Cherry Pie Bars are sweet dessert bars with a buttery crumble crust topped with homemade cherry pie filling. It’s like enjoying a cherry pie without all the fuss of baking a pie!
Cherry Pie Bars
I love a crumbly, buttery crumb, so I knew this recipe would be a winner. And then, my homemade cherry pie filling set the bars to a new level of yumminess. It’s not a hard recipe to make, using ingredients you probably already have on hand. And, if you love cherries, you will not want to pass up these bars!
Ingredients
Butter: Melt the unsalted butter and then let it cool a bit before mixing with the sugar.
Pie Filling: I used 2 cups of my homemade cherry pie filling. However, you could get by with a 21-ounce can of store-bought pie filling as well. If you use the canned pie filling, the bars will be a bit sweeter and will look redder (brighter).
Can I Use a Different Kind of Pie Filling?
Sure! If cherry pie filling is not your choice for the filling, try another kind! You could use apple pie filling, peach, blueberry, or your favorite fruit pie filling.
Can I Use a Different Sized Pan?
Yes. If you don’t have an 8×8-inch baking dish, you can use a 9×9-inch dish. You can use a 9×13 but the bars will be thin.
How to Store Cherry Pie Bars
Once the bars have been baked, let them cool completely. Then, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze these Bars?
Yes! Again, let the bars cool completely before freezing them. Then, cut the bars to your desired size. Layer the bars with parchment or wax paper in between and store them in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. However, when thawed, the bars may lose some of the crumble texture.
More Cherry Treats
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (510 g) cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, including up the sides of the dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork to stir the mixture together until combined. The mixture should look like crumbs.
- Remove ¾ cup of the mixture to use as the topping and set aside.
- Firmly press the remaining crumb mixture into the lined pan.
- Top with cherry pie filling.
- Using your hands, evenly distribute the reserved crumb mixture over the cherry pie filling.
- Bake 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the bars cool before cutting and serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Made ur homemade cherry pie filling, which made a little over 2 cups, and I used all of it in this recipe. I would’ve liked the filling a little sweeter. These bars were okay. I would’ve liked them 2 b a little sweeter with more crumble topping tho. I used 1/4 c real sugar & 1/4 c Splenda as well as 3/4 c AP flour & 3/4 c whole-wheat flour in order to cut down on the carbs and 2 add some fiber.
HI Marsha – the homemade cherry pie filling makes 3 cups, I have personally verified this multiple times. So you may have missed something in the preparation of that? And if you are making that many changes to the recipe, then it will not taste as I have indicated it would. If sweetness if truly the only thing that you would have improved upon, you can always add more sugar.
I don’t believe I had quite the amount of cherries called for in the recipe, ergo I only had maybe 2 1/4 cups filling. If I ever make again, I will add more sweetener to the filling as well as double the crumble quantity.
I need to double the recipe, will it cook properly if I use a larger pan?
I want to decrease this recipe by half. What size pan would I use to bake it in?
Try a loaf pan – they’re usually 3×9 or so. That’s a little smaller than half. Or line half of your 8×8 with foil and building a wall of foil down the center. Goid luck!
ps – cooking time will change!
Super easy and very good ! Could use any fruit filling and it would be awesome 👍
I made this recipe but only made 1/2 the recipe and it was 😋 yummy.
Thank you 🙏🏽
can you use salted butter
Made this today and it is quick and easy dessert.
A tiny bit of almond extract is a great touch!
Can I use fresh cherries?
Very awsom