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Cranberry Bliss Bars

Averie Sunshine

4.56 from 45 votes

Updated: Sep 23, 2025

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❤️😍🙌 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:

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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. 

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4.56 from 45 votes

Cranberry Bliss Bars

By Averie Sunshine

❤️😍🙌 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!

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• 1 (8×8 inch) Pan
• 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

Storage: Bars may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To keep gluten-free: use your favorite gluten-free flour blend, taking care that all other ingredients used are acceptable for your dietary needs.

Base of bars adapted from Coconut White Chocolate Blondies and White Chocolate Chip Blondies. Frosting and Topping inspired by Taste of Home.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 659cal, Carbohydrates: 97g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 162mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 82g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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