Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Squares

Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Squares are buttery crumb bars layered with tangy cream cheese, tart dried cranberries, and pockets of sweet white chocolate. They bake up with a tender cookie base, creamy middle, and golden, craggy top that’s perfect for cutting into tidy squares.​

The combination of brown‑sugar style dough, lightly sweetened cream cheese, and festive mix‑ins makes these bars ideal for holiday cookie trays, potlucks, or anytime you want an easy, shareable dessert that feels a little special. Each square lands around 240 calories with about 11 g fat and 32 g carbs, similar to other cranberry‑white‑chocolate cookie bars.​

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all‑purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, but balances sweetness)
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for the cream layer)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate​

Approximate nutrition: about 240 kcal, 11 g fat, and 32 g carbs per bar when cut into 16 squares.​

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the pan and oven

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Line an 8×8‑inch or 9×9‑inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy removal, and lightly grease the sides.​

2. Make the cookie dough base

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the 1 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft, thick dough forms.​

3. Build the bottom crust

• Press about two‑thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, making sure to cover the bottom fully and reach into the corners.
• Reserve the remaining one‑third of the dough for crumbling over the top later.​

4. Make the cream cheese layer

1. In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
2. Spread this cream mixture gently over the pressed dough layer, leaving a small border if you like to prevent leaking.​

5. Add cranberries and white chocolate

• Sprinkle dried cranberries evenly over the cream cheese layer.
• Scatter white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate over the top so every bite gets some sweetness.​

6. Crumble and bake

1. Crumble the remaining dough over the top in small pieces; you want patches of dough with some cream and cranberries showing through.
2. Bake 28–32 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the edges are set. The center should look just set and may still jiggle slightly from the warm cream cheese.​
3. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack; the bars will firm as they cool. For clean slices, chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours.

Lift the slab out using the parchment and cut into squares or bars.

Continue to the next page to reveal more tips and tricks