These deliciously chewy and soft vegan cranberry bliss bars taste just like the Starbucks version- and are unbelievably dairy free, no eggs, and vegan! Skip the line and make these at home for a fun holiday dessert or mid morning treat!
Unbelievably vegan cranberry bliss bars:
All of my vegan Starbucks lovers rejoice- we havethecopycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars- made entirely without eggs and dairy! But I know what you’re thinking- are theyreallyjust like the Starbucks version?
Yes, I can absolutely confirm. My brother, a lover of all things Starbucks (and not a vegan), took one bite and was speechless. He said it tasted like the Starbucks versionbut betterbecause you can absolutely tell it’s freshly baked- and that does make all the difference!
Let me tell you a bit about why you’ll love these unbelievably vegan cranberry bliss bars:
- Texture:Essentially like a blondie and cake combined into the perfect blondie cakebar,these vegan cranberry bliss bars are deliciously dense and chewy, yet also soft, like cake. There’s almost a fudge like quality to them, like brownies, thanks to so many vegan white chocolate chips in there!
- Flavor:Like holiday cheer in a bar, these cranberry bliss bars are full of seasonal deliciousness. The notes of orange and ginger pair wonderfully with the sweet and tart cranberries, and deliciously creamy vegan white chocolate chips. Top that with a vegan cream cheese frosting, and it’s like a symphony of flavors!
- Ease:If you’ve ever made cookies or blondies, then you’ll see just how easy these bars are! They also don’t take that much time either, since we’re not chilling the dough. The longest part of the process is allowing the cranberry bliss bars to cool in the baking dish before frosting!
- Nostalgia:If anything, these vegan bliss bars just taste like nostalgia. Whether you’ve been vegan for years or recently started, you will take one bite and realize you’re not missing out. Youcanhave all of your favorites, while eating a plant-based life! And the best part? You might even convert a few non-vegans too 😉
What is in a cranberry bliss bar from Starbucks?
The Starbucks cranberry bliss bars are deliciously dense and chewy blondies (almost cake like!) filled with cranberries and which chocolate chips, and a hint of ginger and orange for balance. They’re also topped with an incredible cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with chopped cranberries and a drizzle of white chocolate!
However, the Starbucks classic holiday coffee dessert is far from vegan. Here are the ingredients listed for the store bought version:
“Enriched Flour[Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Enzyme, Folic Acid], Brown Sugar,Cream Cheese[Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum],Butter[Cream], White Confectionery Coating[Sugar, Palm Kernel And Palm Oils,WheyPowder,Nonfat MilkPowder, Soy Lecithin(Emulsifier), Natural Flavor, Vanilla], Cranberries[Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil], White Confectionery Coating[Sugar, Palm Kernel And Palm Oils,Whey,Nonfat Milk, Soy Lecithin, Pure Vanilla],Egg, Icing Sugar[Sucrose, Maltodextrin], Ginger[Ginger, Cane Sugar], Canola Oil, Palm Oil, Salt, Sugared Orange Peel[Orange Peel, Sugar And Orange Oil], Cornstarch, Vanilla Extract, Water, Coconut Oil, Maltitol, Maltitol Syrup, Baking Powder[Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate], Leavening[Sodium Bicarbonate], Soy Lecithin.” Source: Starbucks Website.
So how will we make these amazing and unbelievably delicious cranberry bliss bars taste identical to the classic, but remain vegan? Let’s go over it!
What you need for VEGAN cranberry bliss bars:
We’re skipping the milk, eggs, and butter for this recipe, but don’t worry- we’re not sacrificing taste! Here are the simple ingredients that you need that will transform into the most decadent cranberry bliss bars- and all vegan too!
- All Purpose Flour
- Brown sugar:I recommend Florida Crystals!
- Ground ginger:Starbucks states in the ingredients that there is a touch of ginger in there for contrast!
- Baking powder
- Cornstarch:This is to give our copycat Starbuck’s cranberry bliss bars a bit more of a chewy texture! You can also swap in arrowroot starch if preferred!
- Sea salt
- Orange juice and orange zest
- Vegan butter:I recommend Miyoko’s vegan butter! Try to find their unsalted butter. If you can’t, just omit the sea salt in the dry ingredients!
- Dairy free yogurt:This is our vegan egg replacement. You can also swap in applesauce if preferred! About 1/3 cup of yogurt is equivalent to 1 large egg.
- Vanilla extract
- Vegan white chocolate chips:I love Pascha Chocolate for this!
- Dried cranberries
- Vegan cream cheese frosting:This is something that we’ll make together- it’s a combination of cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar- all dairy free and vegan!
Steps to making cranberry bliss bars at home:
Cranberry bliss bars are essentially making cookies, but way less time. Instead of scooping the dough, we spread it in a jelly pan and bake!
The most crucial step to this recipe isfully allowing the baked blondies to cool before spreading the frosting on top.If you spread the frosting when there’s even just a HINT of heat in the bars, you’ll have a melted mess! (Still delicious, but not what we’re going for 😉 ).
Here’s a quick overview of how to make these vegan cranberry bliss bars:
- We’ll start with making the dough.If you’ve ever made cookie dough, then you’re in luck! The steps are nearly identical. You’ll cream together the wet ingredients, then add in the dry and mix ins to the butter mixture. The only step we’re skipping is chilling the dough- there’s no need!
- Next, you’ll spread the cranberry bliss batter/dough onto your jelly roll pan.If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can also use a medium baking sheet or rectangular baking dish! Make sure the measurements are close to 10×13″ however, or you’ll make thinner bars if any larger in pan size. Make sure that it’s properly lined with parchment paper- this will help you remove the cranberry bliss bars before slicing so that you don’t scratch your pan!
- Then, bake the bars.They’ll need about 30 minutes in the oven, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The bars will still feel soft- don’t worry, it’s cooked! Because they’re vegan, the dough is a little softer always right out of the oven, but it does set properly. Just keep the bliss bars in the jelly pan!
- Cool.Do not frost until you’ve cooled your bars completely!
- Make the cream cheese frosting and frost.Like the cranberry bliss bar dough, you can do this either in a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer! Check out my whole guide on how to make cream cheese frosting here!
- Frost and decorate!Sprinkle with cranberries and orange zest, and add a little drizzle of vegan melted white chocolate (use the microwave or stovetop to melt your chocolate!)! Then chill the bars for 30 minutes (still on the jelly roll pan and NOT sliced) in the freezer to properly set the frosting.
- Slice and serve!Follow these guidelines for how to slice the cranberry bliss bars into triangles below. Then enjoy!
Can I also make these cranberry bliss bars gluten free?
These cranberry bliss bars can indeed be made gluten free as well. I recommend using King Arthur measure-for-measure flour, in the white bag! It’s my go-to gluten-free flour blend for baking cakes, cookies, brownies, and bars (for gluten free breads, I like to make my own blend!). This is because it contains xanthan gum. I actually prefer it to Bob’s Red Mill for this recipe as well!
Can I freeze these vegan cranberry bliss bars?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze these homemade cranberry bliss bars! They’ll last for about 3 months in the freezer when sealed in an airtight bag or container.To thaw,simply transfer the cranberry bliss bars to the fridge overnight- or enjoy frozen!
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Unbelievably Vegan Cranberry Bliss Bars (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
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- Author: Britt Berlin
- Prep Time: 15
- Cooling time: 60
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These deliciously chewy and soft vegan cranberry bliss bars taste just like the Starbucks version- and are unbelievably dairy free, no eggs, and vegan! Skip the line and make these at home for a fun holiday dessert or mid morning treat!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all purpose flour*
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups (275 g) organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (140 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange juice
- 3/4 cup vegan white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup melted vegan white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep:Line a 10×13″ jelly roll pan or baking sheet with walls with parchment paper. Measure out all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Whisk the dryingredients:In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Make the batter:In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in the yogurt, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Mix together again until combined. Then fold in the dry ingredients using a silicone spatula, just until mixed- be careful not to over mix!
- Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips:Add in the cranberries and white chocolate chips, and fold just until evenly mixed.
- Bake:Spread the cookie dough batter in the jelly roll pan until the edges of the pan. Place the pan into the oven to bake for 27-30 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden brown. Remove the cranberry bliss bars from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.Do not remove the cranberry bliss bars from the pan yet! I will tell you!
- Once the bars are FULLY COOLED, make the frosting:Follow the instructions for making the vegan cream cheese frosting. Only frost the cranberry bliss bars (still in the pan) once there is absolutely no heat coming from the bars! Spread the frosting to the edges, and top with the additional dried cranberries and orange zest.
- Chill:Place the cranberry bliss bars, still in the pan, into the freezer to chill and harden the frosting for 15-20 minutes.
- Slice:Remove the vegan cranberry bliss bars from the freezer, and carefully transfer the bars from the parchment paper to a cutting board or table. Slice the bars into 9 large rectangles, then slice each rectangle diagonally (see photos in post).
- Drizzle andenjoy!Drizzle with the extra vegan melted white chocolate, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
Gluten free:Swap in King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten free flour for gluten free.
Yogurt:You can swap in an equal amount of applesauce or ground flax seed “eggs.” However, yogurt yields the best result.
