Vegan Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
Every time I grab a coffee I find myself wishing Starbucks had healthy plant-based treats so I decided to create these mind blowing plant-based Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars that pack all the decadent flavor of the original bars but that are actually good for you! This recipe is oil-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and 100% vegan. So go ahead and make a batch to enjoy with your morning coffee, you are going to love them.
Ingredients
Bar
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup rolled oats organic
- 1 cup deglet dates
- ½ cup cranberries dried
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ cup soy milk unsweetened, or plant based milk of choice
Frosting
- 1 cup cashews
- ⅓ cup deglet dates
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup water
Topping
- ¼ cup cranberries dried, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bar
- Add the oats to food processor and grind into a flour.
- Add the remaining bar ingredients to the food processor except for the soy milk and blend until mixture looks finely ground.
- Slowly pour in the soy milk while food processor is running to get mixture to stick together.
- Press mixture into the bottom of a parchment lined brownie pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
Frosting
- Add frosting ingredients to blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Once bars are done baking, let cool for about 15 minutes before frosting.
- Frost bar and sprinkle chopped cranberries on top.
- Cut into triangular or square shaped bars.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Because the frosting doesn’t have any preservatives, the color will look a little grey after the first day or so.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 10gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 6gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 34IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 2mg
Hi Jill, love your recipes. Is there any reason why you used deglet dates vs medjool dates? I’m assuming I can substitute but was curious. Thanks
Made these yesterday and they’re so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
While I loved the concept, the frosting was just too cashew-forward. Therefore, I ended up adding more lemon juice, more vanilla, some lemon zest, some orange zest, and a little salt. But after adding all of that it was really runny and didn’t fully set up. I should have tasted it before adding all of the water. The bar was a little bland as well and so I added some candied ginger to augment the ginger powder and some orange juice. I cut the finished product into 16 pieces instead of 9, and they could have been cut even smaller because they were a bit heavy and dense. But I loved the idea of a treat that had no processed sugar and no white flour in it. Thanks!
These look amazing! Thank you! This may seem like a silly question because it’s the star ingredient but is there anything to substitute the cranberries? would cherries work? I just can’t find cranberries that aren’t sweetened.
The amount of sugar you are getting from the cranberries is so minimal, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Hi Jill is it possible to add grams to your recipes for the UK cheers Tracey x
Ps you’re recipes are THE best!
There is an option to change to metric measurements on the recipe page.
For unsweetened cranberries, search for Honestly Cranberry (https://honestlycranberry.com/) or for fruit juice sweetened shop for Made in Nature, Organic Dried Cranberries.
This dessert is delicious, not too sweet which I like. I did not have orange zest or ginger powder but the recipe still came out great. I had to bak it a little longer in my oven.
I just made the bars and they are soo good! I added a little more lemon juice for extra tang in the frosting. I was wondering if you recommend storing them in the refrigerator once they are frosted?
Yes, they need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Thanks for another delish recipe, Jill! These were super easy to make and everyone loved them.
Hi,
The recipe sounds delicious. Any substitutions for people with nut allergies?
Sorry, I haven’t tried making it without the nuts
I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Thanks so much! I am wondering though about when someone says 1 cup of dates – does that mean cut up a bit or put in the measuring cup whole? It wouldn’t take too many dates to fill up 1 cup but if they were quartered you could fit a lot more in. Can you clear that up for me, Jill? Thanks.
I usually just measure them whole and gently press them down into the measuring cup.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made it twice and it will become my next “go to” dessert.
I made this tonight and it smells delicious. But I’m wondering if the bar gets cooked until crispy or soft?
It doesn’t really every get crispy.
I tried making them both ways. First like the recipe, second spread very thin, and cooked the same amount of time. They were dry, not crispy. Your way is the best! Thanks for a great dessert!