Here’s a Cherry Pie Bars recipe — everything you love about cherry pie, but easier to make and perfect for feeding a crowd. 🍒💕
🍒 Ingredients
For the crust and topping:
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1 cup (2 sticks / 225 g) unsalted butter, softened
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1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
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4 large eggs
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1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
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½ tsp almond extract (optional but highly recommended for cherry desserts)
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3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
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1 ½ tsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
For the filling:
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1 (21 oz / 595 g) can cherry pie filling (or homemade if you prefer)
Optional glaze (for topping):
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1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
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2 tbsp milk (more or less as needed)
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½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
🔪 Instructions
1. Preheat oven:
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Set oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the batter:
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In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
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Beat in eggs, one at a time.
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Add vanilla and almond extract.
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In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
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Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
3. Assemble:
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Spread about ⅔ of the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
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Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the batter (try to cover it all).
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Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the cherries — it won’t cover completely, and that’s fine (it’ll bake into a pretty marbled look).
4. Bake:
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Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center (in the cake part) comes out clean.
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Cool completely in the pan.
5. Glaze (optional):
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Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla or almond extract until smooth.
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Drizzle over cooled bars.
🍰 Serving Tips
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Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
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Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days.
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You can swap the cherry filling for blueberry, apple, or raspberry for a fun twist!
Would you like me to give you a from-scratch cherry filling version (instead of canned pie filling)?
