These Cranberry Bliss Bars are perfect for the holidays. They’re quick and easy to make and taste, just like Starbucks!
Cranberry Bliss Bars are a must-have every holiday season that you can now make yourself and have money left over for some stocking stuffers. These bars cost $7.66 to make, which is just $0.64 per serving. You’d easily pay five times that amount at Starbucks!
A few of my other favorite cranberry must-have recipes include my Cranberry Fluff Salad, Cranberry Chicken Salad with Pecans, and Thanksgiving Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette.
Table of contents
Today I’m sharing a copycat recipe for Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars. They taste just like the ones you get from Starbucks, PLUS they’re super quick and easy to make!
I love treating myself to a Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar, but they’re a little pricey. However, for the price of 3 bars from Starbucks, I can make an entire batch of bars for myself and, of course, for sharing!
My family loves these, and they’re great for a winter lunchbox treat, winter bake sales, and of course, for parties! I also love cutting these into smaller squares and adding them to holiday cookie trays.
Ingredients and Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.64
Recipe Cost: $7.66
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour – $0.43
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder – $0.21
- ¼ teaspoon salt – $0.01
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon – $0.01
- ¾ cup salted butter – $1.20
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar – $0.66
- 2 large eggs – $0.20
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – $0.31
- ½ cup dried cranberries – $0.66
- 1 brick of cream cheese – $1.96
- 2 cups white chocolate chips – $1.49
- 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest – $0.23
- 1 cup powdered sugar – $0.29
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Next, in one bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture.
- Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate.
- Next, spread the batter into the pan and bake for 18-21 minutes.
- While the blondie layer cools, make the frosting and prep the melted white chocolate topping.
- Spread the frosting over the brownies and top with cranberries and melted white chocolate.
- Finally, cut the brownies and serve.
***Make sure you check out the recipe video in the recipe card below!
Recipe Variations
- This recipe makes 12 large bars. You can cut them into smaller bars to serve 24 people.
- Sometimes I add 1 cup of toasted pecans to the cookie layer.
Storage Tips
SERVE: You can keep these cranberry bliss bars bars at room temperature for about 2-3 hours before they need to be covered and refrigerated.
STORE: These bars will keep, chilled and in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
FREEZE: This cranberry bliss bar recipe freezes nicely. Place the bars in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to six weeks.
Recipe FAQ’s
Cranberry bars are known as a seasonal dessert because of the cranberries, which are a winter fruit. Cranberry dishes and desserts are very popular to serve during the holiday months. However, you can technically serve this year-round because the recipe calls for dried cranberries and not fresh.
These bars will keep chilled and in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can freeze these bars for up to six weeks. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer.
Cook’s Tools:
9×13-inch pan
mixing bowl
handheld mixer
whisk
wire rack
More Copycat Recipes:
- Movie Theater Popcorn
- Honey Wheat Bushman Bread Outback Copycat
- Chicken and Gnocchi Olive Garden Soup
- Copycat Brownie Brittle
- Food Truck Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Hawaiian Food Truck Garlic Shrimp
- Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Copycat Olive Garden Soup
- Panera’s Mac & Cheese
- Copycat Red Velvet Cheesecake
- Better than Lofthouse Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
- New York Style Thin Crust Pizza
Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIE LAYER:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup salted butter melted
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
FOR THE FROSTING AND TOPPING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup white chocolate chips melted
- ½ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
Instructions
MAKE BLONDIES:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with foil, leaving a foil overhang on either side for handles. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Then, use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix together until combined and no flour streaks appear.
- Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips (the batter will be thick).
- Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not over-bake). Cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
MAKE FROSTING
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, orange zest, and powdered sugar until well-blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended.
FROST AND ADD TOPPINGS:
- Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate.
FINISHED AND SERVE:
- Use the foil handles to release the bars from the pan. Cut bars into your desired shape; squares or triangles. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe first appeared on FFF on December 7, 2014. I have since updated the photos and added a recipe video.
Mary Beth Peters says
Great recipe! Easy to make. I added a couple pats of butter to the frosting but that was just my personal preference. Thanks for sharing, this recipe is a keeper!