✔ Updated · holiday baking update with copycat tips
These copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars are chewy white chocolate blondies under a thick layer of orange cream cheese frosting, all tangy cranberry and buttery brown sugar. One pan makes 24 triangles, just right for holiday cookie tins from November through New Year.
What Are Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars? (Quick Answer)
Cranberry bliss bars are a holiday bar cookie: a chewy brown sugar blondie studded with dried cranberries and white chocolate, spread with orange-scented cream cheese frosting, then topped with more cranberries and a white chocolate drizzle and cut into triangles. Starbucks brings them back with its holiday menu, which starts November 5 in 2026. My copycat bakes in a 9×13-inch pan at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes and makes 24 triangles.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Pull the pan when a toothpick 1 inch from the center shows a few moist crumbs. Blondies keep cooking as they cool, and that's how you get a chewy middle instead of a dry, cakey one.
Why You'll Love These Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Chewy, not cakey, thanks to melted butter and plenty of brown sugar.
- A little orange zest in the blondie and the frosting makes the cranberries taste brighter.
- Made for sharing: one 9×13 pan, 24 neat triangles, perfect for cookie swaps.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Spoon and level the flour. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and gives you dry, cakey bars. Spoon it into the cup and sweep the top flat.
- Let the butter cool a little. Hot butter can scramble the eggs and makes the bars greasy. Warm, not hot, is what you want.
- Chop the cranberries. Whole dried cranberries are a bit chewy and tear the frosting when you slice. A rough chop spreads that tangy pop through every bite.
- Use block cream cheese. The tub kind is softer and makes a runny frosting. Full-fat block cream cheese holds those clean, thick layers.
- Wipe the knife between cuts. A hot, dry knife gives sharp triangles. My first batch, I skipped this and the frosting smeared across everything. Still delicious, not pretty.
Ingredient Notes
- Dried cranberries: Use sweetened dried cranberries, not fresh or frozen. Fresh berries leak juice and turn the blondie soggy. I chop them so every bite gets a little tart pop.
- White chocolate: Chips hold their shape in the batter. For the drizzle I chop a white chocolate baking bar, because it melts smoother. White candy melts work too if white chocolate keeps seizing on you.
- Ground ginger: Just 1/4 teaspoon. You won't taste "ginger" so much as a warm, wintry something that makes people ask what's in it. Swap in cinnamon or leave it out if you like.
- Orange zest: Zest only the bright orange skin. The white pith underneath is bitter. One medium orange gives plenty for the blondie and the frosting.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar gives that caramel-y chew. Dark brown works, but it tastes more of molasses and bakes a shade darker.
Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
24
triangles25
minutes22
minutes310
kcal3
hours17
minutesA copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bar: a chewy brown sugar blondie with dried cranberries, white chocolate and a little orange zest, baked in a 9×13-inch pan, then topped with orange cream cheese frosting, more cranberries and a white chocolate drizzle and cut into 24 triangles.
Ingredients
- For the Blondie Base
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate (6 oz)
- For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package full-fat block cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Topping
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Directions
- Bake the Blondie
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with parchment, leaving some overhang on the long sides so you can lift the bars out later.
- Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and orange zest.
- Add the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing makes the bars cakey.
- Fold in the chopped cranberries and white chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter into the pan in an even layer, pushing it right into the corners with an offset spatula or damp fingertips.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and just pulling away from the pan, the top looks set and no longer shiny, and a toothpick inserted about 1 inch from the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Frosting a warm blondie melts it into a puddle.
- Frost and Finish
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, orange zest and vanilla on low, then medium, until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled blondie and scatter the finely chopped cranberries over the top.
- Melt the white chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Drizzle it over the bars with a spoon or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Chill for 30 minutes to set the frosting. Lift the slab out with the parchment, cut it into 12 rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into 2 triangles, wiping the knife between cuts.
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Pan Sizes and Bake Times
I bake these in a 9×13-inch metal pan. Glass pans heat more slowly and hold heat longer, so lower the oven to 325°F and start checking at 22 minutes.
| Pan | Oven | Bake time | Makes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9×13-inch metal (this recipe) | 350°F | 20 to 25 minutes | 24 triangles |
| 9×13-inch glass | 325°F | 25 to 30 minutes | 24 triangles |
| Half batch, 8×8-inch metal | 350°F | 20 to 24 minutes | 12 triangles |
How to Cut Cranberry Bliss Bars into Triangles
- Chill the frosted slab for at least 30 minutes, until the frosting feels firm, not tacky.
- Lift it out with the parchment and set it on a cutting board.
- Cut the long side into 4 strips and the short side into 3, which gives you 12 rectangles.
- Cut each rectangle corner to corner into 2 triangles.
Run a big knife under hot water, dry it, and wipe it clean between every cut. Press straight down instead of sawing. For a gift tin, I trim a thin strip off each edge first so every triangle looks bakery-neat, and those trimmings are the cook's snack.
Troubleshooting
- Dry, cakey bars: Usually too much flour or a few extra minutes in the oven. Spoon and level the flour, and pull the pan while the center still shows moist crumbs.
- Gummy or sunken middle: It needed a few more minutes. Check with a toothpick 1 inch from the center, and make sure the oven is fully preheated before the pan goes in.
- Runny frosting: Tub cream cheese, butter that's too soft, or a base that was still warm. Chill the frosting for 15 minutes, beat it again, and only frost a completely cool blondie.
- Thick, grainy white chocolate: It overheated or caught a drop of water. I've had this happen when I got impatient with the microwave. Melt in 20-second bursts and stop while a few lumps remain; stirring finishes the job.
Variations
- Pecan crunch: fold 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans into the batter.
- Extra orange: add 1 tablespoon orange juice to the frosting along with the zest.
- Cookie bars for a crowd: double the recipe in a half sheet pan (18×13) and bake 22 to 26 minutes.
- Prefer plain blondies? Try my peanut butter blondies for a nutty, frosting-free bar.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Bake the blondie up to 1 day ahead, cool it, wrap the pan tightly and keep it at room temperature, then frost the next day. Frosted bars keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For gifting and cookie tins, chill the bars until firm so the frosting doesn't smudge, and keep the tin in the fridge. Cream cheese frosting shouldn't sit out for more than 2 hours.
Planning further ahead for the holidays? Freeze the unfrosted blondie, wrapped tightly in plastic and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then frost, drizzle and cut on the day. Lucy is on drizzle duty when we fill the cookie tins, and her zigzags get wilder every year.
Starbucks Bar vs. My Copycat
Starbucks describes its Cranberry Bliss Bar as a chewy, soft blondie cake with dried cranberries, finished with cream cheese icing flecked with orange zest and a sprinkle of dried cranberries (Starbucks holiday menu, November 2025). The recipe isn't published, so mine rebuilds those layers by taste.
| Layer | Starbucks (as described) | My copycat |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Chewy blondie cake with dried cranberries | Brown sugar blondie with chopped cranberries, white chocolate chips, orange zest and a pinch of ginger |
| Frosting | Cream cheese icing with orange zest | Orange cream cheese frosting made with block cream cheese |
| Topping | A sprinkle of dried cranberries | Chopped cranberries plus a white chocolate drizzle |
At Starbucks it's a holiday-menu item. It came back with the holiday menu on November 6 in 2025, and Starbucks says it returns again with the 2026 holiday menu starting November 5, 2026 (Starbucks, October 2026). Stock varies by store, so check the app. My test for any copycat: does it taste like the one I remember, and can you make it at home without fuss? This one passes, any week of the year.
More Starbucks-Style Holiday Treats
Pour a copycat Starbucks peppermint mocha to go with a bar, or bake a copycat Starbucks gingerbread loaf and a Starbucks-style coffee cake for a holiday brunch. Browse all of my Starbucks copycat recipes, or find more festive bakes in my Christmas recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in the cranberry bliss bar from Starbucks?
Starbucks describes it as a chewy blondie cake with dried cranberries, topped with cream cheese icing flecked with orange zest and more dried cranberries. The recipe isn't published, so my copycat rebuilds those layers with a brown sugar blondie, white chocolate, an orange cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate drizzle.
Is Starbucks still selling cranberry bliss bars?
Yes, seasonally. Starbucks says the Cranberry Bliss Bar returns with its 2026 holiday menu, which starts November 5, 2026. It's a limited-time holiday item and stock varies by store, so check the Starbucks app. At home, I bake a pan whenever the craving hits.
Can you buy cranberry bliss bars?
Only at Starbucks during the holiday season. They're sold by the bar, and Starbucks' own Rewards terms mention a tray of Cranberry Bliss Bars as a multi-serve item. The rest of the year, homemade is the way to go: one 9×13 pan gives you 24 triangles.
How do I know when the blondie is done?
Look for golden edges that are just starting to pull away from the pan, a top that looks set and no longer shiny, and a toothpick inserted about 1 inch from the center that comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. That's usually 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F in a metal pan.
Do cranberry bliss bars need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep them covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. They taste best after 15 minutes out of the fridge.
Can I freeze cranberry bliss bars?
Yes. Freeze the cut triangles in a single layer until firm, then pack them in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Not for this recipe. Fresh cranberries are much more tart and release juice into the blondie, so the bars turn soggy. Stick with dried cranberries for that chewy, sweet-tart bite.
How do I make my bliss bars taste more like the Starbucks ones?
Three things make the biggest difference: orange zest in the cream cheese frosting, sweetened dried cranberries scattered over the top, and a thin drizzle of melted white chocolate. Chill the frosted slab for at least an hour before cutting so you get clean triangles like the bakery case.
