Cranberry Bliss Bars (Lightened Up) (2024)

By: Laurenpublished: Dec. 22, 2021updated: Dec. 20, 2023Comments

• Flour – I used all-purpose to keep these bars as close to that *real* bakery taste as possible. If you need to make gluten-free bars, you can easily substitute Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 All-Purpose Flour.
• Protein powder – I just used a tiny amount. You can’t taste it at all. If you want, you could easily replace with more flour or even omit completely.
• Sweetener – I used Swerve granular sweetener and Swerve brown sugar sweetener. Regular sugar and brown sugar also work.
• Egg
• Unsweetened applesauce – This is such a baking secret everyone needs to know! Applesauce adds such a nice sweetness and contributes to a moist, fluffy texture.
• Extracts – I used both vanilla extract and orange extract.
• Whipped cream cheese frosting – I love this because you can just buy it and spread it!
• Dried cranberries – I used reduced-sugar cranberries because I didn’t want them as sweet, but any dried cranberries work.
• White chocolate chips
• Coconut oil – Just a tiny amount to melt with the white chocolate for the drizzle!

How To Make

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a regular mixing bowl if you’ll be using a hand mixer), add butter, brown sugar, sweetener, vanilla extract, orange extract, egg, and applesauce. Mix on medium-high speed until combined. Then, add the flour and protein powder and mix on low just until the dry ingredients are combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
3. Pour batter into the prepared dish and even out so the top is smooth. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
4. Let the bars cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for an hour, or until ready to frost.
5. When ready, spread the frosting evenly on top of the bars and sprinkle with remaining dried cranberries.
6. Microwave the white chocolate chips and coconut oilin 20-30 second increments until melted. Drizzle the white chocolate on top of the bars.
7. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes so the white chocolate hardens. Then, keep stored in the fridge covered until ready to eat.