This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.

Bright and buttery cherry pie bars are the most delicious dessert bar! With a sweet cherry filling made with canned cherry pie filling, you can enjoy these bars year-round, whenever you crave the taste of homemade cherry pie! The crust and crumb topping is made from one easy dough that mixes together in minutes. Recipe makes 16 bars and easily doubles to serve a crowd.

Cherry Pie Bars
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us weekly!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

I’m sharing these cherry pie bars in honor of my grandpa (Papa). Though he celebrated his birthday every October with a slice or two of pumpkin pie, cherry pie was his next loved (and requested) dessert.

It’s easy to see why – flaky, all-butter pie crust with sweet-tart cherry filling is such a classic homemade pie. There’s nothing better than a slice topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Baked in an 8×8 pan, these cherry bars capture all of that sweet, buttery nostalgia without the work of rolling out a crust. If you’re craving cherry pie, try this easy step-by-step recipe!

Love dessert bars? Try my reader-favorite blackberry pie bars, easy jam crumb bars, or brown butter strawberry crumb bars next!

Cherry Pie Bars

Success Tips

Use cherry pie filling – You’ll need one can of cherry pie filling/topping (21 oz, 570 grams). I tested this recipe a few different ways (with canned red tart cherries, with frozen sweet cherries, and with canned cherry filling) and found the best results using canned cherry pie filling. If you’d like to make a from-scratch filling with fresh or frozen sour cherries, see the Notes section of the recipe card for guidance.

Pre-cook the filling – Canned cherry pie filling contains thickening agents but using it straight from the can results in a filling that doesn’t set up fully (even once completely cool). My solution is to very gently simmer the cherry pie filling with a bit of extra cornstarch for a thicker filling that sets up nicely, making the bars much more portable and easy to slice.

Cool bars completely before slicing – Just like a pie filling sets up while cooling, the cherry filling continues to thicken as it cools. Let the bars cool completely, then chill in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.

How to Make Cherry Pie Bars

Make crust and crumbs: Combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Combine melted butter, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Add dry ingredients to the bowl and fold in with a spatula until incorporated. Reserve 3/4 cup (220 grams) dough for the topping, mixing in sliced almonds. Chill crumb topping until ready to use.

Press remaining dough evenly across the bottom of prepared pan. Bake the crust for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Transfer crust to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.

Make cherry filling: Combine canned cherry pie filling, cornstarch slurry, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gently simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until filling is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove pan from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon cherry filling over par-baked crust and sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the cherry layer. Return pan to the oven.

Bake bars for another 38 to 40 minutes or until crumble topping is golden and filling slightly bubbly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Baked cherry pie bars in parchment-lined baking pan

Drizzle the bars with vanilla glaze (or enjoy with a dusting of powdered sugar).

Cherry Pie Bars

More delicious cherry recipes:

Did you try this Cherry Pie Bars Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Cherry Pie Bars

Cherry Pie Bars (with Cherry Pie Filling)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 16 bars
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Save Recipe

Description

Bright and buttery cherry pie bars are the most delicious dessert bar! With a sweet cherry filling made with canned cherry pie filling, you can enjoy these bars year-round, whenever you crave the taste of homemade cherry pie! Recipe makes 16 bars.


Ingredients

Crust & Crumbs

  • 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp pure almond extract
  • 3 Tbsp (22 g) sliced almonds (optional)

Filling

  • 21 oz (570 g) cherry pie filling
  • 2 tsp (6 g) cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp (15 g) water
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
  • pinch of salt

Glaze

  • 1/2 Tbsp (7 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (15 g) milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Make crust and crumble: Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl until combined. Add dry ingredients and fold in until incorporated.
  3. Set aside 3/4 cup (220 g) of dough for topping, mixing in sliced almonds until mixture is crumbly. Chill until ready to use. Press remaining dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan.
  4. Bake crust for 14 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
  5. Make filling: Place cherry pie filling in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until dissolved. Add cornstarch slurry, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt to the saucepan. Gently simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until filling is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove pan from the heat and cool filling for 10 minutes.
  6. Spoon cherry filling over cooled crust and crumble reserved dough over filling.
  7. Bake bars for another 38 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden and filling slightly bubbly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board; cut into squares with a sharp knife.
  8. Make glaze: Whisk together melted butter, salt, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled bars and let set.
  9. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.


Notes

Homemade cherry pie filling with sour cherries (fresh or frozen): Combine 2 1/2 cups (375 g) sour cherries, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 3 Tbsp (24 g) cornstarch, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp almond extract in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, pressing firmly on cherries to release juices, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until filling is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove pan from the heat and cool filling for 10 minutes.

Larger batch: For a larger batch of cherry bars, double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13-inch rectangular baking pan.

Freeze bars: To freeze cherry pie bars, let cool completely. Once cooled, place the unglazed bars on a baking sheet and freeze flat for 1 hour. Transfer bars to an airtight container and freeze up to 8 weeks. Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and glaze before serving.

Meet Laura

Hi, I'm Laura and I'm so happy you're here! Welcome to Tutti Dolci Baking Recipes, a baking blog celebrating all things sweet! I share approachable baking recipes and elevated classic desserts for every home baker. My goal is to inspire you to bake from scratch with kitchen-tested recipes you can count on.

You'll also love:

Leave a comment

If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating when you post a comment to help other readers. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you too.

As always, thanks for your feedback!

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Share your photo!Inspire others by uploading an image of your creation along with your review. The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments

  1. I have been making a recipe similar to this and they are always a hit.
    This recipe looks like a step above and I am going to make them next.

    1. I used Target brand (Favorite Day) and recommend it – the flavor was a nice sweet-tart balance, and surprisingly not overly sweetened. You can also use something like Lucky Leaf or Duncan Hines filling.