Chocolate Chip Cranberry Bars — Super soft, buttery bars packed with chewy cranberries! And there’s a chocolate overload in every bite!!
Easy Cranberry Bars
I love cranberries and ’tis the season for them. And it’s always the season for chocolate recipes.
I have a copycat recipe for Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars that is spot-on and I love those things but they do take a little bit of time to make. These blondies are the faster, easier, semi-sweet chocolate alternative and just baking them reminded me of all the cranberry goodies my grandma and I used to make together around the holidays when I was growing up.
The soft, buttery, caramely, brown sugary, blondie base is the perfect complement to the chewy, tart cranberries. Dark chocolate is a perfect pairing and really balances the flavors.
When I want an easy, fuss-free recipe that I know will be a hit, I call upon my trusty blondie base. With 30+ versions and counting (including the Cranberry Bliss Bars), it never lets me down.
It’s an easy recipe to memorize because everything is ‘one’. In the 1 bowl used, melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 1 egg, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1 cup flour.
For this version, add 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. I used McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract and McCormick Ground Cinnamon, which worked perfectly with the orange-scented cranberries.
For a last-minute, fast, easy, and foolproof holiday entertaining recipe, whip up a batch of these. I literally made the batter and had it in the pan, baked, and out of the oven in 30 minutes flat.
What’s in These Cranberry Bars?
To make these chocolate chip cranberry bars, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Dried cranberries
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Cranberry Bars
Melt the butter, then whisk in the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix in the flour until just combined, then fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
Turn the batter into a greased and foil-lined 8×8-inch baking dish, then bake until done.
Can I Use Fresh Cranberries?
I haven’t tested the recipe with fresh cranberries, but between their bulkier size and the relative flat nature of the bars, and the amount of juice they’ll leak while baking which would water down the batter, I’d save fresh cranberries for the best ever Cranberry Sauce or Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, you should be fine to double the ingredients list and bake the blondies in a 9×13-inch dish.
Tips for Making Dried Cranberry Bars
I used Trader Joe’s Orange-Flavored Dried Cranberries. They have a slighter brighter and more citrus taste than traditional dried cranberries but use your favorites, or try craisins.
Feel free to swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips if you love the white chocolate-cranberry combo.
These blondies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dried cranberries, I used orange-scented cranberries from Trader Joe’s
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes, or until done (I baked 24 minutes because I prefer very soft blondies). A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean (as long as you’re not hitting chocolate), or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow blondies to cool in pan for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Dried Cranberry Recipes:
Cranberry Bliss Seven Layer Bars — There’s a slightly crunchy graham cracker crust, extra crunch from the walnuts, with chewiness from the cranberries and coconut.
Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat Recipe} — They taste just like the real thing & you can make them at home, year-round! Think of all the $ you’ll save. Spot-on and easy!
The Easiest Foolproof Fudge Recipe — Look no further than this recipe for the EASIEST and most FOOLPROOF fudge that takes less than 3 minutes to make!
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Bliss Cake — The flavors of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars in a Soft, Easy, No-Mixer Cake!
Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Cranberry Bliss Bar flavors, in cookie form. Tender, soft, pillowy centers and a personal favorite!
Trail Mix Protein Bar Cookies — Packed with your favorite trail mix goodies, even protein bars!! Soft, chewy, and accidentally healthy!
Post is brought to you by McCormick. Recipe, text, images, and opinions expressed are my own.
Yay for chocolate and cranberry combo! I’ll be craving these bars for sure! Gorgeous! Pinned!
We both have had our share of cranberry recipes on the brain latley :)
Averie, I already made the starbucks version twice last month. I will def. do this one…my hubby actually told me not to put the cream cheese frosting on the other one. (I made it once without like this and he like it better). *So this recipe looks spot on as to something that will be loved here. :)
Lots of hugs, enjoy your day
Thanks for trying that recipe a few times already! And yes, this is sort of like that, minus the frosting and with dark, not white, chocolate. LMK what you think of this one compared to that if you make these!
Hi Averie I know you just posted this recipe practically yesterday…but it was haunting me when I would fold clothes or cook, or drive my kid to school. So of course the ONLY solution was to bake these. So I did, and I’m so glad I did! :P BTW, my kitchen is smelling wonderful because they were being made.
*I know I comment here a lot on your site and I make A LOT of your recipes. But I haven’t told you that I’m expecting a girl in under 3 weeks. :) I think that explains a lot of my sugary cravings. For sure for sure I am making the almond shortbread bars you made a week back on Saturday for my b-day too. Hope they turn out like yours did.
I had no idea you were expecting and that you’re almost due…CONGRATS!!! How exciting and what a special time for you! And I cannot believe you’re BAKING!! Wow, I was not a baker while I was pregnant, at all!
And Happy Birthday! Thanks for trying these bars as well as planning to make the almond bars this weekend! I hope someone at least cooks and bakes something for you! :)
One last thing… THANK YOU for your well wishes. And thank you even more for having an amazing & down-to-earth personality. I’ve been following you for over a year and a half and you seem so approachable on your blog. I’ll let you know how the almond bars turned out. :) take care
these WILL be on my Thanksgiving table!!
Well that’s an honor! LMK if you end up trying these!
These are so pretty, Averie! I bet the flavors blend beautifully as well.
They do, and I know you can’t eat chocolate, so thank you for even commenting :)
You have so many great bar and blondie recipes!! I always love the vivid color of cranberries in anything. That little bit of cinnamon with orange cranberries sounds like a nice layer of flavor–probably subtle but just enough to know something else is in there.
subtle but just enough to know something else is in there. <--- Exactly! Just that little something to give them a winter vibe. Perfect comfort food!
The texture on these blondies looks absolutely perfect!! PINNED!!
Thank you, Aimee! For the compliments, pin, and good luck on the contest. I was asked, I said no because I knew I’d end up competing against…like you! And your mint bars looked awesome!
These blondies look fantastic, Averie! I’ve never had a cranberry chocolate chip kind before…I’m dying to try these! Pinned!
You always have the best cranberry recipes at this time of year! These blondies are beautiful Averie! :) I love any dried, tart fruit with chocolate.
I’ve been pinning (but not commenting, sorry!) on your last few Brussels sprouts recipes. I would love to eat nothing but those for Thanksgiving :) Ok and some of my boozy cranberry sauce and that’s all I need! LOL
It’s also always the season for blondie baking :)
You are always the #1 Blondie Fan :) Happy Holidays, Liz!! xoxoxo
Dried cranberries and chocolate are one of my favorite combos!
Decadent and chewy, this is what they look like, and that makes me happy! I am sipping on a cranberry smoothie this morning and never even thought to drop in some cocoa, but tomorrow, you better believe some will make an appearance. And I have to make these after Thanksgiving!
Your smoothie sounds awesome – and healthy! I should try that :)
Oh yeah, I’d be all over a plate of these. I love cranberries and these are perfect, Averie!
These are so pretty! I love the short ingredient list, too.
Short and sweet, you got it! :)
Averie! What a great idea to add cranberries to chocolate chip cookie bars! I bet it adds such a beautiful tarty sweetness to the bars. I can’t wait to try these!
a beautiful tarty sweetness = Exactly! :)
I love everything you do with blondies, Averie. I’ll never get over how chewy they are! Or how much I can’t stop eating whatever flavor you come up with!
Glad you’re not sick of the endless combos yet! :)
I adore this recipe…cranberries and chocolate are one of my favorite holiday combinations. On the east coast (Cape Cod and Nantucket) they sell chocolate covered cranberries and make chocolate cranberry fudge which is so good. This bar has all those flavor components..I’m making these for Thanksgiving…I’ll decide later if I’ll put them out to share lol.
chocolate covered cranberries = I’ve had but only once, ages ago, and can’t even remember where I got them.
chocolate cranberry fudge = that sounds DIVINE. I’ve never had it, probably shouldn’t start. I do enough cardio as it is :)
If you make these, LMK what you think! Or if you share :)