These cherry pie bars offer bright, fruity cherry filling sandwiched between a buttery shortbread base and a crunchy, nutty crumble. They deliver bakery-quality flavor without the fuss of a traditional pie, making them ideal for potlucks, picnics, or casual gatherings.
Cherry pie is a classic summertime favorite, but these cherry pie bars are a faster, less fussy way to enjoy the same flavors. A rich shortbread crust forms the base, a lemon-brightened cherry filling sits in the middle, and a streusel-like crumble with sliced almonds tops everything off. Finished with a simple almond glaze, these bars are a crowd-pleaser.
They’re easy to transport and slice, so they work wonderfully for parties. If you enjoy cherry-forward desserts, consider trying other variations like cherry cheesecake or a chocolate-cherry cake.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Key Ingredients Notes
- How to make cherry pie bars
- Expert Tips
- Storage
- FAQs
- More Easy Dessert Bar Recipes
- Cherry Pie Bars Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
These bars combine the best parts of a pie and a cookie into a simple, delicious dessert:
- Bakery-style flavor: A rich shortbread base and crisp crumble create layers of texture and taste.
- Beginner-friendly: No pie crust skills required — the dough is handled like a cookie shortbread.
- Make ahead: Chilling improves the texture, so the bars are easy to prepare in advance.
Key Ingredients Notes
Shortbread Base:
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure to the crust.
- Unsalted butter: Use softened butter for even mixing.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps with texture.
- Light brown sugar: Adds chew and a hint of caramel.
- Fine salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure extract for the best flavor.
Crumble Topping:
- Reserved shortbread dough: Part of the dough is set aside for the crumble.
- Coarse or turbinado sugar: Adds crunch and caramel notes.
- Ground cardamom: Optional warming spice; omit if undesired.
Cherry Filling:
- Cherry pie filling: Use a 21-ounce can, or a homemade filling if preferred. Sour cherry filling works especially well.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: Brighten and lift the cherry flavor.
Topping and Glaze:
- Sliced almonds: Provide a nutty crunch; pecans or walnuts can be substituted.
- Powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract: Whisk to a pourable glaze; omit for a less sweet bar.
How to make cherry pie bars
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch square pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting.
Step 1: Make the Crust
- Cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla and salt, then stir in the flour until a soft dough forms.
- Reserve about 3/4 cup of dough for the crumble topping.
- Press the remaining dough firmly into the prepared pan to form an even base.
Step 2: Prepare the Crumble Topping
- Combine the reserved shortbread dough with coarse sugar and a pinch of cardamom until just mixed; this creates the crumble.
Step 3: Bake the Crust
- Bake the pressed crust for 15 minutes, until it’s lightly set and beginning to brown at the edges.
Step 4: Make the Cherry Filling
- While the crust bakes, stir the cherry pie filling with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to brighten the flavor.
Step 5: Assemble and Bake the Bars
- Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Spread the cherry filling evenly over the warm crust.
- Crumble the reserved dough over the filling, leaving some cherries visible.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds across the top.
- Bake for 55–60 minutes, until the crumble is light golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
- Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to help the filling set.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan and cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean edges.
Step 6: Ice the Bars
- Whisk powdered sugar with 2–3 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla) until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze over chilled bars just before serving, or skip it for a less sweet finish.
Expert Tips
- Flavor swap: Use vanilla in the glaze if you prefer.
- Try other fillings: Blueberry, raspberry, or peach pie fillings work well here.
- Crumble crunch: Mixing turbinado sugar into the reserved dough gives the topping extra texture.
- Chill before slicing: Full chilling produces cleaner cuts and better texture.
- Sharp slices: Warm a knife under hot water, dry it, and slice in smooth strokes for bakery-style edges.
Storage
Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving to take the chill off. You can also freeze the bars for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving. Texture may soften slightly after freezing, but the flavor remains.
FAQs
Allow the bars to cool completely, then refrigerate them for at least two hours. Chilling helps the filling firm up to the right consistency.
Yes. Canned fillings like blueberry, peach, or strawberry work well and are easy substitutions.
Absolutely. Walnuts or pecans make excellent alternatives to sliced almonds.
More Easy Dessert Bar Recipes
- Caramel chocolate chip cookie bars
- German chocolate brownies
- Red velvet cake brownies
- Monster cookie bars
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Base:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble Topping:
- ¾ cup reserved shortbread dough
- 2 tablespoons coarse or turbinado sugar
- Pinch ground cardamom
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Cherry Filling:
- 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Almond Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.
To make the shortbread crust:
- Cream softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla and salt, then add flour until a soft dough forms.
- Remove about ¾ cup of dough for the topping and press the rest into the pan.
- Bake the crust 15 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
To make the crumb topping:
- Gently mix the reserved dough with coarse sugar and a pinch of cardamom.
To prepare the cherry pie filling:
- Stir the cherry pie filling with lemon juice and zest while the crust bakes.
To assemble the bars:
- Remove crust from oven and cool 5 minutes.
- Spread cherry filling evenly over the warm crust.
- Crumble reserved dough over the filling and scatter sliced almonds on top.
To bake:
- Bake 55–60 minutes until the crumble is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
- Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Lift bars from the pan using the parchment and slice with a sharp knife. For clean bakery-style edges, dip the knife in hot water, dry it, and cut in smooth strokes.
To prepare the glaze:
- Whisk powdered sugar with milk and almond extract until smooth and lightly pourable.
- Drizzle over chilled bars just before serving or omit for a less sweet treat.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
