Cherry Pie Bars

August 13, 2018Teresa Ambra

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I hit a Grand Slam with this amazing Cherry Pie Bars recipe. These luscious, drool-worthy bars are filled with plump delicious cherries and almond extract for maximum flavor. Plus, the sour cream in the crust and topping layers ensures these bars are moist. All I can say, is I couldn’t stop eating them. Oh, my. Heavenly doesn’t do justice to these amazing bar-type cookies.

Follow Me On Instagram!

Back in June, I received a 20 pound box of fresh cherries from the Northwest Cherry Growers in Washington State. Twenty pounds is a LOT of cherries. 🙂 While no money exchanged hands, they did give me the cherries free of charge. I began scouring recipes to see what I could make with all those cherries. I came up with some doozies.

I made ten different desserts with the cherries. Those desserts included Cherry Crumb Coffee Cake, Cherry Cream Cheese Pound Cake, (a favorite with all my neighbors), Southern Cherry Cobbler, Cherry Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies, Cherry Almond Ooey Gooey Blondies, Cherry White Chocolate Chip Blondies, Cherry Cobbler Cookies, Cherry Cobbler Bars and Cherry Crumb Bars. Cherry Pie Bars was right at the top for taste and texture. I based the recipe off my Peach Pie Bars recipe with a few changes along the way. Yes, yes, yes!

For those of you looking for delicious ways to use fresh cherries, you’ve gotta give these lovely Cherry Pie Bars a try. They are sure to cure any sweet tooth craving you have. If you’re a cherry lover like me, you’ll be in seventh heaven.

Cherry Pie Bars are an ultra delicious dessert in the summer when fresh cherries are in season.

We loved the taste and texture of these delicious bar-type cookies.

Cherry Pie Bars are like eating Cherry Pie but so much easier!

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients for the crust & topping layers.

Combine UNBLEACHED all purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods), sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender.

Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Measure out 1 1/2 cups for topping and set aside.

Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9×13″ glass baking dish. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, make cherry filling.

I used these ingredients for the cherry layer.

Whisk eggs until thoroughly mixed.

Add flour, sugar, sour cream, salt and almond extract.

Stir well to combine.

Add cherries. (The cherries need to be patted dry to remove excess moisture).

Stir very gently to combine.

Once crust layer has cooked, remove from oven. Pour cherry filling over top of crust layer.

Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top of cherry layer.

Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until set.

Cool completely about one hour before cutting into bars.

Cherry Pie Bars make a terrific summer dessert.

Every bite is absolutely mouthwatering.

Here’s the recipe.

(My own concoction)

Teresa Ambra

Cherry Pie Bars taste like eating Cherry Pie but in brownie form--and they're so much easier to make! This luscious dessert is filled with plump, fresh cherries and almond flavoring. It's a terrific treat for summer when fresh cherries are in season.

4 from 43 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

1 9x13" glass baking dish
2 large mixing bowls
2 wooden spoons
measuring cups
measuring spoons
1 spatula
1 cherry pitter or sharp knife to pit cherries
1 pastry blender
1 whisk

Ingredients

CRUST:

3 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 sticks unsalted butter chilled (1 1/2 cups)

CHERRY PIE FILLING:

3 cups cherries pitted, halved
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 dash sea salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)

Instructions

CRUST:

Stir granulated sugar, salt and flour together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
Measure out 1 ½ cups of ingredients for topping and set aside.
Press remaining ingredients into the bottom of a greased 9x13” glass baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

CHERRY PIE FILLING:

Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk in granulated sugar, sour cream, salt, almond extract and flour to combine.
Gently fold in cherries until combined.
Pour cherry mixture over hot crust.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cups crumb mixture.
Bake an additional 55-65 minutes or until set.
Cool at least one hour before cutting into bars.

Notes

NOTE: After washing, pitting and halving the cherries, pat dry really well with a paper towel before using in recipe.

NOTE: Stir the cherries very gently into the filling mixture to avoid discoloration of the filling.

Cherries provided courtesy of Northwest Cherry Growers.

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 39mgPotassium: 87mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 469IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cherries, cherry dessert, cookie, dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you enjoy cherries, you’ll love this dessert.

Cherry Pie Bars make a wonderful treat for office or tailgating parties.

It’s time to dig in.

Cherry Cobbler Bars

Cherry Almond Ooey Gooey Blondies

Cherry White Chocolate Chip Blondies

Cherry Pie Bars

Teresa Ambra

Cherry Pie Bars taste like eating Cherry Pie but in brownie form–and they’re so much easier to make! This luscious dessert is filled with plump, fresh cherries and almond flavoring. It’s a terrific treat for summer when fresh cherries are in season.

4 from 43 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

1 9×13" glass baking dish
See Also
White Chocolate Chip Cherry Shortbread Cookies recipe Cherry Surprise Dessert - Deliciously Seasoned Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars Cherry Almond Cookies {NO CHILL} ~ two sugar bugs
2 large mixing bowls
2 wooden spoons
measuring cups
measuring spoons
1 spatula
1 cherry pitter or sharp knife to pit cherries
1 pastry blender
1 whisk

Ingredients

CRUST:

3 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 sticks unsalted butter chilled (1 1/2 cups)

CHERRY PIE FILLING:

3 cups cherries pitted, halved
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 dash sea salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)

Instructions

CRUST:

Stir granulated sugar, salt and flour together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
Measure out 1 ½ cups of ingredients for topping and set aside.
Press remaining ingredients into the bottom of a greased 9×13” glass baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

CHERRY PIE FILLING:

Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk in granulated sugar, sour cream, salt, almond extract and flour to combine.
Gently fold in cherries until combined.
Pour cherry mixture over hot crust.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cups crumb mixture.
Bake an additional 55-65 minutes or until set.
Cool at least one hour before cutting into bars.

Notes

NOTE: After washing, pitting and halving the cherries, pat dry really well with a paper towel before using in recipe.

NOTE: Stir the cherries very gently into the filling mixture to avoid discoloration of the filling.

Cherries provided courtesy of Northwest Cherry Growers.

Nutrition

Keyword cherries, cherry dessert, cookie, dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

#canbassador#NorthwestCherryGrowersalmond extractbest cherry dessertbrowniecherriescherry dessertcherry piecherry pie barscompany dessertcookieeggsfamily dessertfavorite cherry dessertfoodfresh cherriesNorthwest Cherry Growerspotluckpotluck dessertrecipesour creamsummer dessert

35 Comments

Jean
May 13, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Can I use frozen cherries
Reply
1. Teresa Ambra
  May 14, 2024 at 4:41 pm
  Hi Jean. You can use frozen berries. I would probably add them without thawing them first since that’s what you usually do with blueberries.
  Reply
33 Best Dessert Bar Recipes – Easy Dessert Ideas
May 6, 2023 at 9:59 pm
[…] 30. Cherry Pie Bars […]
Reply
Deb Hunton
July 27, 2022 at 8:20 pm
Can you use a metal pan?
Reply
1. Teresa
  July 28, 2022 at 8:21 am
  Hi Deb. Yes you can. But they may cook a little faster than glass pans so watch your time accordingly.
  Reply
Barb sharma
July 1, 2022 at 10:01 pm
These were delicious!
Reply
1. Teresa
  July 4, 2022 at 8:11 am
  Hi Barb. So glad you enjoyed these delicious cookies. I love anything with cherries, so these were right up my alley. 🙂
  Reply
Carol
July 19, 2021 at 4:07 pm
These are in my oven right now! Have you ever frozen them? I would love to save half for my kids that don’t live close enough to try, in 2 weeks when they do come.
Thank you!
Reply
1. Carol
  July 20, 2021 at 2:00 pm
  So I did an experiment…..I froze one little square last night and today thawed it out…….delicious and can’t tell the difference! These are a keeper. Especially love the almond taste. Thank you for posting these, I know my whole family will love them too!
  Reply
  See Also
  Easy Homemade Cherry Crisp - House of Nash Eats
  1. Teresa
    July 22, 2021 at 6:15 am
    So glad you enjoyed them Carol. Yes, this recipe is a keeper!
    Reply
2. Teresa
  July 22, 2021 at 6:14 am
  Hi, Carol. Yes, you can freeze them. Place them in a plastic container with each layer separated by wax paper. They freeze nicely.
  Reply
Ethan
July 6, 2021 at 7:19 am
With the cherry pie bars or cherry crumb bars how do I go about adding ground almond without making the recipe dry? Add more butter?
Reply
1. Teresa
  July 8, 2021 at 6:47 am
  Hi, Ethan, I would replace it one-for-one with some of the flour.
  Reply
Anonymous
January 31, 2021 at 7:10 am
Instead of fresh cherries, is canned pitted, drained cherries possible?
Reply
1. Teresa
  February 1, 2021 at 7:27 am
  You can try them, but you need to make sure you wipe off all excess cherry liquid before using.
  Reply
Heidi
December 23, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Ohh my!! This is such a yummy treat!! I was wondering how it would be with fresh cranberries as a Christmas dessert so I tried it. It turned out really good too.
I did add a cup of white chips and an extra 1/2 cup of sugar just in case the cranberries were too tart.
Pretty sure this type of bar could win some awards!!
Reply
1. Teresa
  December 24, 2020 at 5:13 am
  Hi, Heidi. I love those ideas! I think the addition of sugar and white chips would make a real difference because it would probably be too tart otherwise.
  Reply
Sig
March 19, 2020 at 5:10 pm
No fresh cherries yet but blueberries were a great substitute. Next I’ll try blackberries and raspberries. Have not ruled out apples and/or pineapple.
Reply
1. Teresa
  March 20, 2020 at 9:25 am
  Hi, Sig. Those are all fantastic ideas. I’ll have to try them too! 🙂
  Reply
Kristi G
June 23, 2019 at 6:45 am
Can I use an almond flour instead of I bleached flour to make it gluten free?
Reply
1. Teresa
  June 24, 2019 at 12:30 pm
  Hi, Kristi. I think almond flour alone will make it too heavy. I would use a gluten free blended flour like Cup4Cup, Better Batter or some of the other GF flours by Pillsbury, King Arthur’s Flour.
  Reply
Patti
June 15, 2019 at 5:22 pm
Hi!
Where do I store these: covered on the counter or covered in the refrigerator?
Thank you!
Reply
1. Teresa
  June 16, 2019 at 4:52 pm
  Hi, Patti. I store them on the counter for up to two days. After that, I put them in the refrigerator….assuming that they last that long. But if you prefer you can keep them refrigerated the whole time.
  Reply
Lynda Slocum
April 30, 2019 at 8:07 am
I have a recipe that uses a cake mix. I like the homemade one of yours. Thanks for hint about canned cherries.
Lynda
Reply
1. Teresa
  April 30, 2019 at 7:42 pm
  You’re welcome, Lynda. Hope you give them a try.
  Reply
Donna
April 9, 2019 at 5:18 pm
Can I use cherry pie filling?
Reply
1. Teresa
  April 10, 2019 at 1:09 pm
  Hi, Donna. I would not use cherry pie filling. However, you can purchase canned tart, pitted cherries in the fruit section of any grocery. Rinse, drain and dry them really well before using. They will not be as sturdy in the recipe as fresh cherries, but the recipe should still turn out really well.
  Reply
Kim
September 5, 2018 at 5:13 pm
Have you tried adding chocolate chips or drizzling chocolate over?
Reply
1. Teresa
  September 6, 2018 at 6:10 am
  Hi, Kim. I have not, but I’m sure it would be delicious. My personal preference would be white chocolate. 🙂
  Reply
Becky
August 23, 2018 at 2:31 am
Do you think you could use Fresh Blueberries?
Reply
1. Teresa
  August 23, 2018 at 6:54 am
  Yes, Becky, I bet those would work out terrific! Enjoy.
  Reply
Anonymous
August 14, 2018 at 11:27 pm
This looks soooo yummy! I will have to try it. Thank you for sharing.
Reply
1. Teresa
  August 15, 2018 at 1:41 pm
  You’re welcome. They really are yummy. Hope you enjoy them.
  Reply
J
August 13, 2018 at 1:49 pm
I will never get sick of bing cherries or cherry recipes! Watermelon and cherries are my fav fruits in the summer to eat! Have a great week!
Reply
1. Teresa
  August 14, 2018 at 12:08 pm
  Me neither! Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy your week.
  Reply