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These Cherry Pie Bars are just like a classic cherry pie, but in bar form! The crust of these bars is like shortbread and they are topped with a crumble topping with almonds. PLUS the topping and the crust are the same recipe to make your life easier.
Why You’ll Love Cherry Pie Bars
Bring Cherry Pie to life in a new way – as pie bars! They have a buttery shortbread crust that is reminiscent of a traditional pie crust. The cherry pie filling on top is perfect filling – the sweet taste of the filling with the buttery crust and crumble is epic. I also added almonds to the topping for crunch because almonds and cherries are besties in the food combination world.
I have a similar recipe to this in my cookbook that uses apple butter – and everyone absolutely raves about them, so I know you’ll love this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: I used unsalted butter but if you substitute salted, just reduce added salt. You don’t need to start with room temperature butter, but if you’re doing this by hand I recommend that.
- Sugar: Granulated Sugar for a bit of sweetness.
- Almonds: I recommend buying pre-sliced or slivered almonds.
- Cherry Pie Filling: Make my homemade cherry pie filling, or buy a can of cherry pie filling.
Variations
- If you want to add a glaze on top, just mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) with about 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk (start with 2 teaspoons and add more as needed for desired consistency). Drizzle over cooled bars.
- I don’t add any vanilla or almond extracts to the crust but you can add 1/2 teaspoon if you prefer for extra flavor.
- You can swap brown sugar for granulated sugar in the crust/topping.
How to make Cherry Pie Bars
- Place the butter, sugar, salt, and all purpose flour in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. You can also do this in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Press 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of your baking dish.
- Mix the sliced almonds into the remaining batter with your fingers until crumbly.
- Spread cherry pie filling over crust.
- Sprinkle the topping over the pie filling and bake until cooked through.
Expert Tips
- I think the almonds are perfect in this recipe, but if you want to leave them out you can.
- You could also make blueberry pie bars, strawberry, or peach pie bars. You could also grab some apple pie filling and make these apple pie bars. Just keep the crust and add a different filling!
- I love the softness of the bottom crust when they’re all baked at once. However, if you like a crunchier bottom crust, you’ll want to partially bake the crust before adding the filling and topping. See recipe notes.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.
Cherry Pie Bars Recipe
Almonds are the perfect addition to cherry pie bars. And they're easy to serve and perfect with some ice cream on the side.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter cold
- ½ cup (110g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups (255g) flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 20 ounce can cherry pie filling (or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter, sugar, salt, and flour in a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. You can also do this in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Press 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with cherry pie filling.
- Mix the sliced almonds into the remaining dough with your fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie filling.
- Bake until cooked through and light golden on top, about 30-40 minutes.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- We like a soft crust for these bars, but if you prefer a crunchier crust, bake the crust for 15-20 minutes (or until it’s just loosing it’s opaqueness) then top with pie filling and topping and continue baking until the top is baked through and light golden, about 20 additional minutes.
- Feel free to omit the almonds. You can use oats or other chopped nuts, like pecans, in their place.
- To add a glaze: mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with about 2 teaspoons milk or cream (adding more as needed for drizzle consistency). Drizzle over cooled bars.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
these look so delish!
Totally agree! Bars are the way to go 🙂 I just had family over and was kicking myself for making this huge messy cheesecake, when I could have just made BARS 🙂
Hahaha! I have had too many of those unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. At least you were having fun!
Bars are my favorite way to eat pie too! These are just so pretty!!
What a great flavor combination! Dessert bars are my absolute favorite way to satisfy a sweet tooth craving! These look fabulous!
Dorothy, you are so cute! To dance when basically no one else is, and then to keep dancing after your little dress mishap… I would’ve been tempted to go to the bathroom and cry — so proud of you for staying out there! Your bars look so cheerful and fruity, and I love the almond and chocolate twist! All that’s missing is a little whipped cream — you already have the cherry on top! 😉 I’m absolutely in love with your napkins; where did you find them??
They’re actually fabric squares. I get them at JoAnn’s – in the fabric section they have a shelf running along the wall with the bolts of calico fabrics with little squares for about $2!
Ooh thanks Dorothy! Definitely going to check that out. 🙂 I picked up a few fabric samples from Walmart last week, but I really need to trim them down a bit… Too much fabric for my small photography workspace!
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