Recipe: Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry bliss bars – and they’re gluten free! When I worked at Starbucks these were in stock around the holidays and I couldn’t get enough of them. The chocolate covered graham crackers were a close second and kept me happy during the non-holiday season at Starbucks. Okay, let’s jump into this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1/2 a cup of salted natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of agave
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1 cup of gluten free flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• zest of a medium sized orange
• salt to taste
• 2/3 cup of dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 8oz block of cream cheese
• 2/3 cup of powered sugar

Okay, first set the oven to bake at 325. Low and slow for these bliss bars.

Next, in a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, agave, the one egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda, orange zest, and salt. Mix until it’s nice and smooth.

Then, add in 1/3 cup of the dried cranberries and 1/3 cup of the white chocolate chips. Save the other 1/3 of each for topping!

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper – this step is important, as you don’t want this thick batter to stick to your pan. Then, drop out the dough and spread it to the edges – it’ll be thick, so you’ll have to move it with the back of a spoon. Then back for 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown, then let it cool for 30-45 minutes.

While the bars are baking, you can make the cream cheese frosting – whip the cream cheese and powered sugar together until it’s light and fluffy.

Once the bars are cooled, spread the frosting and top with the remaining white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Then, cut into 8 triangles – first, cut the block in half, then turn and cut in half again. You’ll have 4 smaller squares. Cut them in half on a diagonal, then you’ll have 8 triangles, just like Starbucks. Eat up and enjoy!

Well, there you have it – gluten free cranberry bliss bars that mimic the holiday Starbucks treat.

Thanks for stopping by – have a Happy Holiday weekend coming up!