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These cranberry white chocolate blondies are made with my favorite holiday flavors including tart fresh cranberries, sweet white chocolate, and salty pistachios! Not only are they insanely delicious but they’re perfectly festive with pretty holiday colors.

Cranberry white chocolate blondie squares on a wire rack

OVERVIEW

  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Techniques Used: One Bowl Mixing Method

Cranberry white chocolate blondies are a must-make for the holidays! Fresh cranberries provide a pop of tart flavor that balances out the sweetness of the white chocolate and pairs wonderfully with the salty pistachios- it doesn’t get any better.

Why I love to make these blondies for the holidays

  • This easy blondie recipe includes the most classic holiday flavors: tart cranberries, sweet white chocolate, and salty pistachios.
  • This sweet treat screams holiday with the cheery colors of red, green, and white.
  • Only 20 minutes of prep time is needed before these blondie bars are in the oven. A quick dessert recipe is crucial to have in your back pocket for the busy holiday season.
Cranberry white chocolate blondies stacked up on a Christmas plate

VARIATION IDEAS

There are endless ways to customize blondies – here are some of my favorite festive flavors:

Holiday Blondies (aka Christmas Blondies): Omit the cranberries, white chocolate, and pistachios. Add 170 grams (1 cup) red and green M&M’s and 75 grams (½ cup) chocolate chips to the batter.

Orange and Dark Chocolate Blondies: Omit the cranberries, white chocolate, and pistachios. Add 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest to the wet ingredients and 150 grams (1 cup) dark chocolate chips or chunks to the batter. Sprinkle flaky salt over the top after baking.

For another twist, try my Funfetti Blondies and White Chocolate Walnut Blondies!

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BLONDIES

For this recipe, we will use the One Bowl Mixing Method. This method is often used for cookies and bars with a chewy texture, including blondies, brownies, and some types of drop cookies. No hand mixer or stand mixer required – instead, we just need a simple mixing spoon and bowl.

Because the butter and sugar are not creamed together (creaming is common for cookies, rare for blondies), this method is extremely forgiving. 

STEPS IN THE ONE BOWL METHOD FOR BLONDIES

Before starting, make sure to use room temperature eggs and melted (and slightly cooled) butter.

Brown sugar, white sugar, and melted butter being whisked in a bowl
Eggs and extracts added to the mixing bowl
  1. Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter together in a large bowl until well combined.
  2. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl & mix to combine. This includes the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Gently fold in the fresh cranberries, white chocolate, and pistachios.
  5. Transfer the blondie batter to the prepared baking pan and bake.
Blondie batter before mix-ins are added
cranberry white chocolate blondie batter in a square pan ready to be baked

Optional steps:

  1. Press sugared cranberries into the top of the cooled blondies or use as garnish on the serving tray.
  2. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of the cooled blondies.
Cranberry white chocolate blondie squares on a wire rack

FAQ

What are blondies?

Blondies are the blonde equivalent of brownies. They are similar to brownies in that they are soft, chewy, and baked into squares, but the batter itself is not made with any chocolate. Essentially, blondies are soft cookie bars (or blonde brownies).

Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries?

Yes, dried cranberries work very well in this recipe and you likely already have them on hand! Swap the fresh cranberries for ½ cup (75 grams) dried cranberries.

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh cranberries?

Yes! Thaw frozen cranberries by rinsing them with cool water and then let strain completely (here’s a post about freezing/thawing cranberries). It’s important to remove the excess moisture off the cranberries before adding them to the batter or it will cause the batter to be too wet.

HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BLONDIES

Room Temperature: Store leftover blondies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Blondies do not need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Freezer: Wrap any leftover blondie squares in plastic wrap and place in a zipper bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.

Cranberry white chocolate blondie squares stacked up on a Christmas plate

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed these white chocolate cranberry blondies, you might like to try these other festive recipes for your cookie tin!

Cranberry white chocolate blondie squares stacked up on a Christmas plate
Yield: 9 large or 16 small bars

Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

These cranberry white chocolate blondies are made with my favorite holiday flavors including tart fresh cranberries, sweet white chocolate, and salty pistachios!

Ingredients

  • 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar (preferably dark), lightly packed
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
  • 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 160 grams (1 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 100 grams (1 cup) fresh cranberries
  • 75 grams (½ cup) white chocolate chips or chunks
  • 50 grams (½ cup) shelled pistachios *see note below

Instructions

Prep: 

  1. At least 30 minutes before baking, take the eggs out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Melt the butter (113 grams/ ½ cup) and set aside to cool slightly. Chop the pistachios (50 grams/ ½ cup) and white chocolate chunks (75 grams/ ½ cup), if using instead of chips. Rinse the fresh cranberries (100 grams/ 1 cup) in cool water and let drain. Pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
  2. Position an oven rack in the center position. Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C. 
  3. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper or grease with non-stick cooking spray. 

To Make the Blondies: 

  1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the brown sugar (150 grams/ ¾ cup), granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and melted butter.  
  2. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) and whisk until well incorporated- about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the baking powder (½ teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and flour (160 grams/ 1 ⅓ cups) to the mixing bowl and use a silicone spatula or mixing spoon to stir together until well combined. Stir for about 30 seconds to purposely develop a little bit of gluten, which will give your blondies more chewiness. Fold in the fresh cranberries, white chocolate chips or chunks, and pistachios.
  4. Transfer the mixture into your prepared pan and spread evenly. 
  5. Bake at 325°F/165°C for 28-33 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the blondies are golden brown.
  6. Set the pan on a cooling wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing to solidify.
  7. Store leftover blondies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Notes

*I used lightly salted and roasted pistachios in this recipe but unsalted works well too.

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© Baker Bettie