These homemade copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars are even more delicious than the Starbucks version! They have a chewy, thick blondie base studded with white chocolate chips and cranberries, and a tangy cream cheese frosting. The perfect holiday treat – and they're easy to make!
This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are our own.
Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars...but make it at home (and even better!)
Like most younger millennials, Starbucks was a pretty big part of my childhood. And there's no treat I loved more than their Cranberry Bliss Bar. Frappucino? No thanks. But one of these bad boys? Heaven.
I don't go to Starbucks much anymore, and I also firmly believe that anything you can buy at big box retail, you can definitely make better at home. That's why we started our Better Than Store-Bought series!
These bliss bars are no exception. The white chocolate cranberry blondie is rich, dense, and just how a good blondie should be, but it's the cream cheese frosting that really makes these...well...blissful. (Sorry! It's true!)
Ours are better than the original in more ways than one: more cranberry, less cloying sweetness, and you can make a whole 9x13 pan for less than the price of a few from the store. (While we're bashing Starbucks, consider this my PSA to skip the store-bought PSL and make your own way better pumpkin spice syrup for lattes at home.)
Serving these at a holiday party? They're great alongside a Cranberry Gin Cocktail.
Jump to:
Key Ingredients Needed for Cranberry Bliss Bars
For the bars
- Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour: This is the flour we use for all of our baking recipes! We absolutely love Bob's Red Mill baking products and have been using them for years. We haven't tried this specific recipe with their gluten free 1:1 flour, but it's always our favorite GF flour to use!
- Butter: Unsalted is best here. No need to leave it out to soften – you'll be melting it for this recipe.
- Orange zest: Optional, but adds a lot of flavor! (Now that I'm writing it, I really don't think it's that optional. I promise it makes all the difference in flavor!) You can also add in a dash of orange extract if you have any.
- Ground ginger: If you don't have any, it's totally fine to leave it out. (This one is actually ok to omit. It just adds a little extra warm spice depth.)
- Dried cranberries: No sugar added dried cranberries or regular dried cranberries work fine here. I prefer no sugar added when I can find them since these already have a lot of sugar.
How to Bake Cranberry Bliss Bars
Make the blondie batter
Melt the butter, then add it to a bowl and whisk with brown sugar. Whisk in the eggs, orange zest and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, then add to the wet, mixing just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate and cranberries.
Bake the bars at 350˚F
Spread the dough into a parchment-lined 9x13" baking dish in an even layer and bake for 22-24 mins, until light golden brown around the edges.
Top with frosting and make them pretty!
Beat cream cheese for a minute, then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Spread the frosting on the cooled bars, then top with chopped cranberries and drizzle with white chocolate.
To slice: start by slicing the rectangle in half lengthwise. From there, cut each long rectangle into 4 evenly sized rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half along the diagonal to form triangles. Two pro tips: 1: Refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes before slicing, and 2: Wipe your knife clean between cuts!
Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!
- Don't over-bake. The bars should still look fairly pale on top and only lightly golden at the edges when you pull them. They firm up as they cool, and a few extra minutes in the oven is the difference between chewy and dry.
- Cool completely before frosting, or the cream cheese frosting will slide right off.
- Powdered sugar is a preference. We prefer 1 ½ cups for a less-sweet frosting, but it will mean a thinner frosting than the one you get at Starbucks. Add more powdered sugar, two tablespoon at a time, if you want it thicker and closer to the store version.
- Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for about an hour. Cold cream cheese gives you lumpy frosting.
- Chop the topping cranberries smaller than the ones in the batter so they scatter evenly over the frosting.
Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing
- Storage: Because of the cream cheese, you'll need to keep these stored in the refrigerator – they'll last 5 days in an airtight container. If you don't top with frosting, an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week will work.
Can You Make Cranberry Bliss Bars Ahead of Time?
Yes, and they're a great make-ahead holiday dessert. Bake and cool the blondie base up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered at room temperature, then frost the day you're serving.
Can You Freeze Cranberry Bliss Bars?
For best results, freeze the unfrosted blondie base for up to 3 months, well wrapped, then thaw at room temperature and frost before serving. You technically can freeze cream cheese frosting, but there's a possibility the texture might be negatively affected, so I prefer to frost after.
More Holiday Desserts to Bake
Tried this recipe?
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Recipe
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add butter to a small pot and melt over low heat. Whisk together brown sugar and melted butter in a large bowl.
- Add in the eggs, orange zest and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the ginger, baking powder, salt and flour. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined, then stir in the white chocolate and cranberries.
- Spread the dough into the prepared pan in an even layer and bake for 22-24 mins, until light golden brown around the edges. (Don’t over-bake! They should still be fairly pale on top.)
- Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar as desired for consistency – I like mine with 1 ½ cups, but it will be a little thinner than the Starbucks version.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled bars, then top with chopped cranberries and drizzle with white chocolate. Slice into triangles and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.
Jack says
A big hit with the family. Much more flavorful than the ones from Starbucks.
Lexi says
Yay love to hear that!
Jeff says
Why is the metric measurement for flour in cups?
Diane Miller says
Can these bars be frozen?
Stephanie Schehr says
Can you supplement the regular flour for gluten free?
Lexi says
That should work fine here.
Misty Mitra says
Would be helpful if you kindly share the alternative of eggs in this recipe? I am allergic to eggs.
Lexi says
Hello! Often, flax eggs can be used in place of regular egg, but I'm not sure if it would work very well in this recipe. You can read more about how to make flax eggs here: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/a-guide-to-flax-eggs/
Beth says
Hoping you will tell me that I can use fresh cranberries. Thank you for recipe!
Lexi says
Unfortunately I don't think fresh would be well suited for this recipe!
Kathy Turner says
What size pan does one use?
Lexi says
Hello Kathy! As noted in the recipe, we use a 9x13" baking dish.
teresa says
When I opt for Metric weights for ingredients, the flour does not "shift" it remains as a volume measurement. Just a heads up!
Eileen deCamp says
Hello,
These Cranberry Bliss Bars were amazing! I made them for a cookie exchange. I know they will be a hit! I will definitely make these again!
Thank you,
Eileen
Lexi says
Thanks so much, Eileen! So glad you enjoyed.