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The Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

October 27, 2017 by thedomesticrebel | 8 Comments

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cranberry bliss bars propped up against each otherAll other versions I’ve tried pale in comparison to these Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars! A super gooey, chewy and an almost fudgy brown sugar blondie, they’re topped with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, sweet-tart cranberries, and a white chocolate drizzle.

I knoooooow. Christmas recipes already?! I must be mad!

Well, yeah. We already know that. Moving on…

I am totally in the holiday spirit already and am just counting down the days until Christmas. I know some of you are rolling your eyes – maybe even clicking out of this post (#bye) because you can’t deal with Christmas stuff yet. And I hear you, okay? But I am going to go ahead and post anyway.

Maybe I’m a little ticked off that I missed Starbucks’ pumpkin scones this year (seriously, I blinked and they were sold out and done for the season. WHAT!), but I am ready to unleash my amazing recipe for their Cranberry Bliss Bars so it’s out in the universe and ready to be consumed any time of year.

This recipe comes from my first book, Out of the Box Desserts, but I figured it deserved some internet fame, too, so here we are with a revamped recipe.

Now: by ‘revamped’ I mean I added some more brown sugar to my book’s recipe, but if you don’t want it as brown sugar-y but still VERY delicious, go by the book’s measurements. The difference is a cup of extra brown sugar, but everything else is the same.

two cranberry bliss bars stacked on parchment paperBut when I bite my blondies, I like them to have an almost fudgy texture, like a favorite brownie but with lots of caramel-y brown sugar. By increasing that additional cup of brown sugar, it lends that lovely texture. Again: you can totally follow the book’s measurements! It’s up to you. The world’s your oyster.

close up of one cranberry bliss bar on parchment paperHowever, if you’re looking and scouring Pinterest for the latest and greatest Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Fudge-like, gooey chewy brown sugar blondies studded with cranberries and white chocolate, then topped with a homemade creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting, extra sweet-tart cranberries, and a drizzling of pure white chocolate.

I recommend using a higher quality white chocolate for this recipe since it’s such a huge component. These Callebaut chips are AMAZING. It’s a 2lb bag so you’ll get your money’s worth this baking season, and the milky white chocolate flavor is incredible.

six cranberry bliss bars arranged on parchment with cranberries and white chocolateAKA, HEAVEN.

Make them, eat them, love them any time of year!

three cranberry bliss bars stacked *adapted from my book, Out of the Box Desserts

These are the PERFECT Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars - the best I've tried! Fudge-like, chewy brown sugar blondies stuffed with cranberries and white chocolate, topped with a fluffy white chocolate cream cheese frosting, tart cranberries, and a drizzle of white chocolate. Heaven for the holidays, and great for Christmas cookie trays!
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

The Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

These Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars taste JUST like Starbucks' version but BETTER. Ultra chewy and almost fudgy in texture with a heavenly white chocolate cream cheese frosting, sweet and tart dried cranberries, and white chocolate drizzle!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Bars, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert
Servings: 15 -18
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • FOR THE BLONDIES:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • FOR THE FROSTING & TOPPING:
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips divided
  • 6 oz of cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9" rectangular baking pan with foil, extending the edges of the foil over the sides of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Lastly, add in the baking soda, salt, and flour until a thick batter forms. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
  • Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
  • To make the frosting: Melt 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, about 15-20 seconds. Stir, then melt some more on low increments until melted. Add in the cream cheese and vanilla and use an electric mixer to combine on medium speed until creamy and combined. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting is fluffy and light. Spread the frosting evenly over the bars and top with the dried cranberries.
  • Melt the remaining 1/2 cup white chocolate chips low and slow in the microwave. Drizzle evenly over the bars. Let set in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

cranberry bliss bars with one missing a biteChewy, brown sugary, cranberry-packed goodness! These will be a winter staple!

the best copycat cranberry bliss bars collage Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

*This post contains some affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Mrs. says

    November 2, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Bless you child! Love the cranberry bliss bar. Cannot wait to try these! Thank you

    Reply
  2. marisa says

    November 20, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    question…..

    the base of these looks like a cake

    Reply
    • JL says

      November 29, 2018 at 3:29 am

      5 stars
      If you use a different size egg than the original recipe it can change the consistancy. If the original recipe used large eggs and you used extra large, it would be more cake like, or original used medium and you used large. Also you may have beat or mixed it too long.

      Reply
  3. marisa says

    November 20, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    any suggestions what i did wrong?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      November 21, 2017 at 8:05 am

      Hi Marisa, hm. Not sure what you did wrong unfortunately since I do not have enough information to help out. If it looks less like a blondie and more like a cake, it sounds like it was over-baked some.

      Reply
  4. Nadine says

    December 18, 2019 at 5:52 pm

    Can you use fresh cranberries?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      December 18, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      Hi Nadine, I have not personally used fresh cranberries but I suppose you could! It will definitely be way more tart.

      Reply
  5. Mallory says

    December 18, 2020 at 6:46 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is really yummy and extra sweet (in a good way)! The base rose quite a lot while it was baking and looked like a cake but don’t panic! It fell back down once it was cooled and was definitely like a blondie. I like the festive look too 🙂

    Reply

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About me

Welcome to The Domestic Rebel! My name is Hayley and I am the 31-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of this blog. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by my little slice of sprinkly, butter-laden heaven on the interwebs. If it wasn’t apparent, I like to bake… a lot. Read More…

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