Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Vegan Gluten-Free

Vegan and Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Bars are a homemade version of the popular Starbucks sweet treat! These taste just like the original, are easy to make, and are perfect for the holidays.

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Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars, but Better

The holidays are in full swing and I am loving all of the holiday desserts I’ve been making. I love re-creating recipes that we all love and adore but with simpler ingredients. This version of the cranberry bliss bar is both vegan and gluten-free and is made with healthier ingredients.

This is one of my favorite desserts to make for the holidays. The cranberry bliss bars are perfect for Christmas parties, and now you can make an entire batch at home all while skipping the line and saving your money at Starbucks!

I can’t wait for you to try this super easy and delicious recipe. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram or Tiktok!

Vegan and Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Bars

This Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar was highly requested, however, I love to be inclusive to every diet and lifestyle, so I made them vegan and gluten-free so everyone can give this recipe a try.

gluten-free flour- I used a gluten-free flour blend for this recipe. My favorite brands are Bobs Red Mill and King Arthur. Both can be purchased in-store or online. I usually buy in bulk on amazon.

vegan sugar– Most sugars that are white, are processed with animal bone char- making them not suitable for vegan lifestyles. My favorite brand is wholesome sweeteners.

brown sugar– brown sugar combined with the cane sugar really adds a great flavor and texture to the vanilla cake, which is the base of these bars.

baking powder- Since there are no eggs in this recipe, baking powder will help make the vanilla cake rise during baking time.

almond milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar– this mixture of the almond milk and apple cider vinegar helps create a vegan buttermilk. This also adds to the fluffiness of the vanilla cake texture.

vegan butter– vegan butter combined with the sugars adds to the texture of the vanilla cake. I love the brand miykonos. If you aren’t vegan you can use regular butter.

orange zest– orange zest is sprinkled on top of the finished product for a tangy citrus flavor.

dried cranberries– dried cranberries will both be adding to the vanilla cake base and then sprinkled on top.

vegan white chocolate chips– vegan white chocolate chips will also be added to the base and you have the option to drizzle on top. I thought this bliss bar was plenty sweet so I skipped the additional drizzle and only added in pascha vegan white chocolate chips to the base.

tools you’ll need to make these cranberry bliss bars

Here are some kitchen tools I recommend that will help make this copycat starbucks cranberry bliss bar a success:

Two mixing bowls- one large and one medium sized mixing bowls.

Whisk– whisk is best for really mixing both the dry and wet ingredients together.

Measuring cups– we will need 1 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/3 cup 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp.

Rubber Spatula– rubber spatula is great for scraping down the sides and smoothing out the vanilla cake before baking.

Parchment Paper or non stick spray– I really recommend parchment paper so that the vanilla cake doesn’t stick to the pan after it’s done baking. Non-stick spray will work as well, but parchment paper makes it easy to remove after it’s done baking.

13×9 Baking Dish– This is the perfect size for the base, you can also use a baking sheet this size if you have one.

Electric Stand or Handheld Mixer– an electric mixer is necessary for blending together the ingredients to make the frosting.

Sharp Knife– A sharp knife to cut the perfect triangles out to create the bliss bars.

More Treats You’ll Love

Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Vegan Gluten-Free

Vegan and Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Bars are a homemade version of the popular Starbucks sweet treat! These taste just like the original, are easy to make, and are perfect for the holidays.

PIN RECIPE

PREP TIME:

15 minutes

COOK TIME:

25 minutes

Author - Hannah

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake Base

1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup vegan sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp orange zest

Frosting

8oz non-dairy cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp orange zest
optional, melted white chocolate drizzle

SCALE:

YIELDS:

30 servings

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 13×9 pan by lining it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit on the counter to thicken. This creates a vegan buttermilk.
In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Next, in a medium bowl, combine cane sugar, brown sugar and melted vegan butter. Mix with a whisk until well incorporated. Add in the vanilla and almond milk + apple cider vinegar mixture. Mix once more until ingredients are combined.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula mix until a cake batter is formed.
Fold in the dried cranberries, vegan white chocolate chips, and orange zest last.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
In the meantime, create the frosting by combining room temperature non-dairy cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together with an electric mixer.
Spread the frosting evenly on top of the base layer. Top with more dried cranberries and orange zest. Option to drizzle with additional white chocolate.
Cranberry bliss bars are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed within 3-4 days