Cranberry Bliss Bars are a gluten-free take on the classic Starbucks copycat treat, made with dried cranberries, white chocolate, orange zest, and a creamy frosting that makes them feel just as festive as they look. If you love holiday baking with bright cranberry flavor, they have the same seasonal charm as this Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread but in rich, bakery-style bar form.
Cranberry Bliss Bars At A Glance
- ⏰ Total Time: About 2 hours 50 minutes (including chilling time)
- 🍽️ Servings: 24 bars
- 🧁 Cuisine Type: American / Holiday Baking / Dessert
- 🍊 Flavor Profile: Sweet and tangy with dried cranberries, white chocolate, orange zest, and a rich cream cheese frosting
- 📋 Dietary Info: Gluten-free as written
- ❄️ Storage Notes: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: These bars are festive, bakery-style, and perfect for holiday platters, cookie trays, or making ahead for gatherings
Save And Summarize This Recipe
One of the best things about Cranberry Bliss Bars is that they feel a little bit like something you would pick up at a coffee shop, but they are easy enough to make right at home. If you love bakery-style desserts that are rich, easy to slice, and great for sharing, recipes like Peanut Butter And Chocolate Rice Krispies, Pecan Brownies, and Biscoff Brownies fit right into that same dessert bar category.
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They also make a great addition to holiday baking trays when you want something a little different from the usual cookies. The combination of cranberry, orange, and white chocolate feels right at home next to seasonal desserts like Unique Apple Cranberry Torte, Candied Almonds, or Cannoli Cookies if you are building out a festive dessert spread.
Key Ingredients
- Dried cranberries: Chop the dried cranberries into smaller pieces so they distribute more evenly throughout the bars and are easier to bite into once chilled. I found this gave the bars a better texture and helped the cranberry flavor come through in every bite.
- White chocolate: Use the best white chocolate you can find here since it plays such a big role in both the bars and the topping. During testing, a higher-quality white chocolate gave the bars a smoother flavor and a much better finish than overly sweet chips.
- Orange zest: The orange zest is what keeps these bars from tasting flat or overly rich. It brightens the frosting and ties everything together in a way that gives the bars that classic holiday bakery feel much like the Dark Chocolate Orange Bark.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations:
- Dried fruit - though they're called cranberry bars; they also taste delicious with dried cherries or dried blueberries instead.
- Lemon - if you love a burst of fresh flavor, substitute the orange juice and zest for lemon. This is wonderful in the summer months especially paired with fresh blueberries.
- Non-Gluten-free - you can substitute regular all-purpose wheat flour for the gluten-free flour in this recipe.
How To Make Cranberry Bliss Bars : Step-By-Step
How To Make the Blondie Bar Base:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together melted butter and brown sugar until it's fluffy using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. Add in the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Step 2: Add in the following dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt, and continue to beat on low until just blended.
Step 3: Fold in the chopped, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Place the batter into a prepared pan.
Step 4: Bake for 18-20 minutes until soft, golden brown, but not overdone. Use a toothpick in the middle of the pan, which should come out clean. Let it cool in the pan for one hour before moving the bars to a cooling rack.
How To Make The Frosting:
Step 5: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on high using an electric hand mixer until light, fluffy, and clump-free.
Melt the white chocolate chips in intervals in the microwave and add them to the cream cheese along with the orange zest and vanilla extract.
Step 6: When it's all well combined, add in the powdered sugar slowly. Place the bars on a wire rack to frost.
How To Make The Drizzle:
Step 7: Spread the frosting onto the cranberry bars evenly and then sprinkle extra chopped cranberries over the frosting and lightly press them down.
Step 8: Melt ⅓ cup of white chocolate chips in intervals in the microwave. Pour it into a plastic baggie, snip off the end, and drizzle the melted chocolate over the gluten-free bars in a zig-zag pattern.
Place the bars into the fridge for 1 hour to set.
Gwen's Pro Tips
Prepare your 9 x 13 baking pan by cutting a layer of parchment paper and applying it to the bottom of the pan going both vertically and horizontally. This will help to release the bars more easily.
Make sure not to overbake the bliss bars in the oven. Check them at 18 minutes to see if a toothpick comes out clean. If you overbake them, they'll be hard.
How To Cut These Bars
You want to cut the bars into triangles to serve them as they're most presentable this way.
- Start by cutting down the middle of the bar vertically, to create two equal sides.
- Then vertically cut each side in half, creating 4 long pieces.
- Each piece can be horizontally cut into thirds and then cut diagonally to create triangles.
Cranberry Bliss Bars FAQ's
Essentially, Starbucks Bliss bars are a cranberry and white chocolate blondie topped with cream cheese frosting and then drizzled with more white chocolate.
You can freeze cranberry bliss bars for up to three months even with the frosting on. Make sure to separate your layers between sheets of parchment paper though so that they don't stick together and break.
Yes, you can substitute the butter and cream cheese with dairy-free alternatives and the white chocolate chips with allergen-free white chocolate chips.
Other Delicious Desserts
Let me know your thoughts on Cranberry Bliss Bars by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Cranberry Bliss Bars (Gluten-Free Starbucks Copycat)
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Equipment
Ingredients
White Chocolate Cranberry Blondie Bar
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 cups gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
White Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- ¼ cup white chocolate melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Topping
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup white chocolate melted for drizzle
Instructions
White Chocolate Cranberry Blondie Bar
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
- Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Cut an even layer of parchment paper and apply it to the bottom of the pan going both vertically and horizontally. This will help release the bars easily.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the melted butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until smooth.
- Add in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low for about 30 seconds until just combined. Do not over blend.
- Chop the dried cranberries into fine pieces, then fold the cranberries and white chocolate chips into the blondie batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake or the bars will be hard.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan for an hour.
- Transfer to a cooling rack before frosting.
White Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium-sized bowl, and using an electric hand mixer, add the cream cheese and beat on high for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Place the white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl, and melt the chocolate for 30-second intervals, stirring in-between.
- Add the white chocolate to the cream cheese, along with the orange zest and vanilla extract.
- Mix until combined.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until combined.
- Once the bars have completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the bars.
Topping
- Sprinkle the roughly chopped cranberries over the frosting.
- Gently push the cranberries down to secure them.
- In a small separate bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave using 30-second intervals and stirring in between.
- Pour the chocolate into a zip lock bag or pastry bag, snipping off the end.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate on the top of the cranberry bars in a zig-zag pattern.
- Place the bars into the refrigerator for an hour.
- Remove the bars from the refrigerator and cut them into triangles. Start by cutting down the middle of the pan horizontally to create two equal sides. Turn your pan and cut each side into half vertically creating 4 long pieces. Each piece can then be cut horizontally into thirds and then cut diagonally to create triangles. This will give you 24 bars.
- Place the bars in the refrigerator overnight and serve them the next day. Bars can be store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Melinda says
These tasted delicious, but refrigerating is a must as they crumbled when cutting from the pan. I really wouldn’t make them again.
Gwen Wolken says
Thanks Melinda! I will take a look at the recipe and add the note.
Anonymous says
I can’t wait to make it!