This copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe is one of my favorites for the winter months.
A homemade cranberry shortbread bar that is topped with a cream cheese frosting, dried cranberries, and a drizzle of white chocolate.
This recipe is very similar to the Starbuck’s cranberry bliss bar.
Serve these up with a warm cup of coffee, as a mid-day treat or dessert for after dinner. You will love the tart and sweet in this bliss bar recipe.
You might also want to check out my cranberry and apple salad or cranberry zucchini bread. Both use cranberries as a stand-out flavor.
Reasons You Will Love This Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe
- Made from scratch dessert made with dried cranberries.
- Easy step-by-step directions for that perfect dessert to slice and serve.
- Similar flavor to Starbucks cranberry bars. This can be made for a fraction of the price compared to buying it premade.
- This is a great dessert for a potluck event, a gift to loved ones for the holidays, and more.
- Freezer-friendly dessert to keep on hand for when you get a sweet craving.
Ingredients Needed
Butter – I recommend using real butter for this recipe. If you use salted butter then omit the salt in the bar ingredients.
Sugar – You will use brown sugar to sweeten up the bars. I recommend using light brown sugar.
Egg – A room-temperature egg is going to blend really well with the ingredients.
Vanilla – Reach for vanilla extract for sweetening up the bars and cream cheese frosting.
Flour – Scoop the flour into a measuring cup and then level it off. Make sure to not add too much flour as it can cause the cookie bars to become dry.
Salt – Table salt is recommended for helping to enhance all the flavors of this cranberry bar.
Cranberries – Reach for dried cranberries for the bars and the topping for the bars!
White Chocolate – You will use white chocolate chips for the bars and for the drizzle on top.
Cream Cheese – I wanted to create a cream cheese frosting. Make sure the cream cheese is softened.
Powdered Sugar – Sift your powdered sugar before mixing up the frosting for an ultra-creamy texture.
How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
Full steps on how to make these cranberry bliss bars are in the printable recipe card.
This is a quick walk-through on how it is made.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep your pan.
Step 2: Then in a large bowl add your wet ingredients for bars and mix well.
Step 3: In another bowl add your dry ingredients. Toss to mix up the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Work the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together. Then fold in the chocolate chips and cranberries.
Step 5: Spread into the pan and bake as directed.
Step 6: Once bars are done and cooled spread with the homemade frosting, and then top with the rest of the cranberries and drizzle on melted white chocolate.
Go right ahead and make your bars a day ahead of time if you want. You will find they are best when eaten within the first two days of being made. As they will dry out a bit with each day.
Make sure to measure properly and use softened cream cheese that is at room temperature. If you find the frosting is a little thin add a bit extra powdered sugar to thicken it up a bit.
Fresh cranberries are very tart, so you might want to add extra sugar to sweeten them up. But I do recommend skipping the additional cranberries on top as the fresh cranberries would be too tart and sour. But you can for sure mix in to bars and bake if you prefer.
Tips for Success
Prep Oven and Pan
Make sure that you preheat the oven for 5-10 minutes before you place the bars in to bake.
As well as prepping your pan. You can spray with cooking spray or line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the pan.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Using room temperature ingredients helps the ingredients cream together easier.
If you don’t you will find sometimes it takes a bit longer to incorporate the ingredients.
Don’t Overmix
Make sure to not overmix the bars or they will become dense and heavy.
It is also important to not overbake or it can cause the bars to crumble and become dry.
Mixer
I do recommend using a mixer for the frosting especially.
I like to use a mixer for the batter of bars but it can be whisked together without easily.
The frosting will have a creamier texture if you use a mixer.
Storing
These bars are best if you store bars in the fridge in a sealed container.
They can be left at room temperature but the life of the bars will last longest refrigerated.
The cranberry bars will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
How to Freeze Cranberry Bars
Or you can freeze for 3-4 months. Just place them in a freezer container or freezer bag.
Then thaw in the fridge or on the counter for a quick thaw.
More Recipes
If you liked this Copycat Starbucks recipe, you’ll love these ones too:
- Starbucks Banana Nut Bread – This is by far THE BEST banana bread I’ve ever had!
- Starbucks Vanilla Bean Scones – These scones are delicious and go great with all kinds fo coffee drinks.
- Starbucks Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake – This is a simple pound cake recipe with a delicious swirl of sweet raspberry jam.
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Ingredients
- BARS:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- TOPPING:
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, then line a 8×11 pan with foil and grease the foil.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture. Mix these ingredients together until well combined.
- Add in the 1⁄2 cup of dried cranberries and the 1⁄2 cup of white chocolate chips.
- Place the mixture into the prepared pan and spread an even layer.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. The top of the bars should be lightly brown. A toothpick in the center of the bars should come out clean. Allow bars to completely cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth.
- Spread the frosting on the bars, then sprinkle the dried cranberries on top. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the cranberries.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.
