Indulge in the delightful fusion of creamy white chocolate and tangy cranberries with our White Chocolate Cranberry Bars. Each bite offers a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, with the velvety smoothness of white chocolate complementing the chewy, slightly tart cranberries. These bars are a perfect treat for any occasion, from holiday gatherings to everyday snacking. Their rich flavor and appealing texture make them a crowd favorite, bringing a touch of elegance and festivity to your dessert table. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or tea for a truly satisfying experience.
Why make these bars
These cookie bars have a soft and chewy texture, with a wonderful flavor of tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate. They are similar to my white chocolate cranberry cookies. By the way, you can also make chocolate chip cranberry cookies. I am using a stand mixer (hand mixer) but you can use a large bowl and whisk as well. And most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples or easy to find. Also, these can be made in just about 30 minutes from start to finish. This is a kids’ favorite bar, so make sure to double the recipe. In addition, they make perfect Christmas gifts to give family and friends during the holiday season. Once baked and cooled completely, just wrap them in plastic and tie a pretty bow.
Ingredients and substitutions
All-purpose flour – I use regular all-purpose flour with baking soda and salt. Baking soda gives it that wonderful light texture. Cornstarch – Also known as cornflour, adds a nice crisp to the cookies. Chocolate – I like the combination of chocolate with cranberries. Especially, because cranberries are tart, so the white chocolate adds a nice depth of flavor. I prefer to use white chocolate chips, instead of white baking chocolate. Sugar – The light brown sugar keeps them soft but the white sugar makes them crisp giving this cookie a perfect texture. Butter – Use unsalted room temperature butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Spices – You can use cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or gingerbread spice. Today, I am not using any spices. Chocolate – I am using bittersweet chocolate chips but you can also use white chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar. Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
Step-by-step: How to make white chocolate cranberry bars
Preheat the oven at 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4. Line a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.Pro tip – Line the pan with parchment paper and leave an overhang so you can pick the bars out. That way, you can cut squares with neat edges.
Dry ingredients – Combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together the butter with both brown and white sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time into the creamed sugar mixture, and then the vanilla extract. Next, add flour mixture into the wet ingredients, but, do not over mix.Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough so do not overmix. Finally, add the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.Pro tip – This cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle some more dried cranberries and white chocolate on top.
Bake for 18 to 20 mins or until the edges are lightly golden brown.Pro tip – The top should feel set but not dry. Also, it will continue to cook with the residue heat once out of the oven. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes. Use a sharp bread knife cut into 16 squares (as shown in the video).
Variations
Orange – Add a teaspoon of orange zest and 1/4 tsp of orange extract to give the bars an orange flavor. Cream cheese – Frost the bars with a cream cheese frosting once baked and cooled. Chocolate – Drizzle some melted white chocolate over the bars once baked and cooked.
Tips for success
Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy. Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will melt and make very flat bars. When baked, leave the bars in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom. Bake Ahead and Freezing Instructions Dough – You can freeze the dough for a month wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use. Baked bars – Alternatively, freeze the baked bars between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
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