Cherry Pie Bars
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Cherry Pie Bars are one of those desserts that disappear fast whenever they’re on the table. They’re buttery, packed with cherry filling, and so much easier than making a traditional cherry pie. This recipe has been passed down through my husband’s family for generations, with just a couple of small updates to help the filling set up a little better.
This recipe has been passed down through my husband’s family, and I made just a couple of small changes to help the filling set up a little better.
Why We Love Cherry Pie Bars
- Tasty Treat That’s Easy To Share – This is the kind of recipe you bring to the potluck or share with the family. These cherry pie bars have all the flavor of pie without making a lattice crust, and are finished with a buttery oat crumble topping.
- A Family Recipe The Family Still Talks About – These bars came from my husband’s great grandma, and years later they’re still part of family conversations. When I started making them, my sister-in-law immediately started sharing all the little tricks she remembered from Grandma’s kitchen, and my husband still gets a little glint in his eye whenever these bars come up.
Ingredients For Cherry Pie Bars
The original recipe even called for Olio! I updated it by thickening the filling so the bars slice a little cleaner and adding an optional glaze our family loves.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- flour – regular all purpose flour
- old-fashioned oats – also called rolled oats. Quick oats can work but won’t have the same chewy texture. Steel cut oats won’t soften enough, so I don’t recommend using them in this recipe.
- brown sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- butter
- cherry pie filling – use canned cherry pie filling for this recipe.
- cornstarch – helps thicken the cherry filling so the bars slice cleanly.
- water
- almond extract – you can use more vanilla instead, but almond extract gives these bars a classic cherry pie flavor.
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar – optional for the glaze
- milk – optional for the glaze
How To Make Cherry Pie Bars
Making The Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and fully line a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add flour, old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together until fully combined.
- Use a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture, just like you would when making biscuits, until the mixture is crumbly. Don’t overmix or the crust can become tough. Set to the side.
Making The Cherry Pie Filling
- Place the canned cherry pie filling, almond extract and vanilla extract in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Mix cornstarch and water together well with a fork in a small bowl, then add to the cherry pie filling. Bring the filling to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes, then let cool.
Layering And Baking The Bars
- Press half of the mixture crust into the pan, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
- Pour the cherry mixture over the crust. Crumble the rest of the oat mixture with your hands and sprinkle it over the top of the bars.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the bars are set in the middle and lightly golden brown on top. Allow the bars to cool completely.
Adding The Glaze (Optional)
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the powdered sugar and milk together with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the bars after they are cool, then slice and enjoy!
Cherry Pie Bars Variation Ideas
- Leave off the glaze. The bars are still delicious if you want a less sweet dessert.
- Swap the pie filling. Blueberry, apple, or peach pie filling should all work if you want a different flavor.
- Add sliced almonds. Sprinkle a handful over the crumble topping before baking for extra crunch.
How Long Will Cherry Pie Bars Last?
Expect these cherry pie bars will taste their freshest if they are enjoyed within three days, though they can still be enjoyed up to five days. I stored these in a covered airtight container on the counter.
More Cherry Recipes
50 minutes
Cherry Dump Cake
1 hour
Cherry Blossom Cookies
40 minutes
Maraschino Cherry Cookies
5 minutes
Cherry Limeade (Copycat Sonic Recipe)
Cherry Pie Bars
These Cherry Pie Bars have a buttery oat crust, a sweet cherry filling that slices cleanly, and an easy crumble topping. Passed down from my husband's great grandma, they're a family recipe that's still bringing people together years later.
Ingredients
For the Crust And Topping
- 1 ½ cups flour all purpose
- 2 cups old fashioned oats also called rolled oats, see notes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons butter – softened 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons
For The Filling
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling – canned
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
For The Glaze (Optional)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons milk
Instructions
Making The Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and fully line a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together until fully combined.1 ½ cups flour, 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Use a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture, just like you would when making biscuits, until the mixture is crumbly. Set to the side.14 tablespoons butter – softened
My sister-in-law always reminds me to mix the crust just like biscuits. Don't overmix it or, as she says, it'll get “tuff.”
Making The Cherry Pie Filling
- Place the canned cherry pie filling, almond extract and vanilla extract in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Mix cornstarch and water together well with a fork in a small bowl, then add to the cherry pie filling. Bring the filling to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes, then let cool.21 ounces cherry pie filling – canned, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons water
Layering And Baking The Bars
- Press half of the mixture crust into the pan, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
- Pour the cherry mixture over the crust. Crumble the rest of the oat mixture with your hands and sprinkle it over the top of the bars.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the bars are set in the middle and lightly golden brown on top. Allow the bars to cool completely.
Adding The Glaze (Optional)
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the powdered sugar and milk together with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the bars after they are cool, then slice and enjoy!3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons milk
Notes
Old-fashioned oats can also be sometimes called rolled oats, they are the same thing.
Quick oats can work but won’t have the same chewy texture.
Steel cut oats won’t soften enough, so I don’t recommend using them in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
