles.
Can You Make This Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes, and in order to do so all you have to do is swap the all purpose flour to a gluten free baking flour mix. I would recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-1 baking flour.
How Do You Store Bliss Bars?
Once the bars are sliced, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars?
Yes you can. Prepare them and slice as directed and then place the bars in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.
Then cover tightly in a container with plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw the bars in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Other Cranberry Recipes You Might Like:
WARM BRIE CRANBERRY NAAN
HAM CHEESE AND CRANBERRY ROLLUPS
OVERNIGHT EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST BAKE WITH CRANBERRY MAPLE SYRUP
CRANBERRY COCNUT OATMEAL COOKIE BARS
CRANBERRY APEROL SPRITZ
EASY CRANBERRY BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS
HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Cranberry Bliss Bars are a copycat version of the bars you find at Starbucks. These bars are festive, sweet and the perfect holiday treat. The bars mix together white chocolate with dried cranberries and are topped with a cream cheese frosting. These would be great in holiday gift tins too!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- ⅔ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup {9 ounces} cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar {powdered sugar}
- 1/3 cup white baking chocolate, melted
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 13x9 -inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a medium-size bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In another bowl mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones in 2 batches, until the batter is well mixed.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and the dried cranberries and mix well.
- Spread the batter onto the baking pan and press down with the back of a spatula to even out the batter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese frosting; in a large bowl beat with a hand mixer the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended.
- Frost the (cooled down) bars with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries on top. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.
- When the white chocolate cools down and sets, cut into 9 large squares, then cut easy square diagonally to create triangles.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- To melt the white chocolate, place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds and stir, then for another 10 second and stir until the chocolate is nice and melted. Be very careful as white chocolate burns and melts faster than milk or dark chocolate.
- Don’t overbake the batter. Even a few more minutes of baking time will result in a crumbly, dried out bar.
- Add some orange zest to the cream cheese frosting and/or to the batter. It’s totally optional but it will elevate your frosting and the subtle hints of citrus work wonders in this recipe. Not only that but orange and cranberries are a match made in heaven.
