Festive Holiday Cranberry Bliss Bars

BY Emily Parker December 25, 2025

These seasonal treats offer a sophisticated balance of tart fruit, aromatic spice, and rich white chocolate. Often sought after during the colder months for their bright color and warming ginger notes, cranberry bliss bars serve as an elegant addition to any dessert tray or afternoon coffee gathering. The dense, blondie-like base provides a chewy foundation for the silky cream cheese frosting and sweet-tart toppings. This recipe emphasizes a high-quality crumb texture and a balanced citrus-infused glaze that cuts through the richness of the white chocolate chips, making them a standout choice for holiday entertaining or thoughtful gifting.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

The Blondie Base

Three quarters cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
One cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
Three large eggs, room temperature
Two tablespoons candied ginger, very finely minced
One teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One half teaspoon fine sea salt
One and one half cups all-purpose flour
One half teaspoon baking powder
Three quarters cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
One cup white chocolate chips

The Cream Cheese Frosting

Four ounces cream cheese (one half of an eight-ounce block), softened
Three cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
One tablespoon fresh orange juice
One teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Finishing Touches

One quarter cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Two tablespoons candied ginger, minced
One half cup confectioners’ sugar
One tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Prepare the frosting by combining softened cream cheese, three cups of sugar, orange juice, and vanilla until completely smooth; refrigerate.
Preheat your oven to three hundred fifty Fahrenheit and grease a nine by thirteen inch metal baking pan with butter.
Cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light and aerated.
Incorporate the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully blended before adding the next, then stir in the ginger, vanilla, and salt.
Gently mix in the flour and baking powder until no dry streaks remains, then fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Spread the thick batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.
Bake at three hundred fifty Fahrenheit for approximately thirty minutes until the edges are golden and the center is set.
Allow the base to cool entirely in the pan before applying the chilled frosting and sprinkling with extra cranberries and ginger.
Whisk the final half cup of sugar with heavy cream and drizzle the glaze over the bars in a decorative pattern.
Chill the pan for at least two hours to set the layers before slicing into triangles.

Step-by-Step Details

Preparing the Foundation

To achieve the signature chewy texture of cranberry bliss bars, start with softened, but not melted, butter. When you cream the butter with dark brown sugar, look for a texture that resembles wet sand. Dark brown sugar is essential here because its higher molasses content provides a deep caramel flavor that pairs better with cranberries than light brown sugar. When adding the eggs, the batter might look slightly curdled at first; continue beating until it regains a smooth, emulsified appearance.

Mixing and Folding

The dry ingredients should be added with a light hand. Over-mixing the flour can lead to a cake-like or tough bar rather than the dense, fudgy consistency desired. When folding in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, ensure they are distributed evenly so every bite contains a balance of sweet and tart. The batter will be quite thick, requiring a bit of effort to spread to the corners of your nine by thirteen inch pan.

Monitoring the Bake

Because these bars are dense, the “toothpick test” is your best friend. Insert it into the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. The edges will begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan and turn a deep golden brown. Avoid over-baking, as the bars will continue to firm up as they cool.

Frosting and Glazing

The frosting must be applied to a completely cool base. If the pan is even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and become runny. Sifting the confectioners’ sugar is a vital step to avoid tiny white lumps in your topping. For the final drizzle, the consistency should be thick enough to hold its shape but fluid enough to fall off a spoon in a steady stream.

Pro Tips

Chop the Cranberries: Do not skip chopping the dried cranberries for the topping. Smaller pieces ensure a more even distribution of flavor and make the bars much easier to slice cleanly.
Temperature Matters: Ensure your cream cheese and butter are truly at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will result in a lumpy frosting that is impossible to smooth out.
Citrus Zest: For a more intense aromatic profile, add the zest of one orange to the blondie batter along with the vanilla.
Clean Slices: To get those sharp, professional-looking triangular edges, wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp cloth between every single cut.
Ginger Texture: Mince the candied ginger as finely as possible. You want the flavor to permeate the bars without providing a tough or overly spicy chunk for the eater to chew on.
Pan Choice: Use a metal baking pan rather than glass for more even heat distribution and sharper corners on your bars.

Variations or Substitutions

White Chocolate Drizzle: Instead of the sugar and cream glaze, you can melt one half cup of white chocolate chips with a teaspoon of shortening for a richer, snappier finish.
Nutty Addition: Fold in one half cup of toasted, chopped macadamia nuts or pecans for an added crunch that complements the chewy dried fruit.
Citrus Swap: If you prefer a sharper tang, replace the orange juice in the frosting with fresh lemon juice and use lemon zest in the batter.
Brown Butter Version: For a nuttier, more complex base, brown the butter in a saucepan first, then let it solidify back to a soft room temperature before starting the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

These bars are traditionally served chilled, which keeps the frosting firm and the base chewy. To present them like a professional bakery, cut the rectangle into squares first, then slice each square diagonally to create two triangles.

They pair exceptionally well with a hot latte or a spiced herbal tea. If you are serving them at a party, arrange them on a white ceramic platter to let the vibrant red of the cranberries and the orange-tinted ginger pop against the white frosting.

FAQs

Can I freeze these bars for later?

Yes, they freeze remarkably well. Wrap the sliced bars individually in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container for up to three months; thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Why did my frosting turn out runny?

This usually happens if the cream cheese was over-beaten or if the liquid (juice) was added too quickly. If it is too thin, simply whisk in an extra quarter cup of confectioners’ sugar until the desired thickness is reached.

Do I have to use candied ginger?

While the candied ginger provides a specific spicy-sweet punch characteristic of this dessert, you can omit it if you are sensitive to ginger. However, the bars will lose some of their signature “bliss” flavor profile.

How should I store leftover bars?

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in a single layer or separated by parchment paper in an airtight container for up to five days.

Nutrition Information

Nutrient	Amount per Serving
Calories	414 kcal
Protein	4 g
Carbs	64 g
Fat	17 g
Fiber	1 g
Sugar	53 g
Sodium	201 mg