Just like the coffee shop favorite, maybe even better! ☕🎄 These Cranberry Bliss Bars are soft brown sugar bars with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, topped with orange cream cheese frosting.

Print Recipe

The base is melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest, with white chocolate chips and cranberries folded in. Once the bars bake and cool, you spread on the cream cheese frosting, scatter chopped cranberries and drizzle melted white chocolate over the top.

Chill them, then cut. They’re perfect for cookie swaps and Christmas trays.

Why You’ll Love It

Coffee shop copycat. Make them at home for a lot less.
Festive colors. Red cranberries and white chocolate look like Christmas.
Orange zest. It’s in the bars and the frosting for a bright flavor.
Easy pan bars. One 9×13 pan, no scooping cookies.
Great for gifting. Cut them into squares for cookie trays.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Butter and brown sugar: Melted butter with brown sugar makes a chewy, blondie-style base.
Orange zest: Used in both the bars and the frosting.
White chocolate chips and dried cranberries: Folded into the batter.
Cream cheese and powdered sugar: The smooth frosting.
Chopped cranberries and melted white chocolate: For the pretty top.

You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.

How to Make It

Line a 9×13 pan with parchment. Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together, then beat in the eggs, vanilla and orange zest. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Spread it in the pan and bake until just golden, then let it cool completely. Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange zest until smooth and spread it over the bars. Scatter the chopped cranberries on top and drizzle with the melted white chocolate. Chill, then cut.

Tips for the Best Cranberry Bliss Bars

Line with parchment. It makes lifting the bars out easy.
Just golden. Bake until just golden so they stay soft.
Cool completely. Frosting melts on warm bars.
Soften the cream cheese. It beats up smoother.
Chill before cutting. You’ll get clean squares.

Coffee shop or homemade? I think homemade wins. ☕

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Brown sugar blondie bars with white chocolate and cranberries, orange cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate drizzle. Just like the coffee shop favorite, maybe even better!

Print Recipe

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Base

1 cup butter melted
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp orange zest

For the top

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup melted white chocolate

Equipment

9×13-inch pan
Parchment paper
Mixer

Method

Line a 9×13 pan with parchment. Stir the butter and brown sugar; beat in the eggs, vanilla, and zest. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt; fold in the chips and cranberries.
Spread in the pan; bake at 350°F for 18–21 minutes, until just golden. Cool completely.
Beat the frosting smooth; spread over the bars. Scatter the cranberries; drizzle the white chocolate. Chill, then cut.

Notes

Cool the bars completely before frosting.