Cherry Pie Bars

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.

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.