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These Cranberry Bliss Bars are my homemade take on the Starbucks holiday favorite, with tender, buttery bars loaded with tart cranberries, white chocolate, and just a hint of warm ginger. They’re topped with rich cream cheese frosting, more cranberries, fresh orange zest, and a delicate white chocolate drizzle.
I love how the tangy cream cheese, tart cranberries, and fresh orange zest balance all that buttery white chocolate sweetness. Cut into those signature triangles, they’re beautiful on a Christmas cookie tray and perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and gifting.
If you’re doing some holiday baking, try my Cranberry Bars, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, or browse all my Christmas Cookie Recipes.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Don’t overbake the bars. Pull them when the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Overbaking is the fastest way to lose their tender texture.
✨ Cool them completely before frosting. Even slightly warm bars can soften or melt the cream cheese frosting, so give them plenty of time to cool.
✨ Use softened cream cheese and butter. Room-temperature ingredients blend into a smooth, fluffy frosting without little lumps of cream cheese or butter.
✨ Go easy when thinning the white chocolate. Start with the shortening called for in the recipe and add more only ¼ teaspoon at a time. You want the chocolate fluid enough to drizzle, but thick enough to leave pretty lines across the bars.
✨ Wait to cut them. Let the white chocolate drizzle set before lifting the bars from the pan and cutting them. For the classic Starbucks look, cut 20 squares and then slice each one diagonally into two triangles.
Cranberry Bliss Bars Ingredients + Key Notes
Butter: Softened butter is creamed with both sugars until light and fluffy, giving the bars a tender, buttery texture.
Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar brings caramel-like depth and moisture, while granulated sugar helps balance the texture so the bars aren’t overly dense.
Ground Ginger: Just enough warm ginger gives the bars their distinctive holiday flavor without making them taste like gingerbread.
Craisins: Their sweet-tart cranberry flavor cuts through the richness of the buttery bars and white chocolate. They go into the batter and on top for plenty of cranberry in every bite.
White Chocolate: I love good-quality chopped white chocolate, such as Lindt, in the bars because it melts into creamy pockets throughout. White chocolate chips work beautifully for the finishing drizzle. Keep the drizzle light—you want enough for that signature look without overwhelming the cranberry, orange, and cream cheese flavors.
Cream Cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for a rich, smooth frosting with enough tang to balance the sweetness of the bars.
Orange Zest: Fresh orange zest is more than a garnish here. Its bright citrus flavor wakes up the cranberries and helps balance the rich white chocolate and cream cheese frosting.
Vegetable Shortening: A small amount thins the melted white chocolate so it drizzles easily and sets into pretty lines across the bars.
🥣 How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
Prep: Preheat the oven and line a 10×15-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Cream: Beat the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
Mix: Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the Craisins and chopped white chocolate.
Bake: Spread the thick batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just done. Cool completely.
Frost: Beat the cream cheese frosting until smooth and fluffy, then spread it over the cooled bars. Sprinkle with chopped Craisins and fresh orange zest.
Drizzle: Melt the white chocolate, thin it with a little shortening, and drizzle it diagonally over the bars.
Cut: Let the drizzle set, then cut the bars into squares and slice each square diagonally to make the signature triangles.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Cream the butter and sugars well. Give them the full 3–5 minutes. This incorporates air into the mixture and helps give these bars their tender texture.
⭐ Mix the flour just until it disappears. Once the dry ingredients go in, avoid prolonged mixing. Overmixing can make the bars tougher instead of tender.
⭐ Spread the batter all the way into the corners. The batter is thick, so an offset spatula works especially well for getting it into an even layer.
⭐ Don’t worry if the batter seems thick. This is a thick blondie-style batter. Use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer rather than adding any extra liquid.
⭐ Cool completely before frosting. Warm bars will soften the cream cheese frosting and make your pretty topping slide around.
⭐ Keep water away from the white chocolate. Even a small amount can cause melted white chocolate to seize. Make sure your bowl and utensils are completely dry.
⭐ Thin the drizzle gradually. Start with the specified shortening and add more only ¼ teaspoon at a time if necessary. A slightly thicker drizzle gives you defined white chocolate lines instead of a runny coating.
⭐ For cleaner triangles, wipe the knife between cuts. Once the drizzle has set, use a sharp knife and wipe away frosting and crumbs as you work.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead Instructions
Storing: Because these bars are topped with cream cheese frosting, store them covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best flavor and texture, let them sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before serving.
Freezing: Cranberry Bliss Bars freeze well. Once the frosting and white chocolate drizzle are completely set, arrange the bars in a freezer-safe container with parchment or wax paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Make-Ahead: You can bake the bar layer a day ahead. Cool it completely, cover tightly, and keep it at room temperature. Frost, garnish, and drizzle closer to serving. You can also make the fully assembled bars a day ahead and refrigerate them—the flavors are delicious after they’ve had time to mingle.
Cranberry Bliss Bars FAQs
◆ What are Cranberry Bliss Bars?
Cranberry Bliss Bars are blondie-style bars filled with dried cranberries and white chocolate, then topped with cream cheese frosting, more cranberries, orange zest, and a white chocolate drizzle. They’re best known as a seasonal Starbucks holiday treat.
◆ Can I use white chocolate chips instead of chopped white chocolate in the bars?
Yes. White chocolate chips will work, but I prefer chopped good-quality white chocolate in the batter because it melts into creamier, less uniform pockets throughout the bars.
◆ Can I make Cranberry Bliss Bars in a 9×13-inch pan?
I recommend using the 10×15-inch pan called for in the recipe. A 9×13-inch pan will make the bars considerably thicker and will change the baking time and texture.
◆ Why did my Cranberry Bliss Bars turn out dry?
The most likely culprit is overbaking. These bars should come out when the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remember that they’ll continue to set as they cool.
◆ Can I leave out the orange zest?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The fresh orange zest brightens the tart cranberries and helps balance the sweetness of the white chocolate and cream cheese frosting without making the bars taste strongly of orange.
◆ Can I use fresh or frozen cranberries instead of Craisins?
I don’t recommend substituting fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. They contain considerably more moisture than dried cranberries and can change the texture of the bars. Stick with dried cranberries for the intended results.
Still have questions? Leave me a comment below and I’ll be happy to help!
More Christmas Bars + Treats
If you love an easy dessert you can slice and share, these festive bars and treats are perfect for Christmas trays, parties, and gifting.
7 Layer Bars
These old-fashioned bars pile buttery graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, and nuts into irresistible chewy layers.
Pecan Pie Bars
Everything you love about pecan pie in an easy-to-share bar, with a buttery crust and rich, gooey pecan filling.
Carmelitas
Buttery oatmeal layers surround a gooey caramel and chocolate center, making these rich little bars especially good for holiday dessert trays.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Rich, fudgy brownies get dressed up as adorable Christmas trees, giving your cookie tray an easy chocolate treat that looks instantly festive.
Yugoslavian Christmas Cookies
These treasured old-fashioned Christmas bars layer a buttery base with walnuts, chocolate, and a delicate meringue topping for a special holiday treat that’s been loved for generations.
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Tried This Recipe?
If you made these Cranberry Bliss Bars, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Please leave a star rating and comment below—your feedback helps other readers and means so much to me. And if they made it onto your Christmas cookie tray, tell me what you served alongside them!
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! ❤️
Cranberry Bliss Bars – Starbucks Copycat
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 3/4 cup craisins
- 1 cup Lindt white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- milk, only if needed
Glaze
- 5 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening (Crisco), plus more if needed
Topping
- 1/3 cup craisins, coarsely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
Instructions
Make The Bars
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the ends. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cream the butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 3–5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix just until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger and mix briefly, just until combined. Stir in the Craisins and chopped white chocolate just until evenly incorporated.
- Bake the bars. Spread the thick batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Don’t overbake—the bars will become dry. Cool completely before frosting.
Make The Frosting
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is light and spreadable. If needed, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency.
- Frost the cooled bars. Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled bars.
- Add the cranberry-orange topping. Sprinkle the chopped Craisins and freshly grated orange zest evenly over the frosting.
Make The Drizzle
- Melt the white chocolate. Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until smooth.
- Thin the chocolate. Stir in 1½ teaspoons vegetable shortening until completely combined. If the chocolate is still too thick to drizzle easily, add a little more shortening, ¼ teaspoon at a time.
- Drizzle and set. Using a fork or whisk, drizzle the melted white chocolate diagonally over the bars. Let the white chocolate set for about 1 hour before cutting.
- Cut into signature triangles. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan. Cut into 20 squares, then cut each square diagonally in half to make 40 triangles.
Fans Also Made:
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Nutrition
Recipe Notes For Cranberry Bliss Bars:
Glaze: My family loves these bars super sweet and they’re crazy for the glaze on these bars.So, of course, I doubled the amount of glaze on them! If you prefer a slightly less sweet version, feel free to cut the glaze in half.
More Christmas Treats
- Yugoslavian Christmas Cookies
- Pecan Pie Bars
- White Chocolate Caramel Fudge
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- M&M Christmas Cookies
- Godiva Peppermint Cookies
More Cranberry Treats…
Reader Interactions
Comments
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[…] You can find how to prepare this recipe at gonnawantseconds.com […]
You missed saying how many eggs.
There is baking soda in the list, but powder listed in the instructions.
Please hlep
Sorry Sorry Sorry! I’ve updated the recipe.
How many eggs?
Sorry! I’ve updated the recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
These look perfect for Christmas. Cranberry always gets me in a festive mood.
The Cranberry Bliss Bars definitely look like something I would have “to die for”!! I have almost all ingredients on hand now except the cream cheese, so I am off to the grocery store NOW! Thanks for sharing!
kathleen