Dairy-free • Egg-free • Holiday-perfect
Yields: 12–16 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 15–18 minutes
Cool Time: 20–30 minutes
🥣 Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free blend)
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (egg replacer)
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp orange zest (optional but AMAZING)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup dairy-free white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
For the Vegan Frosting
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tsp orange juice or dairy-free milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
For Topping
- 2–3 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
- 2–3 tbsp melted dairy-free white chocolate (for drizzling)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Preheat & prep
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the bar batter
- In a bowl, cream together:
✔ vegan butter
✔ brown sugar - Add applesauce, vanilla, orange zest, and dairy-free milk. Mix until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and cranberries.
- Spread batter evenly in the lined pan (it will be thick).
3. Bake
Bake 15–18 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
Cool completely before frosting (important so frosting doesn’t melt).
4. Make the frosting
Beat together:
✔ vegan cream cheese
✔ vegan butter
✔ powdered sugar
✔ vanilla
✔ tiny splash orange juice
Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Frost + decorate
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled bars.
- Sprinkle chopped cranberries on top.
- Drizzle melted white chocolate.
- Chill 15 minutes before slicing for clean bars.
🍽 Slice into
- 9 large squares
- 12–16 small bars
- Or triangles like Starbucks originals
💡 Storage
- Fridge: 5–6 days
- Freezer: 2–3 months (freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a bag)
⭐ Optional Variations
Gluten-Free Version
- Use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
- Add 2 extra tablespoons milk if batter seems dry
Healthier Version
- Use ½ cup applesauce + ¼ cup oil instead of vegan butter
- Use coconut sugar
- Add 3 tbsp oat flour for extra fiber
Extra Cranberry Bliss
- Add 1 tbsp orange zest into frosting
- Add ¼ cup extra cranberries into batter
Low-Sugar Version
- Reduce sugar by ¼ cup
- Use sugar-free powdered sugar for frosting
- Use sugar-free vegan white chocolate chips
