Description
Cranberry Bliss Bars are a festive, rich dessert bar featuring a soft, cinnamon-spiced base loaded with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, topped with a creamy tangy cream cheese frosting, extra cranberries, and a drizzle of melted white chocolate. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these bars combine sweet, tart, and creamy flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars:
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup (134g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (134g) packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (38g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
For the Frosting:
- 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries, chopped into smaller pieces
- 1 ounce white baking chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. For thicker bars, use a 9×9-inch baking dish instead.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agents.
- Cream Sugars and Butter: In a separate large bowl, cream the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter together until well combined. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a consistent dough forms. Avoid over-mixing to keep the bars tender.
- Add Mix-ins: Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, evenly distributing them throughout the batter.
- Spread Batter and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and press it down evenly using the back of a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Sprinkle the chopped dried cranberries on top and drizzle the melted white baking chocolate over the bars for an elegant finishing touch.
- Set and Serve: Allow the white chocolate drizzle to cool and set. Cut the frosted bars into 9 large squares, then slice each square diagonally into triangles for serving. Store the bars in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- To melt the white chocolate, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 10 seconds and stir again until fully melted. Be cautious because white chocolate melts quickly and can burn easily.
- Do not overbake the bars. Baking even a few minutes longer than recommended can cause them to become dry and crumbly instead of soft and moist.
- Optional: Add orange zest to the cream cheese frosting and/or the batter to enhance the flavor. The citrus notes complement the cranberries beautifully and add a lovely aromatic touch to the bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/9th of recipe)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
