Get ready to fall in love with the easiest, most delicious dessert you’ll ever bake. These cherry pie bars pack all the flavor of a classic cherry pie into a simple, shareable format. With a buttery shortbread crust that melts in your mouth and a vibrant, sweet cherry filling, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Forget complicated pie dough; these bars are your new go-to for potlucks, parties, or a simple weeknight treat.
We’re ditching the fuss and focusing on pure, irresistible flavor. This recipe uses a simple press-in crust that doubles as the crumble topping, making preparation incredibly fast. You get that perfect buttery, crumbly texture in every single bite without any of the hard work.
Why You’ll Love These Easy Cherry Pie Bars
If you’re looking for a dessert that delivers maximum impact with minimal effort, you’ve found it. These bars are the perfect solution for any occasion.
Incredibly Simple: The crust and crumble topping are made from the same dough, cutting your prep time in half.
Perfectly Portable: Unlike a traditional pie, these bars are sturdy and easy to transport, making them ideal for sharing.
Crowd-Pleasing Flavor: The combination of a rich, buttery crust and sweet cherry filling is a classic for a reason—everyone loves it!
Customizable: You can easily swap out the cherry filling for another fruit, like in this delicious cherry cobbler.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses simple pantry staples to create a truly spectacular dessert. Here’s what you’ll need to gather.
The perfect dessert for sharing... or not!
For the Shortbread Crust and Crumble
Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s cold and cubed for the best flaky, crumbly texture.
All-Purpose Flour: The essential base for our crust.
Granulated Sugar: Provides just the right amount of sweetness to balance the tart cherries.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors.
Almond Extract: A secret ingredient that beautifully complements the cherry flavor.
For the Filling and Glaze
Cherry Pie Filling: A 21-ounce can of quality cherry pie filling makes this recipe quick and easy.
Powdered Sugar: For a simple, sweet glaze to drizzle on top.
Milk or Cream: To thin the glaze to the perfect consistency.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warmth to the glaze.
Step-by-Step Instructions For Cherry Pie Bars
Making these cherry pie cookie bars is a straightforward process. Follow these simple steps for perfect results every time.
1. Prepare the Buttery Shortbread Crust
First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to easily lift the bars out later. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold, cubed butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the almond extract.
2. Assemble the Bars
Next, set aside about 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan to form the crust. Pour the cherry pie filling over the crust and spread it out in an even layer, leaving a small border around the edges.
Look at that perfect buttery crust and sweet cherry filling!
3. Add Topping and Bake
Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the cherry filling. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. For a different but equally delicious fruit dessert, check out our fluffy blueberry muffins.
4. Cool and Glaze
Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This step is crucial for clean slices! Once cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars. Allow the glaze to set for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips for Perfect Cherry Pie Bars
Want to make your cherry pie bars taste like they came from a professional bakery? Follow these simple tips.
Use Cold Butter: For the most tender and crumbly shortbread crust, make sure your butter is very cold.
Don’t Overmix: Mix the crust ingredients until they just come together to avoid a tough texture.
Cool Completely: I can’t stress this enough! For clean, neat squares, you must let the bars cool completely before slicing. Rushing this step will result in a delicious, gooey mess.
Parchment Paper Sling: Using a parchment paper sling is the easiest way to remove the bars from the pan for perfect slicing. If you enjoy elegant French desserts, try this classic cherry clafoutis recipe.
Storing Your Bars
You can store leftover cherry pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you prefer them chilled, you can also store them in the refrigerator, which will make them even firmer.
Yes, you can! You’ll need about 4 cups of pitted, halved fresh cherries. Cook them on the stovetop with 3/4 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, and a splash of lemon juice until the mixture thickens into a pie filling consistency.
The most important tip is to let the cherry pie bars cool completely before cutting. For extra clean slices, you can chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Use a large, sharp knife and wipe it clean between each cut.
Absolutely! These bars are a great make-ahead dessert. You can bake them a day in advance and store them, covered, at room temperature. We recommend adding the glaze just before serving for the best appearance.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They are delicious both at room temperature and chilled!
Yes, this recipe is very versatile. You can easily substitute the cherry pie filling with other canned fillings like blueberry, apple, or strawberry for a different flavor.
Pin This Easy Cherry Pie Bars Recipe!
If you loved this recipe, please share it! Pinning this to your favorite dessert board on Pinterest helps us share our creations with others. We appreciate your support!
You won't believe how easy these cherry pie bars are to make!
Cherry Pie Bars Recipe
FL Recipes
Cherry Pie Bars: The Easiest Recipe You’ll Ever Make
Discover the best cherry pie bars recipe, featuring a buttery shortbread crust, a sweet cherry filling, and a simple almond glaze. These easy-to-make bars are the perfect dessert for any occasion, delivering all the flavor of a classic pie with none of the fuss.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
Mix in the almond extract until just combined. Set aside 1 ½ cups of this mixture for the crumble topping.
Assemble and Bake
Press the remaining crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the crust.
Sprinkle the reserved 1 ½ cups of crumb mixture evenly over the cherry filling.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly at the edges.
Cool and Glaze
Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcalProtein: 3gFat: 14gFiber: 1g
Notes
For the cleanest slices, it is essential that the bars are completely cool before you cut into them. Using a parchment paper 'sling' will make it much easier to lift the bars out of the pan for slicing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Keyword cherry crumble bars,cherry pie bars,easy cherry dessert
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
