If you think Starbucks is just good for the coffee, think again. One of our favorite treats comes around just once a year…and it’s Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars! They remind me a little bit of a blondie, but with white chocolate and dried cranberries and don’t forget the hint of orange flavor and cream cheese frosting! It’s literally the perfect holiday treat and it’s fancy enough to bring to a party yet simple enough to enjoy at home, too.
I set out to recreate the famous Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe – and many others did too – but I think I found the ingredient that sets this recipe apart from other copycat recipes – fresh orange zest. Trust me, you need to make a batch of these before Christmas!
Ingredients
- Bars:
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Craisins
- Frosting and Topping:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Craisins
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Mix melted butter and brown sugar over medium speed with an electric mixer. Add in eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract and beat until mixed well. Add in ground ginger, baking powder, salt, and flour, mixing until just blended.
- Mix in white chocolate chips and Craisins.
- Spread evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes until set and golden brown at the edges. Avoid over-baking - it will make the bars hard! Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool entirely before topping with frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add orange zest and vanilla extract and mix well. Top cooled bars with frosting. Sprinkle with Craisins and drizzle white chocolate over the top with a fork.
- For best results, place bars in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to help them set before cutting. Slice into triangles and enjoy!
- Note: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Be sure to give these delicious Cranberry Bliss Bars a try this holiday season – you can thank me later! 🙂
Tell me – what’s your favorite holiday treat? Share in the comments below!
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