White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

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White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

Chewy white chocolate cranberry blondies with orange zest and a maple-sweetened cream cheese frosting. Inspired by Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars and easy to make with gluten-free or all-purpose flour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time22

Chill Time30

Total Time1 7

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: triangles

Author: Brittany Mullins

Ingredients

Blondies

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange about 1 ½–2 teaspoons total, reserving ¼ teaspoon for topping
1 cup (148g) Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 all purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup white chocolate chips
⅓ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped if large

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces full-fat block cream cheese softened to room temperature
¼ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

¼ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
Reserved ¼ teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
Zest the orange and set aside ¼ teaspoon of zest in a small covered container for the topping. Use the remaining zest in the blondie batter.
Zest of 1 orange
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and orange zest until smooth.
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
1 cup (148g) Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20–22 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Avoid overbaking for the best chewy texture.
Let the blondies cool completely in the pan before frosting.
To make the frosting, add the softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
4 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, ¼ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt, 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled blondies. Sprinkle with the chopped cranberries and reserved orange zest, gently pressing the cranberries into the frosting.
¼ cup dried cranberries, Reserved ¼ teaspoon orange zest
Refrigerate the frosted blondies for 30–60 minutes to firm up the frosting. Use the parchment overhang to lift them out of the pan. Cut into 9 rectangles (3 rows by 3 columns), then slice each rectangle diagonally to make 18 triangles.

Notes

Flour: Use 1 cup of regular all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, if you don’t need the blondies to be gluten-free. The 148 g measurement is for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Storage: Store frosted blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Let the unfrosted blondies cool completely, then wrap them tightly and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost and add the cranberry and orange zest topping.

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