Every holiday season, Starbucks rolls out Cranberry Bliss Bars. And who doesn’t like them? And if you want to try making a similar cranberry dessert at home, you will be spoiled for choice. The Internet is flush with recipes for cranberry bars. More precisely, a Google search for “Starbucks cranberry bliss bars recipe” yielded 1.9 million results! But can a home chef really improve on Starbuck’s mouthwatering cranberry bliss bar?
The Cranberry Bliss Bar is a registered trademark of the Starbucks Coffee Company. And it is defined as a “blondie cake with dried cranberries [which is] finished with a layer of cream-cheese icing flecked with orange zest and a sprinkle of dried cranberries”.
Like many people, I enjoy the Cranberry Bliss bars at Starbucks. However, I often dislike how overly sweet everything at Starbucks is.
When I stumbled upon this recipe, I saw the potential to make a cranberry bar that was significantly better than one of the “just another copycat” recipes that flood the Internet.
I felt I could improve on the cranberry bars served at Starbucks where I felt it was actually lacking by cutting the sweetness, enhancing the flavour profile, and increasing the quantities of the two ingredients I liked most: white chocolate chips and cranberries.
And I call it the Divine Cranberry Cream Cheese Bar.
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Devine Cranberry Bars with Cream Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients - Bars
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp orange oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1 /2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp mace
- 1 orange zest
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 12 oz white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup cranberries, soaked in Cointreau overnight or up to a week before baking
- Cointreau
Ingredients - Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese. softened
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp orange oil
- 1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped, soaked in Cointreau overnight or up to one week before baking
- Cointreau
- 3 squares white baking chocolate, melted
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- 1 1/2 tbsp water
Instructions
Instructions - Bars
- Line a 15x10 jelly roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat together melted butter and brown sugar over medium speed with an electric mixer.
- Add in eggs, orange zest, 1 tsp orange oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of the orange Cointreau which was drained from the dried cranberries;
- Beat until mixed well. Sift spices, baking powder, salt, and flour together. Add to mixture and beat together until just blended. Do not over-mix.
- Stir in white chocolate chips and cranberries by hand.
- Spread evenly into the bottom of pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes, until set and golden brown at the edges. Do not over-bake or bars may be hard or tough.
- Remove from oven and plac epan on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool completely before topping with frosting.
- Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool completely before topping with frosting.
Instructions - Frosting
- Drain dried cranberries. Then spread evenly over a couple of paper towels and pat dry.
- Mix softened cream cheese, and powdered sugar in mixer. Add almond extract, vanilla, and orange oil and mix until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled bars.
- In a double boiler or with in a bowl over boiling water, add three squares of white chocolate, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water and mix until melted and smooth. Then drizzle over bars with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
These look so delicious. I cannot wait to make them for my family.
I’m sure you and your family will love them! And thanks for letting me know.
Just saw your comment. Sorry I didn’t respond earlier. But they seem to be getting rave reviews.
Erik hit it out of the park with this recipe!!
I made it to take to two Christmas parties this week but I am holding back 5 beautiful triangles for dessert at my Christmas dinner!! They are THAT GOOD!!
Make a note to use 2 eggs and cook for 22 minutes . Don’t overcook . It will be soft when it comes out but that is how it should be.
Wow! That is really fantastic! And thanks so much for lettering me know. I’m sure Eirk will be pleased.