Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

Once the holidays roll around, all eyes are on Starbucks. From the go-to classics like peppermint mochas to brand-new holiday drinks, the chain’s festive menu keeps us going during a busy season. Another favorite treat around the holidays? The ever-popular Starbucks cranberry bliss bars.

Year after year, Starbucks brings back its delicious cranberry bliss bar. And whether you grab just one bar when picking up your drive-thru coffee order or can’t resist a whole box, it’s safe to say that they’re one of the most beloved treats of the holiday season. The only problem? The window to enjoy this tasty treat is fleeting!

Now you can make copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars any time you please. Our cranberry bliss bar recipe makes an entire pan of bars that taste just like the real thing.

Ingredients for Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

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• Butter: Melt 3/4 cup (a stick and a half!) butter in the microwave and allow it to cool slightly so it doesn’t accidentally cook the eggs.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar will add extra moisture and a deeply sweet, caramel-like flavor to the cranberry bliss bars.
• Eggs: You’ll need two eggs to bind the ingredients and create structure. Bring the eggs to room temperature before using them in the recipe.
• Vanilla extract: Delicate and floral, vanilla extract rounds out the flavors in this copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bar recipe.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour adds the perfect amount of stability and structure while keeping the bars super moist and tender.
• Baking powder: We need only 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to puff up the bars.
• Ginger: Zippy ginger and tart cranberries are a perfect pairing.
• Cranberries: Be sure you have enough cranberries for both the blondie layer and the topping on the bars!
• White chocolate: The super sweet flavor of the chopped white baking chocolate (or bag of the best white chocolate chips) offsets the tart cranberries. You’ll need 2 ounces white chocolate for the blondies and another 2 ounces for the topping.
• Frosting: We finish our cranberry bliss bar just as Starbucks does, with a gorgeous cream cheese frosting with orange zest, followed by an extra sprinkling of cranberries and a drizzle of melted white chocolate.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with parchment and set it aside.

Step 2: Beat the wet ingredients

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In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the melted butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then beat in the vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients

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In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture. Mix until just combined.

Step 4: Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate

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Fold in the dried cranberries and 2 ounces chopped white chocolate.

Step 5: Bake the bars

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake the blondie layer until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to fully cool.

Let the blondies cool completely to room temperature. Use the parchment to pull the blondie layer out of the pan. Transfer the blondies to a cutting board.

Step 6: Make the cream cheese icing

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While the blondie layer is cooling, in a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Alternate beating the confectioners’ sugar and milk into the mixture until the frosting is nice and fluffy, two to three minutes. Beat in the orange zest.

Step 7: Top the bars

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Once the bars are fully cooled, spread a layer of cream cheese icing on top. Sprinkle the top with additional dried cranberries.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring after each increment, until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle the white chocolate over the bars.

Editor’s Tip: To nicely drizzle the melted white chocolate over the frosting, transfer it to a piping bag or zip-top bag. Cut a corner tip off the zip-top bag to form a small hole and drizzle the white chocolate over the bars.

Step 8: Chill, slice and serve

Allow the white chocolate to cool and refrigerate the blondie block for at least 30 minutes. Slice the blondie block into bars and serve.

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Recipe Variations

• Try a different frosting: Not a fan of cream cheese frosting? Whip up a simple vanilla buttercream or the white chocolate frosting from our coconut cake recipe instead.
• Swap in dark chocolate: We get it, not everyone is a fan of white chocolate. Luckily, dark chocolate and cranberries also pair together beautifully, so swap in dark chocolate for the white baking chocolate in the blondie layer if desired.

How to Store Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

Store any copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars in an airtight container. If you’re stacking the bars in the container, lay a piece of waxed paper or parchment in between the layers so you don’t ruin the bars’ pretty design. They can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars?

Absolutely; these bars freeze beautifully! Stack the bars in an airtight container with sheets of parchment or waxed paper in between each layer to prevent sticking. Freeze the bars for up to two months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar Tips

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Can I bake copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars in a different-sized pan?

Yes, you can bake this copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bar recipe in a pan other than a 13×9-inch baking pan. According to our baking pan conversions guide, you can bake the bars in a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan or two 8-inch square pans, although the bars will be a bit thinner. Alternatively, you could reduce the ingredients by a third (if you want a slightly smaller batch of bars) and bake the bars in an 11×7-inch baking pan.

How do I cut the cranberry bliss bars nicely?

To cut the bars cleanly, take a very sharp chef’s knife and run it under hot water. Wipe away the water, then make your first cut. Repeat these steps between every cut for sharp, precise corners and lines.

To cut each cranberry bliss bar into a right triangle as Starbucks does, cut the blondie block vertically into thirds, then cut horizontally into fourths. You should have 12 squares. Cut the squares in half from corner to corner to make 24 right triangles.