Homemade cherry pie bars are made completely from scratch with a buttery crust, homemade or canned cherry pie filling. These dessert bars are a crowd-pleaser for everyday occasions, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Easier than cherry pie, the perfect dessert recipe for potlucks, picnics and the holidays. Simple ingredients – ready in 45-minutes!
Be sure and try my cherry crumb bars. Those are so delicious too!
Why this recipe works
- Ease – Easy to make, simple ingredients, crust and topping made from the same batter.
- Canned pie filling or homemade – The option to use canned pie filling or make homemade, using frozen or fresh cherries.
- Crowd-pleaser – Wonderful cherry filling, easy cuts into squares, great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Nostalgic recipe – This recipe comes from my grandmother’s kitchen. Perhaps your mom or grandma made something similar.
What you’ll need
- All-purpose flour – Use a brand you prefer.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the crust and topping.
- Butter – Using unsalted helps control the amount of salt in baking recipes.
- Baking powder – This leavening agent helps the crust rise.
- Eggs – Acts as a binder and holds together the batter.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a touch of flavor.
- Cherry pie filling – Use canned filling or make homemade cherry pie filling.
How to make cherry pie bars
- Prepare the filling – If making homemade cherry pie filling, make ahead and refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare baking pan – Line a jelly roll pan parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven – Preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Make the batter – In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually incorporate the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Assemble – Save 1 cup of cookie batter for topping, press remaining into prepared baking pan. Spread with pie filling, add topping.
- Bake – Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool & enjoy – Cool completely, cut into bars and serve.
I’ve been digging through my collection of heirloom recipes and found this handwritten recipe card from Grandma for cherry bars. Simple to make, canned cherry pie filling or homemade cherry pie filling – ready in less than an hour.
If you haven’t made cherry pie filling from scratch, grab some frozen cherries from BJ’s or Walmart and give it a try! It’s so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
If you’re obsessed with cherry desserts like we are, be sure and try cherry cobbler, cherry crisp, cherry crumb pie, and cherry hand pies.
Cherry desserts are perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Grandma’s recipes have never let me down. Have you tried her holiday punch recipe? That one is a classic!
More easy dessert recipes
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Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (21-ounces ) can cherry pie filling (or 2 cups homemade filling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
- Grease a jelly roll pan (10 ½ x 15 ½ -inch) with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually incorporate the flour, salt and baking powder. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is mixed well.
- Save about 1 cup of the cookie batter for the topping. Press the remaining batter evenly into the bottom of the jelly roll pan. Use a spoon to spread the pie filling on top.
- Use your fingers to add the remaining cookie batter over the pie filling layer.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and the pie filling is bubbling. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
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Gail says
Even better if you use almond flavoring instead of vanilla!
Jessica Robinson says
I would say using vanilla extract is a must! You can certainly add a small amount of almond extract if you prefer. Be sure and check out my cherry bars recipe that uses both.