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    Home » Dessert Recipes » Cookies & Bars » Cranberry Bliss Bars

    Cranberry Bliss Bars

    Gluten & Grain Free RecipesLow Carb & Keto RecipesSugar Free RecipesTrim Healthy Mama Recipes

    Published: Sep 21, 2018 by Taryn

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
    Print Recipe Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image for cranberry bliss bars
    pinterest image for cranberry bliss bars

    This delightful keto fall treat is reminiscent of the famous cranberry bliss bars sold at Starbucks with cranberries, hints of orange and ginger, and cream cheese icing. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.

     

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    plate full of cranberry bliss bars

    This was one of the very first recipes I blogged back in January of 2016. I was blogging as a hobby and using my cell phone to takes pics of my creations. A few months later I broke out my DSLR and began using my photography background for real. I've been wanting to redo the photos of my cranberry bliss bars ever since.

    Cranberries speak fall to me so as soon as September rolls around I begin craving these. Last fall I had a newborn so I never got a chance. A few days ago I decided to finally redo this past and a frantic cranberry hunt began. It took 4 stores until I found cranberries and even then I could only find frozen ones! I hope they'll be more readily available as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

    spatula lifting cranberry bliss bar from casserole dish

    Quoting myself from 2016:

    They aren't an exact copycat because I didn't feel like ordering cocoa butter to make sugar free white chocolate chips or spending a day hovering over the oven to make sugar free dried cranberries. If you decide to give either a try google you can find recipes for both online from other blogs.

    I, however, wanted these this morning. For breakfast. I'm not the most patient person in the world. Anyway, these are a soft bar flavored with your choice of ginger or orange (the Starbucks version uses ginger but I'm not a huge fan of it so I'm adding a variation to use orange extract instead of fresh ginger). They are studded with fresh cranberries and topped with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.

    Since then I have managed to make my own sugar free dried cranberries and sugar free white chocolate chips have become readily available. But I decided to keep these bars true to my original recipe and keep the white chocolate drizzle optional. It can be fussy and you really don't even miss it. The cream cheese icing is enough.

    ingredients for cranberry bliss bars in separate mixing bowls

    How to Make Cranberry Bliss Bars

    These cranberry bliss bars are on the list of easy desserts. The dough can be made with a wooden spoon or in the food processor. I use my food processor to chop my cranberries so it makes sense to use it for the dough afterward. And then for the cream cheese icing after that.

    And no I don't even bother to wash the bowl in between. Blogging has added to the amount of dishwashing I have to do since I have a large family. I take shortcuts whenever possible.

    cranberry bliss bar batter in mixing bowl close up

    Unsweetened Dried Cranberries or Sugar-Free Dried Cranberries

    These really can be hard to find. You can make your own at home by slowly drying the cranberries on your stovetop or in the oven or you can order them online. I came up with the stovetop method accidentally. I made sweetened dried cranberries when I was trying to make cranberry sauce. True story.

    I completely forgot I put cranberries and sweetener in a saucepan on low to make cranberry sauce. I was in the basement with my daughter and we were trying to figure out why we were smelling popcorn. It suddenly dawned on me that we weren't smelling popcorn at all, we were smelling my cooking cranberries. I was afraid I burned my cranberry sauce but what I really did was dry out and glaze the berries at the same time.

    I finally came back around to that recipe and created a blog post all about it! Check out my recipe for Sugar Free Dried Cranberries.

    close up of cranberry bliss bars with no frosting

    How to make the BEST cream cheese icing?

    You've come to the right place. Cream cheese icing is my favorite thing ever. Or one of them. And I've tweaked my recipe over the years to make a perfect cream cheese icing. My tips are to use a powdered sweetener (granulated sweeteners make it gritty), to add a little butter, and to add a couple drops of lemon extract.

    baking dish full with cranberry bliss bars

    If you can't get dried cranberries or don't want to make your own you can simply chop a few fresh ones, toss with sweetener, and scatter those on top of the cranberry bliss bars. That way you still get that pretty red on top.
    corner piece of cranberry bliss bar missing from baking dish
    If you love these Cranberry Bliss Bars make sure to also check out my Cranberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing! They are based on this recipe and have a surprise cranberry sauce filling. 

    close up on one cranberry bliss bar

     

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    plate of cranberry bliss bars

    Cranberry Bliss Bars

    This healthy version of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars will let you have this classic fall treat guilt free!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 110
    Author: Taryn

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoon softened butter
    • ⅓ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
    • 1 teaspoon molasses ***
    • pinch salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ½ tsp orange extract
    • ¼ cup almond flour
    • ¼ cup coconut flour
    • ¼ cup ground golden flax (or additional almond flour)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ginger optional
    • 1 cup fresh cranberries or sugar free dried cranberries (if using fresh, finely chop by hand or in a food processor and toss with 2 tablespoon sweetener)
    • ½ cup sugar free white chocolate chips optional

    Frosting:

    • 4 oz cream cheese softened
    • 1 tablespoon butter softened
    • ½ cup powdered sweetener
    • 4 drops lemon extract

    White Chocolate Drizzle:

    • ½ cup sugar free white chocolate chips optional
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking pan.
    • Cream together butter and sweetener. Add molasses, salt, eggs, and extracts. Mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips, if using.
    • Spread in an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30-35 min. until golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, mix together the cream cheese, butter, sweetener, and lemon extract until fluffy.
    • Spread icing very gently on cooled bars. The bars can crumble if you aren't gentle. The best way to do this is to drop little blobs of icing on slightly warm bars and spread using an offset spatula. Top with chopped fresh cranberries mixed with sweetener or dried cranberries.
    • Refrigerate until cold and cut into squares.

    Optional - White Chocolate Drizzle:

    • When I made this recipe sugar free white chocolate was not readily available. Now that it is, feel free to melt some and drizzle on top!

    Notes

    Molasses: I get a lot of comments from my low carb readers on the use of molasses. I use it for flavor, not sweetness. One teaspoon of molasses has 5 grams of carbs. This recipe makes 16 bars. That is less than .5 grams of carbs from the molasses. If you prefer you can just omit it.
    Sugar Free Dried Cranberries: It is easy to make your own with this recipe.
    9x13 pan: My original recipe had thin bars baked in a 9x13 baking pan. If you would prefer thinner bars bake for 20-25 minutes and double the amount of icing.
    Notes on Sweeteners: 
    I use my own blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. This is twice as sweet as sugar. It is comparable to Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet and Truvia.
    To sub in Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit use 1.5 times the amount of sweetener called for. 
     
    To sub in Pyure or Trim Healthy Mama Super Sweet use half the amount of sweetener called for.
     
    Substitutions will work in most recipes. They may not work in candies, such as caramel.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110 | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @joyfilledeats or tag #joyfilledeats!

    Originally published January 12, 2016. Revised and republished September 21, 2018.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy says

      January 24, 2022 at 8:35 am

      Delicious! I made these at Christmas and they taste better than their namesake. Even our non THM people loved them.5 stars

      Reply
    2. Kim says

      December 18, 2021 at 8:44 pm

      This recipe is absolutely fabulous! I loved them.5 stars

      Reply
    3. donna says

      November 23, 2021 at 9:21 pm

      Wow, this tastes great. I love your recipes5 stars

      Reply
    4. Donna Ferrell says

      December 07, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Can I sub THM baking blend for the flours in this?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        December 07, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        Yes, use a little bit less.

        Reply
    5. Sheryl says

      June 14, 2020 at 3:56 pm

      It’s in the oven now!! The batter is delicious!5 stars

      Reply
    6. Liz says

      January 05, 2020 at 10:31 am

      How many bars do you cut the 8x8 recipe into? I'm trying to use your nutritional data but unsure what size piece that is for. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        January 05, 2020 at 2:31 pm

        16. It is listed near the times at the top of the recipe card.

        Reply
    7. Christine says

      December 31, 2019 at 12:25 pm

      Have made 3 times during the holidays! Delicious.5 stars

      Reply
    8. Alisha says

      December 03, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      Could frozen cranberries be used?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        December 03, 2019 at 8:29 pm

        Yes

        Reply
    9. Karen says

      November 19, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      Hi I just tied this recipe. Mine don’t look as light in color, fluffy or as tall. Mine look to be dense?? Did you use a glass or metal pan and wonder if that makes a difference? Also do keep them refrigerated or just to set the frosting?4 stars

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        November 20, 2019 at 7:13 am

        Did you use ground golden flax? Regular brown flax will make the bars darker. I used an 8x8 glass pan.

        Store in the refrigerator.

        Reply
    10. Leigh says

      November 06, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      Hey Taryn! I’m getting into cranberries for the first time in my life and you’re bars looked like a fantastic way to start. Before I do, I was wondering if I could sub the three different flours with 3/4 cup THM baking blend? It’s all have on hand right now but didn’t know if it would make the dough too dry. Thanks in Advance or all you create to make life easier and tastier!

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        November 06, 2019 at 7:31 pm

        Yes, use a tablespoon less. Enjoy!

        Reply
    11. Val says

      September 27, 2019 at 10:09 pm

      These are so perfect, I made them in a 9 x 4.5 loaf pan and the size was great. If I make 2 batches do you know if 1 can be frozen (without the cream cheese frosting)? Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        September 27, 2019 at 10:27 pm

        Yes. I've frozen them with the frosting.

        Reply
    12. Deb says

      August 13, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      Thank you SO much for this recipe! It is consistently good! I used raspberries last week since my garden was overflowing, swapped the orange extract for vanilla, it’s fabulous as well!!! Blessings!5 stars

      Reply
    13. Diann says

      February 11, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      I buy frozen cranberries, toss them a bag at a time in the food processor and pulse for 10 seconds. This is the correct amount for one try of my dehydrator and mine holds 10 trays. They're so easy to make and expensive to buy, my problem is finding enough!5 stars

      Reply
    14. Nancy says

      February 06, 2019 at 11:26 am

      What do you recommend to use when you cant get fresh or frozen cranberries?5 stars

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        February 06, 2019 at 12:11 pm

        This recipe really needs cranberries. A lot of grocery stores do stock them frozen. I know Whole Foods does.

        Reply
    15. Mojo says

      January 08, 2019 at 8:21 am

      Would greatly appreciate recipes without erythritol (or at least an option w/out it), as some of us can’t tolerate it. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        January 08, 2019 at 10:58 am

        You are welcome to make my sweetener blend with all xylitol. Then it will work in my recipes. Joyfilledeats.com/sweetener

        Reply
    16. Joyce says

      January 07, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      I made these tonight. I’m new to THM. They’re delicious. I skipped the cranberry on top of the cream cheese.5 stars

      Reply
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