Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine the granulated sugar and orange zest together in a large bowl. Rub the sugar and zest between your fingertips to create an orange sugar. This helps release the natural oils and infuse more orange flavor into the bars.
1 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. orange zest (~zest from 1 orange)
Add in the brown sugar and mix to combine.
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed (light works too)
Pour in the melted butter and whisk melted butter and sugars together until a paste forms, ~1 minute.
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Then add eggs and vanilla and whisk again to combine.
2 large eggs, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick, that's perfect!
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (or ground ginger)
Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
1 cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup dried cranberries
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 23-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Careful not to over bake. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil together until smooth. Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and zest. Mix in half of the melted white chocolate.
1 cup white chocolate chips, 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, or more as needed, 1 Tbsp. orange zest, 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Spread evenly on top of the cooled blondies.
Sprinkle the dried cranberries on top. Use a fork or a piping bag to drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the frosted bars and finish with a little more orange zest, if desired.
dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Allow the white chocolate to set. Tip: If you're aiming for clean-cut edges, refrigerate the frosted and drizzled bars for about 30 minutes before cutting them. Use a sharp knife, and you'll get beautifully cut bars. Enjoy!