These Cranberry Bliss Bars are knockoff version of the popular Starbucks treat.  A buttery, chewy blondie loaded with white chocolate chips, dried cranberries and a hint of orange.   Topped off with a sweet cream cheese icing to make them even more amazing!

♡ 12 Days of Sugar. . .Day 2 ♡

When I was compiling my list of recipe ideas to make and share for this year’s 12 Days of Sugar my sister Lori said I absolutely had to make a version of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. To be totally honest, I’d never had one before, but have had recipes for them bookmarked for years. So thanks to Lori, I finally took the plunge, made them, loved them and wished I would have made them a lot sooner!

If you’re like I was and haven’t tasted one of these amazing bars, let me just tell you a little bit about them. They start with a buttery, chewy blondie base that is studded with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. They’re topped off with  a decadent cream cheese frosting, more dried cranberries and a drizzle of white chocolate.

They’re amazing!If you’re wondering how amazing they really are, this might give you a good idea . . .

I made them a few weeks ago and took them to my an open house for my niece who just got home from her LDS mission. The tray of them was gone probably within 10 minutes of me setting it on the table. People hadn’t even dished up food yet and they were gone. There might have been a few tears when people saw the tray was empty. A few days later my sister and sister-in-law both text me and asked me to make them for a ward Relief Society Christmas dinner and a bridal shower. Finally, Parker begged me to make them for Thanksgiving, yes Parker who would take eat Skittles or Pez over any homemade treat.

Like I said, these are amazing!  The flavors, the look, and everything about them makes these bars perfect bar for the holidays.

HOW LONG WILL CRANBERRY BLISS BARS KEEP?

These Cranberry Bliss Bars will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 to 6 days. But good luck getting them to last that long.

HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY BLISS BARS.

Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, you need to store these bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If you’ve cut them and need to store any extra, gently wrap a piece of plastic wrap on top of them inside the container and then put the lid on the container.

A few tips for making these bars:

• Do not over-bake these bars, trust me on this one! When they come out of the oven they will look slightly underbaked, but that’s what you want. The edges will barely be turning golden brown. The magic number for my oven is 19 minutes and not a second more.
• If you want these to look like Starbucks, cut them into triangles. I cut mine into 4 strips about 2 inches wide and then alternating the direction of the knife with each cut, cut each strip into triangles.
• Don’t leave out the orange extract, it is what sets these bars apart and makes them authentic to Starbucks.
• I like to put my melted chocolate in a small sandwich ziplock bag and snip a small opening in the end to drizzle the melted chocolate on top. You could also dip a fork into the melted chocolate and drizzle it on that way.
• This is the pan I use and love for these bars. The sides are lower than a regular 9×13 cake pan which is nice for a bar cookie like this.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

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• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Yield: 24 bars 1x

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Description

These Cranberry Bliss Bars are knockoff version of the popular Starbucks treat. A buttery, chewy blondie loaded with white chocolate chips, dried cranberries and a hint of orange.   Topped off with a sweet cream cheese icing to make them even more amazing!

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Ingredients

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Blondie Base

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Craisins

Frosting and Topping:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Craisins, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup white chocolate melting discs, melted (I use Ghiradelli)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Beat together melted butter and brown sugar over medium speed with an electric mixer.
3. Add in eggs, orange extract and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
4. Add ground ginger, baking powder, salt, and flour, beating until just blended. Don’t over mix!
5. Stir in white chocolate chips and Craisins by hand or on low speed. Spread evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 18-21 minutes until set and golden brown at the edges. Don’t over bake or bars will be hard. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool completely before topping with frosting.

Frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add orange extract and vanilla extract and mix well. Top cooled bars with frosting. Sprinkle with chopped Craisins and drizzle white chocolate over the top. Refrigerator for about an hour before cutting (this will give the frosting a chance to firm up just a bit, making it easier to cut Cut into desired shape and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Category: Brownies & Bars

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Bell of the Kitchen