Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars - Skinny Version!

Forget about spending a fortune at Starbucks. Use this copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars recipe to make your own at home this year. Your wallet (and your waistline!) will thank you for it, believe me.

You can’t go wrong with white chocolate and cranberry at Christmas. There’s just something about these two ingredients that suggests the holidays. Even the colors - white and red - look festive!

From Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Overnight Oats first thing in the morning to Healthy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies to help you get through the afternoon, white chocolate and cranberry is a winning combination at this time of year.

Calories

Regular Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars have 360 calories per serving. These Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are just 240 calories each and are larger than the ones you get in the coffee shop. This means you really can have your cake and eat it, too!

If you want to cut down on the calories even further, you can divide the blondie up into 16 pieces instead of 8. This way, each portion is only 120 calories - that's just ⅓ of the calorie-count of the original bars.

I don't suggest skipping the icing altogether, as that will leave your Cranberry Bliss Bars a little dry. But you can try halving the icing ingredients and using a piping bag to drizzle it on instead of spreading it.

As well as cutting down on the calories, this technique also makes the bars look much prettier and more professional.

Equipment

Classic Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are cut into triangles. To make this shape, you'll need a small square baking tray, such as this one. You then cut the entire bar into squares, then cut each square into a triangle.

Alternatively, if you want to achieve the shape you see in the photos, you can bake your Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars in a round pan, like this one. After baking and icing, you slice the bars like a cake or a pizza.

If you want to keep things as easy as possible, you can even use a cupcake or muffin tray with individual portions. This way you don't even have to cut your bars. Just pop them out and plate them up.

Perfect for parties

Throwing a Christmas party? This Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe will make the perfect addition to your dessert table. You can easily double or even triple the ingredients to make a great big batch.

(If you do this, don't forget to use a bigger baking pan, or your bars will come out far too thick!)

If you don't have a bigger baking pan and don't want to waste time baking multiple batches, there is another option. Instead of cutting the entire bar into 8 portions, you can divide it up into 16 portions, or even 20.

This way you don't have to do any extra baking and everyone still get the chance to try your Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars. People love sampling a little bit of everything at parties, so you'll have less waste this way, too.

Storage

Everyone is super busy around the holidays. Thankfully this Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe can be made in advance so you don't have to worry about last-minute baking.

After cutting, carefully place the bars into an air-tight container and leave in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The icing will set wonderfully in the refrigerator and contrast perfectly with the chewy blondie bottom.

These bars also freeze really well. You can keep them frozen inside an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the refrigerator overnight before eating. This way, you can enjoy Cranberry Bliss Bars all-year-round!

Serving suggestions

Get into the festive spirit by serving this dessert with a Christmas cocktail! You can go down the traditional route and whip up the best mulled wine in the world or try something new and make a batch of vodka cranberry slush. (The slush takes hours to set in the freezer, so make it well in advance!)

If you'd rather serve these festive bites of deliciousness up with a warm drink I definitely recommend a winter snowflake cocktail. Not a fan of Baileys or Kahlua? Then try some homemade eggnog with marshmallow vodka.

Similar recipes

If you're looking for a straight up Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe, I've got you covered. I do have a regular copycat version. They taste amazing, but they're also super high in fat, sugar and calories.

I definitely recommend you try the skinny version first, if you're used to lighter desserts. This skinny recipe tastes really similar to the original Starbucks bars, but it won't make you sad when you try to zip up your pants.

📖 Recipe

Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

Forget about spending a fortune at Starbucks. Use this copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars recipe to make your own at home this year. Your wallet (and your waistline!) will thank you for it, believe me.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Copycat starbucks cranberry bliss bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 bars

Calories: 240kcal

Ingredients

for the bars

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar unpacked
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup white chocolate chips/chopped white chocolate
• 3 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries

for the icing

• 4 oz /113g fat-free cream cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries + extra for decorating

Instructions

for the bars

• Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and both sugars in a medium-size bowl.
• Pour in the melted butter and egg white and mix until a stiff and fairly sticky dough comes together.
• Sprinkle over the white chocolate chips/chopped white chocolate and chopped cranberries. Stir them into the dough until they're evenly dispersed.
• Press the cookie dough into the base of a 9" round cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Remove the cookie base from the oven and tip it out onto a wire baking tray. Leave to cool fully before spreading on the icing.

for the icing

• In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
• When the cookie base is cool, spread over the icing, making sure you cover all the way to the edges.
• Sprinkle on a few extra chopped dried cranberries for decoration then cut into 8 slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal