Small-batch Cranberry Bliss Bars

5 from 2 votes

Small-batch Cranberry Bliss Bars

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: copy cat, cranberry, cranberry bliss, cranberry bliss bars, easy recipes, gluten-free, plant-based, small-batch, starbucks, vegan, white chocolate

Servings: bars

Calories: 198kcal

Equipment

Standard loaf pan or muffin pan

Ingredients

Bar dough

4 tbsp (plant) butter, softened (56 g)
4 tbsp sugar (48 g) brown/coconut works best
3 tbsp ripe banana, mashed (45 g) sub applesauce or a flax egg, this is your egg replacer
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
(optional) orange/lemon zest
3/4 cup flour (90 g) gf all purpose if desired
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Mix-ins

1/4 cup white chocolate chips (45 g)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped (40 g)

Frosting

1/4 cup vanilla frosting (60 g) read recipe notes for how to make at home
(optional) more chopped cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F and line your baking pan with parchment (or use muffin liners).
In a bowl, melt the butter (30 sec in the microwave) and stir in sugar, banana, vanilla and orange zest. I just mashed the banana while mixing.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until just combined. The dough should be a bit thick and sticky. If too dry, add 1 tsp water/milk at a time to thin.
Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Transfer the mixture to the pan and press down evenly with your hands or a spatula. Bake for 17-20 minutes until the top is set and starting to have color around the edges. Do not over bake or they will dry out.
Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully use the parchment paper to lift them out and onto a cooling rack. Cool completely (ideally refrigerate overnight) before frosting.
Frost with the frosting and sprinkle cranberries.
Slice and enjoy!

Notes

To make a (vegan) cream cheese frosting beat together: 1 tbsp softened (plant) butter, 2 tbsp softened (vegan) cream cheese, 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar and a drop of vanilla until fluffy and smooth. There will be a bit leftover to eat with some strawberries, yum!
To make a flax egg, stir together 1 tbsp (7 g) flax seed meal and 3 tbsp water and let it sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
No they do not taste like banana, but if you're extra paranoid about the banana taste, use applesauce or flax egg. I just think banana is super convenient as I always have some ripe nanars on hand.

Nutrition