These festive cranberry bliss bars are a homemade twist on the coffee shop favorite! Packed with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and a hint of orange, they’re perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting.
Cranberry bliss bars have become a holiday classic, and for good reason! With their chewy, buttery base, luscious cream cheese frosting, and sweet-tart cranberry topping, they’re a crowd-pleaser every time. This homemade version is even better than the store-bought kind—easy to make and full of festive flavors.
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Bliss Bars Recipe
- Easy to make. Simple steps and basic ingredients make these bars approachable for bakers of all skill levels.
- Holiday perfection. With their vibrant cranberries and white chocolate drizzle, they’re as festive as they are delicious.
- Better than store-bought. Skip the trip to the coffee shop and enjoy these bars fresh from your own kitchen. With their perfectly chewy texture, tangy cream cheese frosting, and vibrant cranberry topping, they’re every bit as indulgent as the originals—maybe even more so!
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- All-purpose flour – Use a digital scale to measure your flour for the best results. Otherwise, use the spoon and sweep method. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature for easier mixing and a better texture.
- Vanilla and orange extracts – The orange extract is optional but adds extra citrus flavor.
- White chocolate – You’ll need white chocolate chips for the bars as well as white chocolate to melt and drizzle over the top of the bars.
- Dried cranberries – There’s no shortage of cranberries here! They’re in the bars and on top of them, too.
- Cream cheese – Let this soften before mixing for a smooth frosting. Full-fat cream cheese works best.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Also labeled as powdered sugar or 10X sugar. For an extra smooth frosting, sift it first.
- Orange zest
How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Make the bars. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and both sugar, followed by the eggs and extracts. Fold in the dry ingredients, and then fold in cranberries and white chocolate.
- Bake. Spread the batter in a lined 9″ x 13″ pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting: Blend the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and orange zest for a tangy-sweet topping.
- Decorate. Frost the bars, sprinkle with cranberries, and drizzle with melted white chocolate.
- Chill and cut. Let the bars set in the refrigerator before slicing into neat triangles.
Want to Make in Advance?
Bake the bar layer up to 2 days ahead. Once cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it at room temperature. Frost and decorate the bars closer to serving time for the freshest taste and texture. If you prefer to frost the bars in advance as well, they’ll be at their best within a day or so. For longer storage, see my freezing tips in the “how to store” section below.
Tips for Success
- Measure accurately. Too much flour can make your cranberry bliss bars dense. Use a digital scale or the spoon-and-sweep method.
- Temperature matters. Bring your eggs and cream cheese to room temperature for smoother mixing and a better texture in both the bars and frosting.
- Don’t over-mix. When combining the dry ingredients with the wet, mix just until combined to avoid a tough texture.
- Cool completely. Allow the bars to cool fully before frosting to avoid melting the cream cheese topping.
- Easy frosting tool. Use an offset spatula for spreading the cream cheese frosting evenly and smoothly across the bars.
- Drizzling tip. For a clean drizzle, use a piping bag or small zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
- Getting clean cuts. For the neatest triangles, use a long, sharp knife and run it under hot water, drying it off between cuts. This will help slice through the frosting and toppings without dragging.
Variations
- Reduce the orange flavor. If you’re not a fan of a strong orange flavor, reduce the orange zest slightly or omit the orange extract—it won’t affect the texture of the bars.
- Add nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch. Add 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on how nutty you want the bars. Mix them in with the white chocolate chips and cranberries.
- Switch the citrus. Try lemon extract and zest for a different flavor profile.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store your cranberry bliss bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you’re storing in layers, place parchment paper or wax paper between layers. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Freezer: You can freeze these bars with or without the frosting.
- Without frosting: Wrap the uncut or cut bars tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and decorating.
- With frosting: Place the frosted bars in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and freeze until the frosting has solidified (about 2 hours). (If possible, freeze without the white chocolate drizzle, as it will look better when added before serving.) Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and place in an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container. Properly stored, they should keep in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Cranberry Treats
Get the Recipe:
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Yield
24 bars
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Additional Time
30 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Homemade cranberry bliss bars are chewy, buttery, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, cranberries, and white chocolate. Perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract (optional for extra citrus flavor)
- 1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (75g) dried cranberries
For the frosting and topping:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (220g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons orange zest, to taste
- 1/2 cup (50g) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- 3 ounces (85g) white chocolate, melted for drizzling
Instructions
To make the bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9” x 13” x 2” baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and orange extracts.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
To make the frosting and topping:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract and orange zest.
- Use the parchment paper lining to lift the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board or other work surface. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries over the top. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.
- Refrigerate the bars for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting before cutting into squares or triangles for serving.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
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