White Chocolate Cranberry Bars (GF)

Gluten-free Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cookie Bars on a white plate

5 from 1 vote

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars (GF)

Rich and indulgent these cranberry orange bliss bars are the perfect pairing of bright flavor with comforting chocolate and all with a gluten-free twist.

Prep Time2 30

Cook Time20

Total Time2 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Gwen Wolken

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 oz cream cheese
¼ cup white chocolate melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tsps 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.

Notes

The white chocolate and cranberry bliss bars will taste best using the best quality chocolate you can find. Often, unnecessary ingredients are added to white chocolate, so for this reason, I like to use Callebaut or Valhrona chocolate.

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.

Nutrition