Just Like Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Copycat Recipe (2024)

Starbucks cranberry bliss bars are a festive favourite. This easy cranberry bar is a copycat recipe from Starbucks boasting vanilla, white chocolate, cranberries, orange, and more. Homemade bliss bars are easy to make and offer the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours. Just like you would find in your favourite coffee shop, these are a chewy blondie with cream cheese frosting that is a hit of the holiday season.

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As easy recipes go, this Starbucks cranberry bliss bar recipe is really simple. Ideal for this time of the year, homemade Starbucks cranberry bliss bars make a tasty favourite treat with a cup of hot chocolate. The white chocolate drizzle on top of the bars is one of the best parts of this Starbucks cranberry bliss bar recipe.

I find the white chocolate cranberry bars from Starbucks a little too sweet. When I make DIY cranberry blondies with cream cheese icing I don’t put white chocolate into the bars, only the topping. I find this way offers a better balance. A drizzle of white chocolate on top adds a nice touch making these a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie trays. This Starbucks copycat recipe will get you in the holiday spirit because it is a great way to celebrate this time of year.

Homemade Bliss Bars Ingredients

You only need 7 ingredients for the Starbucks cranberry bliss bars plus 5 for the topping. The bars call for sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, flour, cranberries, and orange zest. The topping is made with white chocolate chips, cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar, and cranberries. I bet the idea of Starbucks cranberry bliss bars is already making your mouth water, especially since they’re nearly identical to the true Starbucks version.

All the ingredients listed above are pretty self-explanatory. Icing sugar is the same thing as confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar. As for the vanilla, use real vanilla extract for the tastiest result. I like to use full-fat cream cheese because it gives a richer-tasting cranberry bar. You probably have most of the ingredients in the pantry, along with a baking pan or baking sheet, parchment paper and piping bag.

Don’t be tempted to omit the orange zest if you don’t have any because it adds such a festive flair and complements the cranberries beautifully. You could probably sub a few drops of orange extract if you don’t have a fresh orange to get zest or even a splash of Grand Marnier or Cointreau for a luxurious touch!

How to Make Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

There aren’t a lot of steps to making this easy cranberry bar. First of all you will melt the butter before mixing in the egg, sugar and vanilla. Next mix in the flour along with cranberries and a touch of orange zest. Spoon this mixture into a pan and bake.

For the topping, mix melted white chocolate chips, chunks of white chocolate or white baking chocolate with cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla. Start on this while the bars are baking and cooling. Then you can frost on top of the cooled bars, sprinkle cranberries and white chocolate chips on top.

The finishing touch for these white chocolate cranberry bars is to drizzle over more melted white chocolate. This adds another layer of sweetness and also looks pretty. You don’t have to be super-accurate with the drizzling. A random pattern is fine! Although these might not look exactly like the original recipe, they are really yummy bars with a a blondie base and sweet cream cheese icing.

DIY cranberry blondies with sweet cream cheese frosting are so delicious. Enjoy one with a cup of coffee or even some festive eggnog! The cranberries are a seasonal treat and these are sweet without being too sweet!

Cut the finished bars into triangles, squares or whatever shape you want. You can make between 8 and 12 depending how large you want them. Since this is a copycat recipe I like to cut mine into triangles like they do at Starbucks.

What Kind of Cranberries to Use

Use any type of dried cranberries for these DIY cranberry blondies with cream cheese icing. You can use Craisins which are basically sweetened dried cranberries if you want. Or you can use unsweetened ones if you prefer more of a tart taste from your homemade bliss bars.

Either one offers a lot of vitamins and minerals although Craisins do tend to be very sugar-laden if that’s a concern for you!

Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Variations

You can make little tweaks to these, such as using Craisins instead of plain dried cranberries or using orange extract instead of orange zest. You can also make larger changes like swapping the cranberries for dried cherries or raisins or the white chocolate for milk chocolate.

If you want the most authentic copycat recipe for Starbucks cranberry bliss bars then make the recipe the way it is. Otherwise have fun trying new add-ins. Almond bark on top would make a change from the white chocolate drizzle. Try using gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour for a gluten-free result.

A pinch of ground ginger would probably also be good in this easy cranberry bar. You could also add green food coloring to the topping for a festive Christmas look or just do that with some of the bars.

How to Store White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

These should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively you can freeze them for a couple of months. Wrap then tightly first in plastic wrap and then in foil.

So if you’re looking for a festive copycat recipe for homemade bliss bars, these DIY cranberry blondies with cream cheese icing are sure to make you smile. You don’t need to head out to Starbucks when you can make your very own Starbucks cranberry bliss cookie bars at home!

Cranberry Bliss Bars FAQs

Starbucks Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars Recipe

You have got to try these copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars. They are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for the holiday season. Made with a soft and moist blondie base, these bars are packed with sweet cranberries and tangy white chocolate chips that is delicious. It is the perfect recipe for holiday entertaining. These copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss Bars are the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and are sure to become a holiday favourite.

Other Recipes to Try

• Sparkling Frosted Cranberry Cookies
• Just Like Starbucks Homemade Pink Drink Copycat Recipe
• Just Like Starbucks Oat Bars
• Just Like Starbucks Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Copycat Recipe
• Festive Holiday Cranberry Margarita