With a hint of almond, a heavenly glaze, and bursts of sweet cherries, these delicious Cherry Bars are the sweetest way to treat a crowd!
If you love all the flavors in Cherry Pie, you’ll love these simple no-fuss cherry bars! They’re similar to our Peach Crumb Bars but with a rich red color and tart cherry taste. Add them to your list of easy dessert recipes!
For the cherry Lovers!
Have any of your friends ever made a dessert before, and after trying it you tell them, “I NEED that recipe!!” Well, that’s exactly what happened when I tried my friend, Marie’s, cherry bars.
These cherry squares were DELICIOUS, but the two things I loved most about them were:
A) they had almond extract which is my all-time FAVORITE ingredient.
B) they just looked darn right pretty. And who can resist a pretty treat?
These bars are great for so many reasons, but it also serves a ton, making it perfect for parties and get-togethers. So if you love cherries and are wanting Cherry Pie and need to feed a crowd, opt for this recipe instead!
Making Cherry Bars
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your 10 ½ x 15 ½ jelly roll pan.
CRUST. Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. Add flour and baking powder, and stir just until blended.
CHERRY FILLING. Spread ⅔ of the batter into the cookie sheet. Spread the pie filling over the batter. Drop the remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over the pie filling.
BAKE. Bake for 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
GLAZE. For the glaze, mix together the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl; drizzle over cooled bars. Let set until the glaze is set.
CUT. Cut into bars/squares. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Pan size. If you do not have a jelly roll pan that is 10×15 you can use a 9×13 pan. However, the dough will be thicker and will require a longer baking time.
No sticking. To make cutting and serving cherry dessert bars easy, simply line your pan with parchment paper. Once the bars cool a bit, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift it out of the pan.
Perfect slices. Once it has been removed from the pan, use a sharp knife, and wipe the blade between cuts to make even squares.
Cream Cheese. Adding a cream cheese layer is also really delicious. Simply beat together 8 oz cream cheese (softened), ¼ cup sugar, and 1 egg. Spread it over the batter, then add the cherry pie filling layer.
How to Store
STORE. Keep the cherry bars in an airtight container, separating the layers with parchment or wax paper. They will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZE. Wrap each bar with plastic wrap. Then, either wrap them each again with aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped bars in a freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw before serving.
Recipe FAQ
This recipe is pretty easy to change and use your favorite pie filling. Instead of using a cherry pie filling, use blueberry, peach, raspberry, strawberry, or apple pie filling.
If you do not have a jelly roll pan that is 10×15 you can use a 9×13 pan. However, the dough will be thicker and will require a longer baking time.
For more bar desserts, try:
Cherry Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 10 ½ x 15 ½ jelly roll pan
Ingredients
Bar
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease your 10 ½ x 15 ½ jelly roll pan.
- Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. Add flour and baking powder, and stir just until blended.
- Spread ⅔ of the batter into the cookie sheet. Spread the pie filling over the batter. Drop the remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over the pie filling.
- Bake for 33-38 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- For the glaze, mix together the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl; drizzle over cooled bars. Let set until the glaze is set.
- Cut into bars. Enjoy!
I love cherry danishes and these look super similar. Can’t wait to try them!
This is my kid’s all time favorite dessert! So yummy!
These are so simple to make and taste so delicious too! Perfect for any party!
So good! So glad I tried this recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed the bars!
Easy and yummy!
I have made these bars several times and they always dissapear fast. It is good to take to parties or just for family get to gethers.
My family and I absolutely LOVE this! I added butter rum flavoring to the frosting it’s just *lick fingers 1 2 & 3* Perfecto!
My dad and I LOVE these bars! I add maple flavor syrup to the drizzle so yummy!
These are so good they melt in your mouth. And so pretty that are the perfect Valentine’s day treat. Thanks for this recipe. I will make them time and time again!