Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
User Reviews
5
Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
Description
The recipe begins by creaming room-temperature unsalted butter with brown sugar to create a smooth base, then adding orange zest and vanilla extract for aromatic depth. Eggs and an extra yolk provide richness before folding in self-rising flour, chopped dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and finely minced crystallized ginger. The batter is spread evenly in a parchment-lined half sheet pan and baked until the bars develop a golden-brown, slightly firm surface.
After cooling, a smooth cream cheese frosting flavored with powdered sugar, salt, orange zest, and lemon juice is whipped until light and spread over the bars. The bars are finished with a topping of dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and a hint of vegetable oil for sheen. The result is a festive bar with a soft crumb, bursts of tart cranberry, sweet white chocolate, and spicy ginger complexities balanced by citrus frosting.
These bars make a rich, flavorful dessert ideal for gatherings or gifting during cranberry season. Their components combine refined sugar sweetness with fruit tang and ginger spice, creating a layered flavor profile that is both indulgent and festive.
Ingredients
Cookie Bar Base
- 6 ounces butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger finely minced
Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Cookie Bar Base
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment or Silpat. Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325°F.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the salt, orange zest, and vanilla and mix until well-combined.
- Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing until combined and scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Add the self-rising flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and crystallized ginger until evenly distributed.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Then rotate the pan and continue to bake until the base is golden brown and fairly firm, an additional 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a rack.
Frosting
- Whip the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until light.
- Add the sugar, salt, and orange zest.
- Mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light.
- Add the lemon juice and mix to combine.
- Once the bars have cooled, spread the frosting in a thin layer with an offset spatula. Don’t be too concerned with being neat at the very edges since you will be trimming them.
Topping
- Sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the bars.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate chips and oil together in 20-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between, until melted.
- Scrape the melted chocolate into a zip-top bag. Snip off a tiny corner and drizzle the white chocolate in a cross-hatch pattern over the berries.
- Refrigerate for an hour.
- Using a pizza wheel, trim the edges of the bars to make an even rectangle. Cut vertically into thirds and horizontally into fourths. You will end up with 12 squares. If you would like dessert-size bars, cut each square diagonally in half to make 24 triangles. If you would like cookie-size bars, cut each triangle diagonally in half again for a total of 48 triangles.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 48Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 145 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 145kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 21mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 41mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 38mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 130IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.2mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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