How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

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These delicious white chocolate cranberry bars are topped with a from scratch cream cheese frosting and drizzled with decadent dark chocolate! Get the full recipe here…

What You Need to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

These bars are easy and made with simple ingredients! The only cookware you need is a 9×13 sheet pan. If serving to a crowd or party you may want some parchment paper for easy, clean removal of your bars.

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Ingredients

• 2 sticks salted butter (add 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted)

• 1 cup cane sugar (regular sugar is fine but cane is more natural and gives a much better flavor!)

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional- for drizzle on top)

*See “How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting” for ingredients for that.

Variations and Substitutions

Here are a few ingredient substitutions for your cranberry bars…

Butter. This recipe is best made with salted butter. However, if you do not have salted you can use unsalted and add 1/2 tsp salt. If you prefer to not use butter you can substitute two sticks of butter for 1 cup of melted coconut oil.

Cane Sugar. Cane sugar can be substituted for equal parts white granulated sugar. You can also make them healthier using equal parts of honey or maple syrup.

White Chocolate Chips. You do not have to add white chocolate chips if you do not wish or if you do not have white chocolate chips you can substitute them for dark or milk chocolate chips.

Dried Cranberries. The cranberries can be substituted for any kind of dried berry or raisin you have on hand.

Dark Chocolate Drizzle. The dark chocolate drizzle is completely optional but delicious!

A few variations of this recipe would be to make them without the cream cheese frosting or without the chocolate drizzle on top. Both of those are completely optional and the base tastes very good on its own! You can also make them as drop cookies instead of sheet pan form. Sheet pan is definitely easier and will give you “bars” but if you are just wanting a few cookies you can drop a heaping tablespoon onto a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

My cream cheese frosting recipe is pretty basic and customizable to your taste. Here is what you need….

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all these ingredients together using your Kitchen Aid or a hand mixer. If you prefer sweeter frosting you will want about 2 cups + of powdered sugar (go slowly after 2 cups and add with your heart!). If you prefer your frosting more tangy/cream cheese flavored use less sugar (around 1 1/2 cups or less).

How to Make White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Making white chocolate cranberry bars is so easy. It is even easier with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and dough hook attachment. Regardless if you have a stand mixer you can definitely mix this cookie dough up by hand in a flash!

1. Combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups flour and baking powder then add 1/4 cup flour at a time until the dough is thick and pliable. Stir in 1/2 cup dried cranberries (the rest are used for topping) and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.
2. Place the dough on a 9×13 sheet pan and gently press until the pan is filled with the dough.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. (The texture may seem a bit doughy but it will be perfect for the bars once they have cooled. You do not want to overtake these or they will be crumbly.)
4. Allow the bars to cool completely (about 20-30 minutes).
5. Apply cream cheese frosting if desired. Sprinkle with leftover cranberries. Make chocolate drizzle by melting 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. Place in a piping bag (or ziplock with tip cut off!) and drizzle lightly over the bars. I like to do it at a slight angle for looks!

Storing and Freezing

Your white chocolate cranberry bars can be stored in a Tupperware or glass dish with a lid for up to 3 days on the countertop or 5 days in the refrigerator. These bars can be frozen after baking by cutting them and freezing individually on a sheet pan then storing in a freezer safe Tupperware with a lid. I prefer to layer them with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. The dough for these bars can also be pre-made and frozen. Frozen bars and dough will keep fresh up to three months in the refrigerator.

Other Sweet Treats to Try

• Cranberry Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread

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