These Cherry Pie Bars are just the best! A perfect dessert for the cherry lover, but anyone will enjoy this sweet treat. Tender sugar cookie-like crust topped with cherry pie filling then drizzled with creamy frosting–this is a great recipe to make for a picnic, easy holiday dessert, a party, or for a quick weeknight dessert.
Cherry Pie Bars
I love cherry pie, cherries on top of pancakes, cherry turnovers, and basically just anything with cherry pie filling. So Cherry Pie Bars are of course one of my new favorite things!
When I made these my daughter was playing with a friend and as they came through the kitchen they caught a glimpse of these bars. They paused to check them out and I saw their eyes widen and asked, “would you like to be my taste testers?” Well, it took no convincing and my little helpers gave Cherry Pie Bars two thumbs up. It’s always good when an 8 year old says, “wow, these are so good! Can you give my mom the recipe?” 🙂
Want to know what my other all-time favorite recipe is? Click here to check out the recipe for Double Crumb Apple Crisp. It’s so good!
The Ingredients
The ingredients are really simple. Here’s what you will need:
- Flour – all-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Salt
- Eggs
- Almond extract – you could use vanilla extract in place of the almond if you prefer.
- Cherry pie filling – I love the kind that has extra cherries, but any canned cherry pie filling will work.
- Milk
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
NOTE: please be sure to get the full ingredient list with measurements and recipe instructions in the printable recipe card toward the end of this article.
Click here to pin this recipe on Pinterest.
How to Make Cherry Pie Bars
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8 inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
STEP 2: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
STEP 3: In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until well combined.
NOTE: Not sure if you want to use almond extract? Give it a try! Sometimes recipes call for too much almond extract. This is not a free-pour situation! Almond extract is very strong and too much will make your food taste like soap. Measure the extract exactly and you may even want to use a little less if you’re concerned about the flavor. Just a touch of almond extract really adds a delightful flavor.
STEP 4: Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
STEP 5: Scoop 1 ½ cups of the dough mixture into the prepared pan and press down to form the bottom crust.
This can be a bit challenging since the pan is greased, but just be patient and keep gently spreading the dough out until each dollop meets and forms one solid square.
Spread the pie filling over the crust. Dollop the remaining dough all over the top of the pie filling.
STEP 6: Bake the cherry bars at 350F for 30-35 minutes until set and beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.
STEP 7: Cool the cherry bars in the pan until room temperature. Combine the powdered sugar and milk to make the glaze and drizzle over the cooled cherry bars.
Cut the Cherry Pie Bars into 9 squares to serve.
How to Store the Leftovers
Keep the cherry bars covered well with plastic wrap or a reusable wrap or place them in an airtight container with a lid. The bars will stay fresh on the counter at room temperature for up to three days.
Cherry Pie Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Description
These Cherry Pie Bars are just the best! A perfect dessert for the cherry lover, but anyone will enjoy this sweet treat. Tender sugar cookie-like crust topped with cherry pie filling then drizzled with creamy frosting–this is a great recipe to make for a picnic, easy holiday dessert, a party, or for a quick weeknight dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 (21 ounce can cherry pie filling (regular or extra cherry variety)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8 inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
- Scoop 1 ½ cups of the dough mixture into the prepared pan and press down to form the bottom crust. Spread the pie filling over the crust. Dollop the remaining dough all over the top of the pie filling.
- Bake the cherry bars at 350F for 30-35 minutes until set and beginning to turn golden brown around the edges.
- Cool the cherry bars in the pan until room temperature. Combine the powdered sugar and milk to make the glaze and drizzle over the cooled cherry bars. Cut into 9 squares to serve.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
Keywords: cherries, cherry pie, pie, dessert
I Want to Hear From You!
After you make your Cherry Pie Bars, come back and tell me how you like them! You can leave a comment and recipe rating in the comments section below. You can also click here to see this on Pinterest and leave a comment there or even your own picture. Another option would be to tag me on Instagram @MomNeedsChocolate. Can’t wait to hear from you!
MORE GREAT RECIPES
If you like this recipe, here are some other top Mom Needs Chocolate favorites to check out:
- The Best Chicken Fried Rice
- Homemade Granola with Cranberries
- Carrot Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
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