Homemade Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are the most heavenly blend of dried cranberries, orange, and white chocolate, topped with a bit of cream cheese frosting! Red and white, rich and chewy, this cookie was made for Christmas! This “better than copycat” version will wow your family and friends this holiday season. 

For a fraction of what you’ll pay at Starbucks, you can have the whole pan of Homemade Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. Freshly made in your kitchen. Absolute Bliss.

Essentially, this recipe is a blondie with fruit and melted white chocolate in the dough, topped with cream cheese frosting, more fruit, and white chocolate (covers lots of food groups, according to Grant). Melted white chocolate adds a richness and chewiness that makes this bar cookie a dream. Cranberries and orange flavoring in the batter, with added zest on top, give an extra zing to the combination of flavors.

Our tips for making the best Cranberry Bliss Bars

Start with room temperature ingredients, which ensures the ingredients blend together smoothly and creates the perfect texture. This also helps to avoid overbeating. 

Cool completely before frosting. These bars are as beautiful as they are delicious! Frosting and drizzling with chocolate works best if the bar cookie is cooled, avoiding a melted mess. 

Drizzle chocolate using a quart-size (or larger) plastic bag. We discovered the hard way that sandwich-size bags are made of a thinner plastic and can easily “blow out.” You can also use a piping bag and tips. 

According to Webster, the definition of “bliss” is to reach a state of perfect happiness, typically so as to be oblivious of everything else. We guarantee pure bliss while eating these gems and sharing them with your loved ones this season!

THis recipe was originally posted December 2014 and has been updated with new photos and content

Homemade Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Cranberry Bliss Bites on white plate with fork
Author: Si Foster
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Frosting and topping: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 30
A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients 

Bars:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel or 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup Craisins

Frosting:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Dash salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk to thin, if needed

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup Craisins, chopped
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips or 4 ounces of a white chocolate baking bar
  • 6-7 drops vegetable or canola oil to thin white chocolate
  • orange zest

Instructions

Bars:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan or line it with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray to make it easier to remove the bars for cutting.
  • In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and beat for about 1 minute. Mix in orange peel or extract and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again, then microwave for 15 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
  • Add melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until incorporated.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, sea salt, and cornstarch. Mix just until the flour disappears and ingredients are combined. Fold in Craisins.
  • Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely.

Frosting:

  • Combine all frosting ingredients and beat until smooth. Add milk to thin if needed.
  • Spread frosting on the cooled bars.

Topping:

  • Sprinkle chopped Craisins over the frosting.
  • Place white chocolate in a quart-size ziplock bag and microwave for 1 minute. Add the oil and squeeze to combine white chocolate and oil. Microwave a few more seconds if needed.
  • Snip off a small corner of the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the frosted bars. Grate a bit of orange rind on top.
  • Refrigerate the bars for at least 30 minutes.
  • To make it easier to cut the bars, remove the uncut bars from the pan using the parchment paper. Place on a countertop and cut into 15 squares, then cut the squares on the diagonal to form triangles. Alternately, the bars can be cut and served directly from the pan.
  • Cranberry Bliss Bars are best stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes

I use a quart-size ziplock bag when piping frosting or chocolate. It’s more sturdy, and it’s also easier to hold than a smaller-sized bag.
To simplify, instead of melting the white chocolate chips, add the chips to the batter. When topping the bars, skip the melted drizzle and sprinkle more white chocolate chips on top of the bars along with the chopped Craisins. 
These are very simple to make. They are basically a blondie recipe with white chocolate added, then frosted, and topped with more melted white chocolate. 

Equipment

  • 1 9×13-inch pan

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!