Sourdough Cranberry Bliss Bars
Soft, chewy, and perfectly festive, these Sourdough Cranberry Bliss Bars taste like the holiday Starbucks classic but so much better. The blondie base is rich with brown sugar, real orange zest, warm winter spices, and creamy white chocolate. Top with a silky orange cream cheese icing, extra cranberries and white chocolate and enjoy!
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan - I love this pan from USA Bakeware linked here.
- Parchment paper - to line pan to avoid burning and for a clean release. Don't skip this!
- Measuring cups and spoons - for measuring ingredients.
- Mixing bowls - for batter and cream cheese frosting.
- Whisk + spatula - to mix ingredients and spread batter and frosting.
- Hand mixer - for whipping the frosting.
- Kitchen scale (optional) - for precise measurements.
- Frosting knife (optional) - to spread icing.
- Microplane or zester - for zesting oranges. I love this zester linked here.
- Ziplock or pastry bag - for drizzling white chocolate.
Ingredients
Blondie Base:
- 10 (140g) tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¾ (150g) cup brown sugar
- ¼ (50g) cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ (80g) cup sourdough discard
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp orange extract
- 2 tsp orange zest
Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ (180g) cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Mix ins:
- 1 (120g) cup cranberries
- 1 (150g) cup white chocolate chips
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 (226g) oz cream cheese softened
- 2 (30g) tbsp butter softened
- 1 1/2 (180g) cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ½ tsp orange extract
- 2 tsp orange zest
Toppings:
- 1/2 (60g) cup chopped cranberries
- 1/2 (85g) cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the blondie base
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang. Don't skip this step, it'll make removing the bars so much easier.
- In a microwave safe bowl or a small pot, melt your butter and whisk until smooth. Transfer to your mixing bowl.10 (140g) tbsp unsalted butter
- Next, add the brown sugar and white sugar to the butter- whisking to melt them together until the mixture is glossy.¾ (150g) cup brown sugar, ¼ (50g) cup white granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, sourdough discard, vanilla, orange zest, and orange extract to the bowl and whisk until smooth.2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, ⅓ (80g) cup sourdough discard, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp orange extract, 2 tsp orange zest
- Measure your flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, ginger, and cinnamon into the wet ingredients, and combine until the dry ingredients are just mixed in and streaks don't remain. Don't overmix at this stage, or the bars will be tough.1 ½ (180g) cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cornstarch, ½ tsp salt, ¾ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate into the blondie batter gently, then spread the batter into the prepared pan evenly.1 (120g) cup cranberries, 1 (150g) cup white chocolate chips
- Optional Overnight Fermentation: if you want to let this batter rest to have the sourdough discard work it's magic, cover the blondie in the pan with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator overnight and bake the next day.
- Bake the bar for 30-35 minutes, the edges should be browning and the center matte not shiny. Internal temperature of the center when done should be 195-200 F. Remove the pan from the oven as soon as the bar is done, and allow to cool completely before proceeding with frosting the bars.
Step 2: Frost the bars
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature before mixing the frosting.
- In a bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Whip on high with hand beaters until smooth and light.8 (226g) oz cream cheese, 2 (30g) tbsp butter
- Add the vanilla, orange extract, orange zest, and salt to the frosting. Beat to mix in the ingredients for 30 seconds.½ tsp vanilla, ½ tsp orange extract, 2 tsp orange zest, 1/8 tsp salt
- Lastly, add the powdered sugar to the frosting and combine on low to incorporate for a minute then increase the speed to high and whip the frosting for a minute until it's fluffy and creamy.1 1/2 (180g) cups powdered sugar
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals in the microwave until just melted. If needed, you can add a little coconut oil to thin the chocolate. Transfer the chocolate to a ziplock or pastry bag for later.1/2 (85g) cup white chocolate chips
- Spread the orange cream cheese frosting evenly over your cooled bars, making sure to meet the edges.
- Chop more cranberries into pieces, and sprinkle over the top of the bars.1/2 (60g) cup chopped cranberries
- Snipping off a small piece of the corner of your Ziplock or the pastry bag, drizzle the top of the bars in circular motions with the white chocolate. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can also use a whisk to drizzle the chocolate.
- Allow the white chocolate to set, then cut the bars into 12 even squares (4 rows across and 3 top to bottom). If you want them to look like the classic Cranberry Bliss Bars, cut each of the squares in half to form rectangles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Storage Tips:
Refrigerating- Store bars in an airtight container up to five days in the refrigerator. FAQ'S: Can I use fresh cranberries? No, dried cranberries are essential for classic bliss bar texture. What can I use in place of orange extract? Replace the orange extract with more orange zest if you can't find orange extract. The flavor may not be quite as strong with orange though! Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!