Cherry Pie Bars-Dessert Squares With Pie Filling
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Cherry Pie Lovers Rejoice! Half the effort, all the flavor! Cherry Pie Bars have a buttery shortbread crust, creamy almond drizzle, and packed with plump cherries in every bite! Easy to make, impossible to resist!
Homemade dessert squares are quick, convenient, and beloved for any season or occasion. Check out some reader favorites: Strawberries & Cream Magic Bars, Hazelnut Energy Bars, Hello Dollies, and Sugar Cookie Bars. Easy, time-saving desserts never tasted so good!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Easy Cherry Pie Bar Recipe
- Time-Saving – With only 15 minutes of prep and a quick 20-minute bake time, this easy dessert bar recipe has all the flavors of cherry pie in a fraction of the time.
- Delicious Flavor – These cookie bars are bursting with the sweet-tart taste of cherries, complemented by a buttery shortbread crust.
- Perfect for Sharing – Pre-cut cherry dessert squares are ideal for picnics, BBQs, or feeding a crowd.
- Customizable – You can swap the cherry pie filling for other flavors, such as blueberry, peach, raspberry, and cinnamon apple pie filling!
- Double Delight – When making these cherry bars for a crowd, there’s plenty to share. Just use a 10×15″ pan and double the pie bar recipe.
Cherry Pie Bar Recipe Ingredients
Simple pantry-friendly baking supplies and the convenience of cherry pie filling come together to create delicious cherry pie bars. A sweet treat that’s hard to beat and the perfect go-to for a last-minute homemade dessert recipe.
For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Dessert Bar Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter – softened but not melted.
- Sugar – white granulated.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract – use the best quality for the best results.
- All-Purpose Flour – Measure by weight if possible (4.2 oz or 120 gm per cup). Without a kitchen scale, fluff, spoon, and level flour.
- Baking Powder – check expiration for freshness.
- Salt
- Cherry Pie Filling – 21 oz sized can (use your favorite pie filling flavor).
For Almond Drizzle:
- Powdered Sugar – dissolves smoothly for a silky icing drizzle.
- Almond Extract – opt for real almond extract when possible.
- Milk – whole milk is the goldilocks of sugar glazes. Use water or skim milk for a thinner drizzle or cream for a thicker, decadent icing.
How To Make Easy Cherry Pie Bars
When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
Preheat your oven, line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add extracts and mix until smooth. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Press 2/3 of the shortbread dough into the prepared pan, then spread the pie filling over it—drop and space small spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the filling.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes; remove and cool on a wire rack. Drizzle almond glaze and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Cut into 16 dessert bars and enjoy chilled or room temperature.
Glaze Drizzle
- Whisk glaze ingredients to the desired consistency.
- (Add more sugar if it’s too runny or more milk if it’s too thick.)
Cherry Dessert Bars Prep + Baking Notes:
- Create parchment “handles” by leaving a 2” overhang on two sides of the pan to easily lift the cherry bars out of the pan to slice.
- The shortbread dough will be crumbly after adding the dry ingredients but will come together when pressed.
- Press dough into a baking pan using wet hands, parchment paper, plastic wrap, or food service gloves.
- Keep a little space between the shortbread crumble dollops.
- The cherry bars are done when golden brown, and the shortbread topping does not indent when lightly pressed.
Chef Tips
- Only soften butter until a gentle fingertip press leaves a slight indention.
- Sift powdered sugar through a sieve to avoid lumps in glaze.
- For clean-edged slices and properly set filling, let the cherry pie bars cool completely and refrigerate before cutting and serving.
- It’s easy to make cherry bars for a crowd by doubling the recipe and baking them on a 10×15” sheet pan (or similar).
- Switch things up with a Black Forest variation by sprinkling a cup of dark chocolate chips or shavings over the cherry pie filling before the crumb topping. It’s so good!
How To Store
Freshly baked cherry pie bars can be enjoyed at room temperature covered for up to 3 days. To keep them fresh longer, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
How To Freeze
Want to enjoy them even later? After cooling completely, wrap individual dessert squares and freeze for 3-6 months in an air-tight container for a delicious anytime treat! Let thaw on the counter for a few hours (or until no longer frozen).
Recipe FAQs
An easy substitute for the shortbread crust is a packaged cookie mix! Cut 1/2 cup softened butter into a 17.5 oz sugar cookie mix until it looks like coarse crumbs. Keep about a cup for the topping, press the rest into the baking pan, and viola! It’s the perfect hack for cherry pie bar crust.
No, the almond extract in the glaze is optional. You can easily leave it out or choose another extract flavor you enjoy.
You sure can! A tub of your favorite frosting is a quick and convenient hack for drizzle topping. Microwave a complementing flavor (cream cheese, French vanilla, lemon, or dark chocolate) in 15-30-second bursts, stirring each time until the frosting is pourable. Drizzle the frosting over cooled cherry dessert bars for a fabulous finishing touch!
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 (21-ounce) can of cherry pie filling
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper leaving a 1-2 inch overhang. Lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the extracts and continue mixing until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined (dough will be crumbly, but will come together when pressed).
- Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan using wet hands or parchment paper. Spread pie filling over the dough.
- Drop the remaining dough in small spoonfuls over the top of the filling (there should be space between dollups of dough). Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown, or until the dough on top does not indent when lightly pressed with your finger. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, extract and milk to desired consistency (add more sugar if it’s too runny and more milk if it’s too thick) drizzle the icing cooled bars. Place in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to set.
- Use parchment overhang to lift out of the pan and onto a cutting board to slice into 16 bars. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Notes
- They will keep on the counter or in the fridge for 2-3 days covered or in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-6 months.
- Double this recipe to serve a crowd - using a 10x15 sheet pan (or similar size)
- When pressing the dough into the pan, prep your hands by wetting them with a little water, or use a piece or parchment paper or plastic wrap over the shortbread crust to press with your hands.
- Unlike classic cherry pie, these cherry pie bars are not served warm. They are best served chilled or room termperature. They will not hold their shape if warm.
- Make with any fruit pie filling.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 215Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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