Cranberry Bliss Bars Orange Frosting (Printable)

Buttery bars loaded with cranberries and topped with tangy orange frosting

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bar Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup packed brown sugar
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 3 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
11 - 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

→ Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

12 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon orange zest
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

→ Topping

16 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped for garnish
17 - 1/3 cup white chocolate, melted for drizzle

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chips using a spatula until evenly distributed.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly, smoothing the top surface.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges are golden brown.
09 - Allow bars to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
10 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in orange zest and orange juice until creamy and spreadable.
11 - Once completely cooled, spread frosting evenly over the bars using an offset spatula or knife.
12 - If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped dried cranberries. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top using a spoon or piping bag.
13 - Cut bars into squares or rectangles and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like the fancy coffeehouse version but cost a fraction of the price and let you control the sweetness.
  • The orange cream cheese frosting adds a bright, citrusy punch that cuts through the buttery richness in the best way.
  • You can make them a day ahead, and honestly, they taste even better after a night in the fridge.
  • Theyre endlessly adaptable: swap cranberries for cherries, add ginger, or skip the drizzle if youre short on time.
02 -
  • Do not frost warm bars; the cream cheese frosting will melt into a puddle and slide right off.
  • Chop the cranberries or youll get big, chewy clumps that throw off the texture.
  • Let the melted white chocolate cool slightly before drizzling, or it will be too runny and disappear into the frosting.
  • If your batter seems thick, thats normal; it should be more like a dense cookie dough than a cake batter.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to spread the frosting smoothly and evenly; it gives you more control than a regular knife.
  • For a professional drizzle, transfer the melted white chocolate to a small zip-top bag, snip off a tiny corner, and pipe thin lines across the bars.
  • If the bars seem hard to cut, run your knife under hot water, dry it, and slice; repeat between each cut for bakery-clean edges.
  • Double the recipe and bake in two pans if youre feeding a crowd; they disappear faster than you think.
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