Description
Make the soft, festive Cranberry Bliss Bars at home featuring a moist blondie base, bright orange zest cream cheese frosting, and a sweet white chocolate drizzle.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 4 ounces white chocolate, melted, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries, for topping
- 1/4 cup festive red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the 3/4 cup dried cranberries and the white chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let the base cool completely in the pan.
- While the base cools, prepare the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Beat until the frosting is light and creamy.
- Once the base is cool, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top.
- Melt the 4 ounces of white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the frosting in a back-and-forth pattern.
- Immediately sprinkle the chopped cranberries and festive sprinkles over the wet white chocolate drizzle.
- Chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set the frosting and chocolate.
- Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into 24 squares before serving.
Notes
- For a stronger orange flavor in the frosting, use a microplane to zest the orange before juicing it.
- If you prefer a thicker base, use an 8×8 inch pan and increase the baking time by about 10 minutes.
- You can make the blondie base one day ahead and store it tightly covered at room temperature before frosting.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg