Cranberry Bliss Bars

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Starbucks Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars. This holiday treat is made with a sweet shortbread cake, topped with cream cheese frosting, and drizzled with white chocolate! 

These cranberry bars are life. I could easily gain a million pounds eating them and be totally fine with that decision. What I’m not fine with is the big price tag when you buy one through the Starbucks drive through.

SO I created my own recipe and it tastes EXACTLY THE SAME for a fraction of the cost!

Recipe Features:

• Holiday Flavors: These Cranberry Bliss Bar Cookies are full of holiday flavors thanks to white chocolate, ginger, and craisins.
• Copycat Recipe: This easy dessert recipe tastes exactly like the Starbucks version for a fraction of the cost.
• Perfect for Crowds: Baked in a large pan, these are ideal for gatherings. Cut large or small.

This post was originally published November 2013. It has since been updated with new photos and clear instructions.

What You’ll Need:

The ginger/orange/cranberry combo is delicious. It had me wondering why I never thought to do this before. I mean seriously… The recipe just screams winter. Or holiday. Or middle of summer and Starbucks isn’t selling them right now. Pretty much these are good any time of the year. The white chocolate drizzle probably isn’t necessary, but don’t they look so pretty?

For a full list of ingredients and their measurements see the recipe card below.

• Orange Extract: Along with vanilla, this recipe calls for orange extract. The citrus flavor takes this to the next level. Do not leave this ingredient out.
• Ground Ginger: This is ground ginger that you find in the spice aisle. Not fresh ginger.
• Craisins: Craisins are dried cranberries. They work better in baked goods vs their fresh counterpart. You can find these next to raisins in the grocery store.
• White Chocolate: White chocolate chips.

Step by Step Instructions:

Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet (10×15) with foil and lightly mist with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and ginger. Set aside.
3. Cream together you butter and sugars. Add the eggs and extracts. Stir until combined. Mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in your craisins and white chocolate chips. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are browned. Be careful not to over bake!

Frosting

1. Cream together your cream cheese and butter. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar and extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
2. Spread onto your cooled cake.

Chocolate Drizzle

1. Combine chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Drizzle over your bars.
2. Slice your bars into squares or triangles. Enjoy.

Tips and FAQ’s:

This recipe is incredibly delicious, but does take a bit of time. Below are some of my best tips to help make this the BEST bar recipe.

How long do cranberry bliss bars last?

These homemade bars will last up to three days if stored properly. You can make the bars ahead of time and keep them stored in the freezer for one week. Frost before serving.

How to store dried cranberry bars:

This recipe uses cream cheese in the frosting. That means they should be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Use parchment or foil.

Parchment paper or foil will make removing the bars from the pan so much easier. Do not skip this step.

Related Recipes:

• Cranberry Vinaigrette
• Easy Cranberry Meringue Pie
• Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
• Caramel Iced Latte
• Snickerdoodle Latte
• Gingerbread Latte-Homemade