Description
These Cherry Pie Bars feature a buttery crumb crust topped with sweet and tart cherry pie filling and finished with a smooth almond-vanilla glaze. Perfectly balanced in flavor and texture, these bars bake up golden and are ideal for sharing as a delicious dessert or snack.
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble Topping
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Filling
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the two longer sides for easy removal of the bars.
- Make crumb dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the cubed butter using a fork, pastry blender, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the beaten egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract with a fork, keeping the dough crumbly.
- Form crust and bake: Press a little more than half of the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is starting to lightly brown and loses its shiny, wet appearance.
- Add cherry filling and topping: Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the partially baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the filling, pressing some of it together to create larger crumbs, ensuring some filling still peeks through.
- Bake bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the topping is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbly.
- Cool bars: Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and allow the bars to cool completely for the glaze application.
- Prepare glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit more milk if the glaze is too thick.
- Glaze and serve: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cherry pie bars. Let the glaze set before using the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Slice into 15 to 18 bars and enjoy!
Notes
- Use cold cubed butter to ensure a tender, crumbly crust and topping.
- For a thicker glaze, add milk gradually to avoid making it too runny.
- You can substitute cherry pie filling with other fruit fillings like blueberry or apple for variation.
- Ensure bars are completely cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting and running off.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
