Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars so, so good. I love cranberries. Add in some walnuts and vanilla chips and I’m in hog heaven. Really. These delicious brownies are not only simple to make, they taste exceptionally great. We love making cranberry-type cookies and brownies for the holidays. Craisins are so easily available these days that you can make this recipe for any tailgating recipe, baby shower, potluck, or holiday.
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Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars is a super-duper delicious, quick and easy recipe. It’s inspired by one of our favorite blond brownie recipes from Taste of Home. I borrow the main ingredients for the recipe and switch out 1 cup craisins for the chocolate chunks, and 1 cup walnuts for the macadamia nuts.
Yes, we make it the original way, too. But it is such a good recipe we have a lot of fun with different combinations. We’ve made them with craisins, walnuts, and vanilla chips before. It doesn’t matter what combination of chip, nut, or dried fruit we use, every single recipe comes out tasting wonderful! I’ve even made them as Oreo M&M Brownies and Reese Cup Brownies, both of which are heavenly.
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars have a great, dense texture. There’s also lots of delicious flavor from the cranberries and vanilla chips (and sugar!) 🙂 I recommend you try them for your holiday baking this year. Everyone will come running back for more!
When I first posted this recipe in August 2012, I was new to the blogging world. I was a very poor photographer. I used a cheap iPhone 3 camera instead of a high-tech camera. And, I didn’t know how to really present my images to get the most out of them.
I recently remade Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars (November 2014) for our Christmas Cookie Extravaganza – 2015. Then I stashed them in the freezer as I waited to pack up everything for shipping and sharing with friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. I’ve reshot the pictures so you will have a better idea of how ooey, gooey and delicious these lovely blondies are. Enjoy.
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars are so mouthwatering. You will be hard pressed to stop at one!
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars make great holiday baking treats.
If you enjoy cranberries and vanilla chips, you will love these jewels.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Mix butter, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt. (I like to add the baking powder and salt now to make sure they get thoroughly mixed into the batter.
Cream with an electric mixer until well combined.
Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods. Add craisins, walnuts and vanilla chips.
Don’t overmix the batter. Just stir until all ingredients are moistened.
Spread in a 9×13″ pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts over top of batter.
Bake at 350 about 30-40 minutes (this batch took 35 minutes) or until done.
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars are great for tailgating parties, Christmas Cookie Exchanges or any kind of holiday or Christmas party.
You can tell from this picture how gooey Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars are. Yum.
Here’s the recipe.
CRANBERRY NUT VANILLA CHIP BARS
(Inspired by my Chunky Blond Brownies)
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars
Equipment
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 spatula
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup Nestle’s Premiere vanilla chips
- 1 cup craisins
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped walnuts divided use
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt & baking powder with an electric mixer; mix well.
- Stir in flour, vanilla chips, craisins and 1 cup nuts.
- Spread into greased 9x13” baking pan.
- Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
- Bake at 350° for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and cut into squares.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-½ cups [url href=”http://www.goldmedalflour.com/” target=”_blank” title=”gold medal unbleached flour”]Gold Medal[/url] UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup [url href=”https://www.verybestbaking.com/products/4028/tollhouse/nestle-toll-house-premier-white-morsels/” target=”_blank” title=”nestle premiere white chips”]Nestle’s[/url] Premiere vanilla chips
- 1 cup [url href=”http://www.oceanspray.com/” target=”_blank” title=”oceanspray”]OceanSpray[/url] craisins
- 1 ¼ cups finely chopped [url href=”http://www.diamondnuts.com/” target=”_blank” title=”diamond walnuts”]Diamond walnuts[/url], divided use
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt & baking powder; mix well.
- Stir in flour, vanilla chips, craisins and 1 cup nuts.
- Spread into greased 9×13” baking pan.
- Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
- Bake at 350° for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and cut into squares.
You will be drooling after only one bite of Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars.
Serve these delicious goodies the next time you have company and they will be snatched up before you know it!
Every bite is drool-worthy!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 spatula
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup Nestle’s Premiere vanilla chips
- 1 cup craisins
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped walnuts divided use
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt & baking powder with an electric mixer; mix well.
- Stir in flour, vanilla chips, craisins and 1 cup nuts.
- Spread into greased 9×13” baking pan.
- Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
- Bake at 350° for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and cut into squares.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Cranberry Nut Vanilla Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups Gold Medal UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup Nestle’s Premiere vanilla chips
- 1 cup Ocean Spray craisins
- 1 1/4 cups finely chopped Diamond walnuts divided use
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt & baking powder; mix well.
- Stir in flour, vanilla chips, craisins and 1 cup nuts.
- Spread into greased 9x13” baking pan.
- Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
- Bake at 350° for approximately 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and cut into squares.