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Cranberry Bliss Bars are a Starbucks copycat recipe that you will often see in the coffee shop during the holiday season. These triangular cut bars is a homemade cake crust mixed with white chocolate and cranberries, then topped with decadent cream cheese frosting. Add these delightful treats to your must bake list!
Cranberry Bliss Bars – Copycat Starbucks Recipe
You might have noticed that I’m updating some of my older recipes. I have so many, yet only the best will get a makeover!
These cranberry bliss bars are inspired by one of the most popular coffee shops in the world, Starbucks.
I originally made these for my coworkers, who are regulars at Starbucks. Every day I would catch that familiar coffee label on the desks at the office.
Occasionally, a fancy treat would make to the office too. A favorite among these seemed to be the Cranberry Bliss Bars.
Bliss Bars are just that, every bite is completely filled with pure happiness! A little zing from a hint of ginger paired with the sweet tang of cranberries and ohhhh, sweet white chocolate is just heavenly.
These bars only make it in the coffee shop during the holiday season, which is a shame, right?
No worries though, with this copycat recipe we can whip up a batch anytime during the year.
I played around with several variations, and modified one I found from mrbreakfast.com that I think you’ll love!
How to make copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
To make these bars you will need some basic ingredients that are common for dessert bars; flour, butter, eggs, sugar and in this case a few extras for a unique flavor.
Ingredients needed for bliss bars:
- All-purpose flour – for gluten free diets you can use a 1 to1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Baking powder – provides a little lift to the ingredients
- Salt – enhances the sweetness
- Brown sugar – for the rich molasses flavor. For a sugar free variety use a brown sugar substitute like Lakanto Golden Monkfruit
- experiment with. I used pomegranate Ocean Spray Craisins.
- Butter and eggs, because this is a baked treat!
- Ginger – adds a punch of flavor, but it’s not too strong. For a stronger flavor consider adding minced candied ginger too.
- Cranberries – dried. There are a variety of flavors that you can add in place of the plain variety that I use. Try the orange flavored cranberries.
- White Chocolate – the best you can find. I use both baking chips or white chocolate bars chopped up.
For the Frosting:
- Neufchâtel cheese – 1/3 lower in fat, why not! Saving a few calories without compromising the flavors.
- Butter – adds to the creaminess and richness of the frosting
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioner’s sugar – not too much, just the right amount of sweetness. Feel free to lower the sugar content by using a sugar free version. Just make sure it the confectioners type, light and fluffy!
Steps to make cranberry bliss bars
Step 1 – Beat sugar and butter
Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.
Step 2 – Beat in eggs
One at a time beat in the eggs until well incorporated.
Step 3 Whisk dry ingredients together and fold into butter mixture
In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then fold in the cranberries and white chocolate.
Step 4 Bake
Next place prepared batter in a greased 9″ x 14″ baking dish.
Bake until set and lightly browned and cool completely on a baking rack.
Step 5 Prepare frosting
Beat together Neufchatel cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until well combined.
Step 6 Slice
Finally, spread frosting on cooled bars. Add additional cranberries if desired.
Slice into squares or triangles like Starbucks does and enjoy every bite of these cranberry bliss bars!
You just saved yourself a trip to the coffee shop!
Can you freeze bliss bars?
Yes! These cranberry bliss bars can be frozen for up to a month for the best tasting bars.
To freeze, place in an air tight freezer container. Note that if you are layering the bars, then it is best to place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the layers.
To defrost, place in the refrigerator and remove the parchment paper so the frosting doesn’t stick to the paper.
Are these keto friendly treats?
No. Sorry! These bars are made with all-purpose flour, which is not keto friendly.
If you are ok with some gluten then you can lower the carbs by substituting the sugars with sugar free alternatives like monk fruit.
For a keto cookie be sure to try these peppermint keto Christmas cookies.
Looking for more treat recipes with cranberries?
Be sure to check out these recipes too!
- Cranberry Scones – fresh cranberries with white chocolate chips
- Chiffon Cake – with sugared cranberries. This is a beautiful holiday cake.
- Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies – these are made with macadamia. So good!
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Delicious bars with dried cranberries and white chocolate in a cake-like batter, then topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting. These bars are inspired by Starbucks coffee shop seasonal treat.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, Bliss bars, blondies, Starbucks
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 203kcal
Author: Sandra Shaffer
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 1/2 sticks of butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons minced candied ginger optional
- 1/2 cup dried minced cranberries I used pomegranate Craisins
- 4 oz. white chocolate I used 1 bar of Lindt, coarsely chopped
Frosting
- 4 oz. neufchâtel cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.
Once incorporated, add eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger.
Combine flour and butter mixture.
Separately, mix fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon of sugar, then add to the dough.
Fold in cranberries and chocolate.
Put in greased 9 X 13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
For frosting mix Neufchatel cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until well combined. Put on top of cooled bars. Add additional cranberries on top if desired.
Notes
To make your own gingered candy mix 2 teaspoon sugar with 2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 117mg | Sugar: 20g
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
PIN TO YOUR HOLIDAY AND DESSERT BOARDS
This recipe was first published December 2011. I have updated the photos and added additional content, December 2020.
