The Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars (2024)

All other versions I’ve tried pale in comparison to theseBest 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 recipesalready?! 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 Ihear 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 theirCranberry 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.

But 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.

However, 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.

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.

Chewy, brown sugary, cranberry-packed goodness! These will be a winter staple!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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