Christmas Recipes/ Desserts

Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars

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Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars – A sweet blondie crust topped with a cream cheese frosting. A copycat favorite you can make at home yourself in minutes.

close-up side view Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars on silver platter cut into triangles

I am a huge fan of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. Seriously, I cannot wait for this time of the year when they become available and I make sure to enjoy as many of them as I can.

However, this year was the first year that I decided to try making my own version at home and I am happy to share that recipe with you today.

But wait a minute…

I did take a bit of a break and now I am trying to pop in with a recipe as if I have not been gone anywhere and with no explanation. How rude right? Well if you can remember the last time I did do a blog post I shared with you that my dad was in the hospital. If you missed it, then I will link it HERE.

Just to give you an idea of what happened.

  • Friday Night Football Game, he complained about shortness of breath
  • Saturday Night took to the emergency room
  • Sunday Morning admitted to the hospital
  • Wednesday a procedure revealed his heart had 3 blockages of 95% that would require open heart surgery

From that point, it was just many days spent in the hospital that I live about 45 minutes away from.

My days consisted of early morning wake-ups, drives to the hospital, spending the day at the hospital, driving back home, and then sleep. It was a lot to take in and honestly, I did not have the energy to create any recipes to share with you on this space. I do apologize for that, but it is also a reminder that life happens and some things we just cannot control. At this moment all that matters is that my dad is home recovering and I am glad about that.

Now I will try to get back to a normal schedule and share some delicious recipes with you…starting with these Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars.

close-up view of two Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars

overhead view homemade cranberry bliss bars on silver platter over white napkin

Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars

Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars – A sweet blondie crust topped with a cream cheese frosting. A copycat favorite you can make at home yourself in minutes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry bliss bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 323kcal
Author: LaKita Anderson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, melted butter, and egg until combined.
  • Add the brown sugar mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined, careful not to over mix. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest. Lastly fold in ½-cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup dried cranberries until evenly distributed.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan until smooth and even. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once finished baking remove from the oven and allow cooling completely on a wire rack.
  • To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Frost the cooled bars and sprinkle with ¼ cup dried cranberries.
  • Melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe container, stopping frequently to stir, and be careful not to burn. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the bars.
  • Allow the bars to set for 15-20 minutes before cutting to serve and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 0.6mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @simplylakita on Instagram and hashtag it #simplylakita!

Got any comments, questions, or other ideas for these Homemade Cranberry Bliss Bars? Share them in the comments below!


December 11, 2017 By
4
About

LaKita Anderson is a Blogger, Foodie, Family/Self Taught Baker, Photography Enthusiast. She cooks, writes, and takes pictures of delicious food on her food blog, Simply LaKita, in sunny Northwest Florida.

4 Comments

  • Reply
    Tamara
    December 14, 2017 at 10:17 AM

    These are a dream! I love them this time of year. There’s nothing like that tart taste mixed with sweet. And that gorgeous color. Your photos are out of this world!

    • Reply
      LaKita
      December 30, 2017 at 3:10 PM

      Thank you so much! I cannot get enough of these this time of the year and I love the combination of white chocolate and tart cranberry…so good!

  • Reply
    Sonya
    December 19, 2017 at 8:52 PM

    I’m happy to hear that your dad is back at home. These bars look delicious, I’m about to pin this recipe. ☺

    • Reply
      LaKita
      December 30, 2017 at 3:06 PM

      Thank you so much Sonya 🙂

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