❤️😍🙌 These Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are for anyone who loves the Starbucks version. These can be made year-round at home for pennies on the dollar and taste every bit as fabulous and then some! I like to call them Better-Than-Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars!
Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are a seasonal favorite that disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. Luckily, they’re easy to recreate at home. Inspired by my white chocolate blondies and coconut white chocolate chip blondies, these copycat bars are essentially start with a chewy blondie base and are loaded with white chocolate and cranberries, then topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting infused with melted white chocolate.
Denser, richer, and packed with more cranberries and white chocolate in every bite, the homemade version is even better than the original. Plus, you can adjust the texture to your liking by adding baking powder for a fluffier base or leaving it out for a denser, fudgier one.
The real star here is the frosting. Cream cheese and white chocolate are whipped together until smooth, then spread on generously (thicker than Starbucks does!) and finished with a sprinkle of cranberries and a drizzle of melted white chocolate. The result is a decadent, bakery-worthy treat that’s dangerously easy to make in just about 30 minutes. These bars have all the nostalgia of the Starbucks classic but with the cozy, homemade taste that mass-produced treats can’t match. If you’re craving a holiday-inspired dessert, these copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars are a must-try!
I made this for the first time last (2022) Christmas…DIVINE!! I will be making this year too and gifting some also. If you like cranberries do not hesitate to make these little jewels! Another winner from Ms. Averie! ❤️
Christa
What’s in Cranberry Bliss Bars?
To make this cranberry bliss bar recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs – Let the egg come to room temperature for easy mixing
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour – To keep these bars gluten-free use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour
- Salt
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries – Use Craisins or whatever brand you like best
- Orange zest
- Cream cheese – You may use whipped or light cream cheese, you know, to save calories, so you can eat more
- Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
It’s a very simple batter that comes together in less than 5 minutes by hand:
- Combine the bars: Melt butter, and combine it with the wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Then, fold dried cranberries and white chocolate chips into the dough. Pour the blondie batter into a prepared pan, and bake in a preheated oven. The batter bakes up quicker than you may think, about 18 to 20 minutes. They will be a light beige, not golden brown. Even a few extra minutes of baking time will create a much drier bar, ruining the bliss!
- Make the cream cheese frosting: While the bars cool, melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring frequently. You can also use a double boiler. Add part of the melted white chocolate to a pile of confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy. I didn’t bother sifting the confectioners’ sugar used in the frosting because I knew that any tiny lumps would be concealed. Sift if you prefer or are serving these to royalty who may chastise you over a minuscule lump of confectioners’ sugar.
- Top the bars: Spread the frosting in an even layer over the cooled bars. It will look a little like almond bark! Sprinkle dried cranberries on top of the bars, followed by the remaining melted chocolate.
- Rest: Set the bars aside to rest, allowing the chocolate to set. Speed this up by placing the bars in the fridge! If you don’t let the bars set, they’ll crumble, and the layers are likely to separate.
- Slice: Lift the bars out of the pan. (Leave aluminum foil or parchment paper hanging over the edges as you line it to make this easy!) Slice the cooled blondies by making a cross, creating four small squares or quadrants. To each of the four quadrants, slice on the diagonal to create two triangles, for a yield of eight triangular-shaped bars. They’re generously-sized, very similar in size and shape to the Starbucks version, but the beauty here is that this recipe makes just eight bars, since it’s baked in an 8-by-8-inch pan.
Can I Double This Recipe?
I have not tried doubling the recipe, and in theory, doubling and using a 9-by-13-inch baking dish would probably work, but I haven’t tried. Eight of these puppies in one batch was plenty, eating 16 of them before the frosting gets a little too crunchy or dried out would have been overkill for our family of three.
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Equipment
- 1 Medium Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Small Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
For the Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries, loosely packed
- ½ teaspoon orange zest, optional and to taste (edited to add this on 12-9-12)
For the Frosting and Topping
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (whipped or light may be used)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, I used about 2 3/4 cups
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, loosely packed (optionally, roughly dice them if the pieces are larger)
Instructions
For the Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 90 seconds.
- To the melted butter (allow it to cool slightly so you don’t scramble the egg), add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix or the bars will be tough.
- Fold in 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup cranberries, optional orange zest, and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife if necessary.
- Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, and center is set and golden or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan, or a toothpick comes out clean; do not overbake.
- Allow bars to cool before frosting them. While they cool, make the frosting.
For the Frosting and Topping:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate on high power, about 1 minute, reheating in 10-second intervals, or until it can be stirred smooth. White chocolate is notorious for scorching so melt it very carefully, and slowly, heating in quick bursts, and keep a watchful eye; use a double boiler if that’s easier.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, about three-quarters of the melted white chocolate (about 3/4 cup, just eyeball it), 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (I don’t sift it because any tiny lumps will be covered up by sprinkled cranberries and white chocolate drizzle), vanilla, and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Start by mixing on low speed so sugar doesn’t spray, and then beat on medium-high for about 3 minutes. Mixture will seem stiff at first but will loosen and fluff up after 2 to 3 minutes of beating on medium-high; stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add additional confectioners’ sugar (I used about 2 3/4 cups, I like it on the thicker side) based on taste preference and desired frosting consistency.
- Frost the bars; if you have excess, it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.
- Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup cranberries over the top of the frosted bars. Evenly drizzle bars with remaining melted white chocolate, reheating for a few seconds in the microwave if it has set up.
- Allow bars to set up for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cranberry Dessert Recipes:
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bliss Cake — This fast, easy, no-mixer cake is light, soft, fluffy, and moist. It’s springy and bouncy, with just enough density to give it some heft and dimension.
Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Cranberry Bliss Bar flavors, in cookie form. Tender, soft, pillowy centers!
Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer Bars — A buttery graham cracker crust, topped with white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk!
Crustless Cranberry Pie —A FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for holiday entertaining!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Take advantage of those fresh cranberries!!
Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — The bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling.
Cranberry Orange Bread— The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart!
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies — The soft, buttery, caramely, brown sugary, blondie base is the perfect complement to the chewy, tart cranberries.
So I totally made a knockoff version of these this week, too!! Except yours look way, way better haha. You have that glorious frosting that looks SO stinkin’ good, and that luscious, buttery blondie base. I die! I’m so making your version which, by the pictures, is already 1234682734 x better than mine!
Okay I missed those…off to check your site now!
With nighttime temps in the low to mid thirties around here, a holiday recipe feels in order! I’ve never had a Starbucks cranberry bliss bar, but what’s not to love about cranberries and white chocolate? I didn’t realize the frosting was made with cream cheese until I read this post….so that makes them extra yummy in my book! These photos look great–I love the vibrant red cranberries against the snow white frosting…these really capture the holidays!
Okay well now you have to try a Bliss Bar of theirs and then make these and do a taste test :) If you like cranberries and white choc, you’ll love them. And cream cheese frosting, yes! The 30s? I am not out for that weather any more!
These are great—after all the years I’ve been pumping $$ into Starbucks, it feels so good to create copycat versions of my faves. I’ve actually never had one of these bars, but now I guess I never need to, I’ve got yours, which I’m sure are much better!
I don’t go there any more because their bakery treats are so expensive (I can buy an entire bag of flour for 1 bar) and I can suck down a $5 latte in like 37 seconds. Not good for my wallet!
Wow! Dead ringer. They’re just perfect.
I don’t know how I’m going to be able to stand waiting the half hour for these to cool! You are totally right–what is it about seasonal things that makes them that much more irresistible!? These turned out so beautifully, and now I can put all that bakery $ I’ll be saving towards a latte once they come out with the prized holiday cups!
Please LMK if you try them!
Yum, I’m drooling! These are going on my holiday baking list for sure!!
Wow, when I ate gluten… these bars were my favorite! I need, need to make them gluten-free. Ah, I miss them like crazy!
They would be incredibly easy to make GF. Just use almond flour or a Bob’s Red Mill GF blend, done! You just need 1 c flour for the whole batch and that’s it. Trace gluten only in all other ingredients, i.e. white chocolate :)
Yep, I think these are appropriately named. I love cranberries and those just look divine! Not sure I could wait 30 mins for them to set up LOL
I have made these before and everywhere I bring them, people rave about them. I’ve actually never tried the real thing at Bucks, but I’m not sure how they could be any better than the homemade variety!
You’ve never tried the real thing? Do it once and then do a taste test by making these :)
YUM!!! I love making these homemade — such a great winter treat! :)
gorgeous looking bars… bring on the wintertime recipes!
When this popped up on my screen my 5yo immediately asked me to make them! And I loooove cranberries so it just might have to happen ;)
You have a wise 5 y.o.
LMK if you try them!
These look delightful! I think I will add pistachios as well (have a bunch lying around waiting to be used!). Thank you for this post! xx
oh my goodness Averie! WHAT a way to start November. I have only had a cranberry bliss bar from Starbucks once maybe? Twice if I’m lucky. However, I have no doubt that these bars would taste exceptionally better – first, because I have complete control of all the chunks. YOU KNOW the chunks are the bread and butter to my cookies/blondies/etc. The combo of white chocolate/cranberries makes one of my favorite Xmas cookies – i love those two together. You also have control over the amount of that glorious white chocolate frosting here – i’d for sure layer it on nice and thick. The density in blondies, brownies, etc. yes yes yes! I know you’ve stressed how easy your go-to blondie is before and WOW yes… so easy! The bottom layer almost looks like dough – and yes, I’ve found that the reason all those commercial baked products are so darn addicting is b/c they are not overbaked/hard/dry. Soft, moist, and dense. I am IN LOVE with this recipe! I’m making it this season, no doubt. :)
Knowing you, Sally, you would love love love these. The white choc, the buttery blondie base and with all brown sugar, dense; the texture of the cranberries and white choc both in the bar and on top, the cream cheese frosting – and the overall flavor. Seriously on a work/reward ratio that get 5 stars and on taste they do too. For a half hour project these are SO worth it! Thanks for all the pins and linkups, too :)
These look awesome! I’ve made Lori’s (Recipe Girl’s) version before and they were a hit!
Glad you like your Bliss Bars, too!