Description
Delicious Cherry Pie Bars featuring a buttery crust, a juicy cherry filling, and a sweet vanilla glaze. These bars combine the classic flavors of cherry pie in an easy-to-serve, handheld form perfect for dessert or snacks.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cherry Filling
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out after baking.
- Prepare Dough: In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour and salt, stirring until a thick dough forms. Set aside 1 cup of this dough for the topping, and press the remaining dough evenly into the prepared baking pan to form the crust layer.
- Make Cherry Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract. Stir well to coat the cherries evenly with the filling mixture.
- Assemble Bars: Spread the cherry filling evenly over the crust in the baking pan. Crumble the reserved 1 cup of dough over the cherry layer as topping.
- Bake: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbly. If the topping browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Cool and Glaze: Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to create the glaze. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bars before cutting into 16 squares.
Notes
- Use fresh cherries for best flavor, but frozen cherries work well too—just thaw and drain excess liquid before using.
- To make cutting easier, chill the bars in the fridge after glazing.
- The glaze can be adjusted in consistency by adding more or less milk.
- For a nut-free version, omit the almond extract.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
