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Stack of four cranberry bliss bars on a small white plate, showing the golden blondie base, cream cheese frosting, chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate drizzle

Cranberry Bliss Bars

A chewy brown sugar blondie with dried cranberries and white chocolate, topped with cream cheese frosting, chopped cranberries and a white chocolate drizzle, then cut into triangles.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the blondie base
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 226 g, melted and cooled 5 minutes
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar 300 g, packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp orange zest finely grated
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 281 g, spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips 170 g
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries 120 g
For the cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese 226 g, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 290 g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp orange zest
For the topping
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries 80 g, roughly chopped
  • 3 oz white chocolate 85 g, melted

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch metal pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
  2. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and orange zest.
  3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt, then fold into the wet mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
  4. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges are golden, the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  5. Cool the base completely in the pan on a wire rack.
  6. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest until thick and creamy. Spread over the cooled base.
  7. Sprinkle with the chopped cranberries and drizzle with the melted white chocolate.
  8. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until the frosting is firm. Lift out with the parchment, cut into 12 squares, then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.

Notes

Storage: keep the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze them, wrapped individually or layered with parchment, for about 1 month for best quality; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Make ahead: bake the base up to 1 day ahead, cover the cooled pan tightly and keep it at room temperature; frost and decorate on the day you serve.
Substitutions: use a chopped white chocolate bar instead of chips; replace the ginger with 1/4 tsp cinnamon; leave out the orange zest if you prefer a plain vanilla flavor.
Pan: a metal pan bakes most evenly. In a glass dish, watch the edges and expect the center to need a little longer.
Nutrition: calories are an estimate per bar (1/24 of the recipe), calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.