Cherry Pie Bars
Published
Published
With cherry pie filling between a crumb topping and buttery crust, these Cherry Pie Bars are an easier, more shareable version of a classic cherry pie recipe. They’re relatively mess-free and much easier to serve at holiday parties!
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Cherry pie is one of my favorites, especially with my homemade cherry pie filling. These cherry pie bars are a bit of a cross between a pie and a crumble because the crust is more like a crumble topping than a true pie crust. It does form a thick crust on the bottom of these bars but the top is sprinkled on, very similar to a crumble. Then I added a simple glaze on top for an extra level of decadence. So good!
What’s in this Cherry Pie Bars Recipe?
These cherry pie bars are made with pantry staples – many of the same ones you’d use to make a cherry pie – and cherry pie filling. Scroll down to the recipe card below to check out the exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Use the spoon and level technique for accurate measuring.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Baking powder. Provides some lift to the crust.
- Salt – Helps to balance the other flavors.
- Cinnamon – Adds a light and warm flavor to the crust.
- Butter – Cut into cubes. Salted or unsalted works here. Note that it should be chilled, not softened.
- Egg – Helps bind the crust so it holds together.
- Vanilla – For extra flavor.
- Almond extract – Almond extract actually tastes like cherries, not almonds, and enhances the cherry flavor.
- Cherry pie filling – You can use my homemade cherry pie filling or grab a can at the store.
- For the glaze – Powdered sugar, milk, and both vanilla and almond extra make up the silky irresistible glaze.
Can I Make These With Other Fruit?
Absolutely. You can use any flavor of fruit pie filling in these pie bars. Chopped up apple pie filling, peach pie filling, and blueberry pie filling are three that would work great in this recipe.
Tips for Success
- Keep the dough crumbly. As you combine all of the dough ingredients, you are not trying to achieve a ball of smooth dough. Instead, you want to maintain a coarse, crumbly texture.
- Use chilled butter. Chilled butter, or at least butter that is not softened to room temperature, is better for this recipe. You’ll be able to work it into the dough to form coarse crumbs without it melting.
- Don’t overbake the crust. The crust needs to be pre-baked but you don’t want to overbake it. It should be just lightly brown and no longer wet or shiny on top.
- Cool before glazing. Let the cherry pie bars cool before adding the glaze. If they’re still warm, they will just melt the glaze.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Sliced cherry pie bars can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep them in an airtight container. I recommend placing parchment paper between layers.
- Freezer. You can also freeze these bars. Flash freeze on a baking sheet then wrap individually in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, , spooned and leveled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, , cut into cubes
- 1 large egg, , beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper with a slight overhang on the 2 longer sides.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups spooned and leveled flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in 1 cup cubed butter with a fork or pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then stir in 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract with a fork (dough should remain crumbly.)
- Press a little more than half the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is just starting to lightly brown and no longer shiny or wet.
- Spoon 21 ounces cherry pie filling over the partially baked crust, then using a spatula spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture, pressing some of it together to form slightly bigger pieces, if desired (making sure some of the pie filling still peaks through.)
- Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbly.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, adjust by adding a bit more milk if needed. Once the bars are completely cooled, drizzle over the top and allow glaze to set.
- Using the parchment, life the bars out of the pan, slice and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
This recipe was amazing! This was my first time making a pie and it was so easy. Will be making again!
Loved it ,always have ? so great recipes help thank you.