Craving the irresistible taste of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars? You don’t have to wait for the holidays to indulge in these decadent treats! With this easy copycat recipe, you can whip up a batch of brown sugar cookie bars studded with dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and crystallized ginger, then top them with a luscious cream cheese frosting and even more cranberries and white chocolate drizzle. Get ready to savor the flavors of the season anytime, anywhere!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why you’ll love this Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars copycat
- Make-ahead friendly: Store in the fridge or freezer for enjoying later
- Spot-on flavor: Perfectly captures the iconic taste of the coffee shop favorite
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps for bakery-quality results
- Customizable: Adapt with gluten-free flour, different dried fruits, or festive colors
- Perfect for sharing: Ideal for lunchboxes, bake sales, parties, and holiday gifting
Cranberry Bliss Bars Ingredients
Please don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients – these cranberry bars are really easy to make. For the Cookie Bar Base:
- Self-rising flour – Provides structure and lift for the blondie base
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and helps create a tender crumb
- Whole eggs & egg yolk – Bind the ingredients and contribute to a chewy texture
- Brown sugar – Offers a subtle toffee flavor and moisture
- Kosher salt – Enhances the overall taste and balances the sweetness
- Orange zest – Brightens the flavor and pairs beautifully with cranberries
- Vanilla extract – Deepens the warmth and complexity of the bars
- Dried cranberries – Deliver tart, juicy bursts throughout the base and topping
- White chocolate chips – Provide creamy, sweet pockets of flavor in the base and drizzle
- Crystallized ginger – Adds a subtle spicy kick that complements the cranberries
For the Frosting:
- Cream cheese – Creates a tangy, luscious frosting that balances the sweetness
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting for a silky smooth texture
- Orange zest – Infuses the frosting with a bright, citrusy note
- Lemon juice – Enhances the tanginess and helps achieve the perfect consistency
- Salt – Rounds out the flavors and tempers the sweetness
For the Topping:
- White chocolate chips & vegetable oil – Melt together for a smooth, glossy drizzle
- Dried cranberries – Add a festive pop of color and tart flavor
How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
Even though the recipe involves several steps, they are all pretty basic and simple to execute.
Cookie Bar Base
- Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Mix in the salt, zest, and vanilla.
- Add the eggs and yolk.
- Add the self-rising flour.
- Fold in the cranberries, chocolate chips, and crystallized ginger.
- Spread out the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 325°F until golden brown.
- Cool the crust completely in the baking pan on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Whip the cream cheese.
- Add the sugar, salt, and zest and whip until light.
- Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Spread in a thin layer on the base.
Topping
- Sprinkle on the cranberries.
- Melt the white chocolate chips and oil together in a pan over medium heat.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate sauce over the cranberries.
- Refrigerate for an hour.
- Trim the base edges and cut it into cookie-sized triangles.
Recipe Variations
These bars are so tasty that it would be hard to improve on them. However, here are a few variations:
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour.
- Holiday spirit: Use food coloring to make the white chocolate red and green for the holidays or totally green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Holiday cake: Make it a blondie cake by not cutting it.
- Cherry bars: Swap the dried cranberries for dried cherries.
How to Serve Cranberry Bliss Bars
These Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are best served chilled, so the frosting and topping are set.
These cranberry bars are fabulous for lunchbox treats, fall bake sales, parties, and gift-giving. You can also cut them into smaller pieces and add them to holiday cookie trays.
Starbucks menu items are easy to prepare at home. You can make a whole batch of Cranberry Bliss Bars and have plenty to share with others. Your office co-workers will love you!
What to Serve With Cranberry Bliss Bars
These copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are the ultimate in snacking comfort and guaranteed to cheer up even the gloomiest person! You might be tempted to just pick up the whole slab and take one big, deliciously messy bite. Instead, enjoy this holiday treat with a cup of hot coffee, cocoa, or tea.
Your family will enjoy these bars as dessert after a variety of main dishes, such as:
How to Store Cranberry Bars
- Refrigerating: Place the bars in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Place the bars in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, then transfer to a container and cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. They will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.Â
Love Starbucks Food? Try These Copycat Recipes!
- Bacon Gouda Sandwich
- Banana Nut Bread
- Blueberry Muffin
- Blueberry Scone
- Egg White Bites
- Sous Vide Egg Bites
- Spinach Feta Wrap
Favorite Cookies, Bar,s and Brownies
- Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Easy Lemon Bars
- Hello Dolly Bars
- Homemade Fudge Brownies
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Turtle Brownies
Check out more of my easy cookie recipes and the best copycat Starbucks recipes on CopyKat!
Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Cookie Bar Base
- 6 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons finely minced crystallized ginger
Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Cookie Bar Base
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment or Silpat. Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325°F.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the salt, orange zest, and vanilla and mix until well-combined.
- Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing until combined and scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Add the self-rising flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and crystallized ginger until evenly distributed.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Then rotate the pan and continue to bake until the base is golden brown and fairly firm, an additional 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a rack.
Frosting
- Whip the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until light.
- Add the sugar, salt, and orange zest.
- Mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light.
- Add the lemon juice and mix to combine.
- Once the bars have cooled, spread the frosting in a thin layer with an offset spatula. Don’t be too concerned with being neat at the very edges since you will be trimming them.
Topping
- Sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the bars.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate chips and oil together in 20-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between, until melted.
- Scrape the melted chocolate into a zip-top bag. Snip off a tiny corner and drizzle the white chocolate in a cross-hatch pattern over the berries.
- Refrigerate for an hour.
- Using a pizza wheel, trim the edges of the bars to make an even rectangle. Cut vertically into thirds and horizontally into fourths. You will end up with 12 squares. If you would like dessert-size bars, cut each square diagonally in half to make 24 triangles. If you would like cookie-size bars, cut each triangle diagonally in half again for a total of 48 triangles.
THE BEST! I traveled for Xmas without my recipe book. Looked at too many claiming to be like Starbucks , not even close. Then I found you, love yours!
I am glad you like it!
. A half sheet pan is 18 by 13 in
This was so delicious!
You mention to use a half sheet pan. Would you please give me the size of the pan I should use for this recipe. They sound so good and I would like to make them. Thank you.