Cranberry Bliss Bars (Printable)

Buttery cranberry bars with orange cream cheese frosting and white chocolate drizzle—perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bar Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 3 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
11 - 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

→ Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

12 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon orange zest
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

→ Topping

16 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
17 - 1/3 cup white chocolate, melted

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to hang over edges for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold in chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chips using a spatula.
07 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth the top surface.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges are golden brown.
09 - Allow bars to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in orange zest and orange juice until creamy and spreadable.
11 - Once completely cooled, spread frosting evenly over bars.
12 - Sprinkle additional chopped dried cranberries if desired. Drizzle melted white chocolate over top using a spoon or piping bag.
13 - Cut into squares or rectangles and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like the best parts of the holidays without the stress of intricate assembly or shaping.
  • The orange cream cheese frosting adds brightness that keeps them from being too sweet or one dimensional.
  • You can bake them a day ahead and they actually improve as the flavors settle together.
  • Theyre beautiful enough to gift and casual enough to snack on straight from the fridge.
02 -
  • Let the bars cool completely before frosting or the cream cheese will slide right off and pool around the edges.
  • Chopping the cranberries prevents giant chewy clumps and distributes the tartness evenly throughout every bite.
  • Melting white chocolate requires low heat and patience, so use 15 second intervals in the microwave and stir constantly to avoid seizing.
  • These bars actually taste better the next day as the flavors meld and the texture softens slightly in the fridge.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to spread the frosting in one smooth motion instead of multiple passes that can lift crumbs.
  • Chill the frosted bars for 20 minutes before drizzling the white chocolate so the drizzle sets quickly and doesnt bleed into the frosting.
  • Line your pan with parchment in both directions for the easiest removal and cleanest edges when you lift the whole slab out.
  • Zest the orange before juicing it, and use a microplane for the finest zest that distributes evenly without bitter white pith.
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