Here’s a delicious and easy cherry pie bars recipe—all the flavor of cherry pie in a convenient bar form:
Cherry Pie Bars
Yields: 16 bars
Ingredients
For the crust and topping:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the cherry filling:
- 2 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven
- Set to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the crust
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Press about 2/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan to form an even crust.
- Make the cherry filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Cook 3–5 minutes, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly. Let cool a bit.
- Assemble the bars
- Spread cherry filling evenly over the crust.
- Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top.
- Bake
- Bake 35–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
- Cool and serve
- Let bars cool completely in the pan before slicing.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar before serving.
💡 Tips:
- For extra flavor, add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the cherry filling.
- You can swap cherries for blueberries, raspberries, or mixed berries.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
If you want, I can also give a quick no-bake cherry pie bars version that’s easier for hot days.
Do you want me to provide the no-bake version?
