November 21, 2019

Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars

Name: Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter (softened); 2/3 cup Swerve Brown ((can sub granulated)); 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 tsp fresh grated ginger ((can sub 1 tsp ground)); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups almond flour; 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/3 cup sugar-free white chocolate chips; 1/4 cup sugar-free dried cranberries (chopped); 6 ounces cream cheese (softened); 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 1/2 tbsp almond milk (room temperature); 2 tbsp sugar-free dried cranberries (chopped); 3 tbsp sugar-free white chocolate chips; 1/2 tsp coconut oil ((or a little bit of cocoa butter))

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe is as good as or better than the Starbucks version. Healthy and keto-friendly, these low carb bars will satisfy all your holiday cravings. This post is sponsored by ChocZero.

Keto copycat cranberry bliss bars on a white plate. Christmas lights in the background.

I am happy to say that I have long since conquered my former Starbucks addiction. Creating amazing keto versions of their popular treats like these Cranberry Bliss Bars has helped immensely. I now only frequent Starbucks when I am traveling, and even then, it’s only for a cup of black coffee.

Now that I think of it, I have a lot of keto Starbucks copycat recipes. I clearly get plenty of inspiration from the famous coffee house chain. I do love taking some old favorites and making them keto-friendly. I’ve got keto vanilla bean scones, keto maple pecan scones, keto pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and keto gingerbread loaf, to name just a few.

I actually have an older version of low carb cranberry bliss bars too. Really old, back from 2010 when this blog was in its nascent stages. They were fine, they were serviceable, but this recipe is much better and I felt it deserved a whole new blog post.

Top down photo of cranberry bliss bars in the pan.

New and Improved Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars

What makes this newer keto cranberry bar recipe so much better? Well, a number of things. For one thing, my baking skills have improved immensely in the last 9 years and these updated bars have a more dense, chewy cookie bar quality, rather than the cake-y bars of yore.

But an even more important factor is the development of keto-friendly white chocolate chips. At long last!

I have tested out both brands of white chocolate chips now and I will tell you that the ChocZero chips are far superior in many ways. That, my friends, is the honest opinion of a professional home baker (because this IS my profession, after all).

Two bags of keto white chocolate chips with the chips spilling out of one bag.

The ChocZero chips hold their shape during baking and don’t melt away into nothingness, which is a huge benefit for keto cookies and bars. They also have a little more of the true white chocolate flavor.

I am not knocking the other brand, as I am delighted by the fact that brands are seeing a need and trying to fill it. The keto world needs more of this. We don’t need any more keto energy bars, thank you very much. We need chocolate!

You may have noticed that this post is sponsored by ChocZero. Do not take that as influencing my opinion whatsoever. I managed to sweet talk ChocZero into sending me some for testing and comparison and I raved so much about them that they offered to partner with me. Now that’s serendipity.

Close up of two keto cranberry bliss bars in front of the pan on a white table.

How to make Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars

There are a few other things that go into the new and improved Cranberry Bliss Bars. For one thing, I made the batch smaller, fitting into a 9×9 inch pan. It serves still serves 16, but they cut more evenly into the classic triangles from Starbucks. And they have fewer carbs!

They also have a better texture. I created the base similarly to my famous Keto Brown Butter Blondies, but I used baking soda rather than powder, so they would be more dense. I also added a little gelatin for extra chewiness.

And of course my own sugar-free dried cranberries, which I make a big batch of every year.

I added white chocolate chips to the bars themselves but I also melted a little to drizzle on top of the cream cheese frosting. This too is a hallmark of the Starbucks version.

One tip when melting ANY kid of white chocolate, be it high sugar or sugar-free, is to add a little cocoa butter or coconut oil. White chocolate is even more finicky than dark or milk, and it tends to seize easily. The added oil helps it melt smoothly. But do not use butter, it thickens it too much for drizzling.

And for heaven’s sake, do not try to melt it in the microwave unless you want a clumpy mess. Double boiler style provide much gentler heat.

Eager to make some Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars? I know you’re going to love them! Do note that the ChocZero white chocolate chips are out of stock at the moment but don’t worry, they assure me that they are getting them back in the next few weeks. Just in time for the holiday rush!

Cranberry bliss bars in a stack on a holiday plaid napkin.

More Great Keto Cranberry Recipes

Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars

This copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe is as good as or better than the Starbucks version. Healthy and keto-friendly, these low carb bars will satisfy all your holiday cravings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry bliss bars

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings bars

Calories 206kcal

Ingredients

Bars:

1/2 cup butter softened
2/3 cup Swerve Brown (can sub granulated)
1 large egg room temperature
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (can sub 1 tsp ground)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour
1 tbsp grassfed gelatin
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar-free white chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar-free dried cranberries chopped

Frosting:

6 ounces cream cheese softened
1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp almond milk room temperature

Garnish and Drizzle:

2 tbsp sugar-free dried cranberries chopped
3 tbsp sugar-free white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp coconut oil (or a little bit of cocoa butter)

Instructions

Bars

Preheat the oven to 325F and lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the egg, ginger, and vanilla extract.
All at once, add the almond flour, gelatin, baking soda, and salt. Beat until the dough is thoroughly combined. Stir the cranberries and white chocolate chips in by hand.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the center is still soft to the touch. Remove and let cool completely.

Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the vanilla and then beat in the almond milk until smooth and creamy.
Spread the frosting evenly over the bars.

Garnish

Sprinkle the bars with the chopped dried cranberries.
In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the white chocolate chips and the coconut oil or cocoa butter. Stir frequently until melted and smooth.
Drizzle over the bars and let set 20 minutes before cuttng into bars.

Nutrition

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments