If baking an entire pie from scratch is out of your wheelhouse, meet the much-less-intimidating cherry pie bars. Made with two premade cherry pie filling, a quick vanilla glaze and a simple shortcrust that doubles as the topping, these cherry bars will feel easy as pie. Well, easier than pie!
Dessert bars are the perfect treat to transport to gatherings, potlucks and picnics. Make these cherry bars the day before for less stress on the day of the party.
Ingredients for Cherry Pie Bars
- Eggs: We always recommend baking with room-temperatures eggs to make the best dough texture. If you forgot to set yours out beforehand, quickly bring the eggs to room temp by placing them in a bowl and covering them with warm (not hot!) water for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Almond extract: Cherries and almonds pair perfectly together, and it’s all thanks to their shared organic compound benzaldehyde. Benzaldehyde is the reason you may feel like you’re noshing on cherries when eating marzipan or an almond croissant.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has just enough structure and just enough tenderness to make our shortcrust. We don’t recommend swapping it out for another flour in this recipe.
- Cherry pie filling: You’ll need two 21-ounce cans of your favorite cherry pie filling brand for these bars. We love making recipes with cherry pie filling. It just makes things so much easier.
Directions
Step 1: Create the dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts.
Gradually beat in the flour. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.
Step 2: Assemble the cherry pie bars
Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan, and spread 3 cups of dough evenly into the pan. Spread the pie filling on top all over, then drop the remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over the filling. No need to spread out the dollops.
Editor’s Tip: This baking pan is called a jelly-roll pan, and it’s needed for these cherry bars due to its tall sides. Do not swap it out for a different baking pan.
Step 3: Bake
Bake until the cherry bars are golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the bars completely to room temperature in their pan on a wire rack.
Editor’s Tip: Before you bake, place a larger baking sheet on a rack underneath the cherry bars to catch anything that may bubble over as they cook. It’s easier to clean a baking sheet than the bottom of an oven.
Step 4: Drizzle on the glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough milk to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cherry pie bars.
Recipe Variations
- Add some spice: Cherries can pair with all sorts of baking spices. Zhuzh up the filling with ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg.
- Add more almonds: Once the glaze is drizzled over the bars, sprinkle slivered almonds on top. Almonds and cherries pair excellently, so more almonds can only be a good thing. Plus, they add a crunchy texture and gorgeous finish.
- Make a Black Forest-inspired dessert: These cherry pie bars are just one ingredient away from becoming a Black Forest recipe. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the cherry pie filling, and finish the recipe from there.
- Swap in your favorite fruit: Yes, you can totally swap in your favorite fruit pie filling. Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry—go for it!
How to Store Cherry Pie Bars
To store, cover the pan with storage wrap, or place the bar slices in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five days.
Can I freeze cherry pie bars?
Yes, you can totally freeze cherry pie bars. Let them cool in the pan completely. Cover the pan with two layers or storage wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil, or place the pie slices in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to two months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for an hour.
Cherry Pie Bars Tips
How can I make the cherry pie filling taste homemade?
There are a ton of different ways to make canned cherry pie taste homemade. Sweeten it up with a few tablespoons of cherry jam, brighten the flavor with lemon zest and juice, or make the filling a bit creamy with sweetened condensed milk.
How do I serve cherry pie bars?
Cherry bars can be served cold, at room temperature or warmed from the microwave. Dollop whipped cream on top, or serve a slice a la mode. They’re fantastic with a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
