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Enjoy cherry pie in its best form: cherry pie bars! You can whip up a whole pan in minutes using cherry pie filling. They’re beautiful, easy to make, and always a crowd-pleaser!
Fruity desserts are the best! Try some more of my favorites like this delicious berry cheesecake salad, or my families favorite Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Reason’s You’ll Love This Dessert
- Incredible Flavor: These bars combine buttery crust with sweet-tart cherry filling and a hint of almond, creating a delicious treat everyone will love.
- Quick and Easy: Simple ingredients and easy steps mean you can whip these up in no time, perfect for busy days or spontaneous cravings.
- Perfect for Sharing: Great for gatherings, these bars are easy to cut and serve, making them a hit at any party or family get-together. Plus, the glaze makes them look as amazing as they taste!
Cherry Pie Bars Recipe
My favorite pie is cherry pie! It’s so delicious and you can have it all year long, no matter that the occasion! But pie can be time consuming, and thats where this simple recipe comes in!
These cherry pie bars are so good, it’s like biting into cherry pie AND cookies. These bars are incredible — they’re soft, chewy, flavorful, and the glaze on top is the perfect finishing touch. Serve these with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for the ultimate dessert!
Ingredients to Make Cherry Pie Bars
These ingredients are so simple, you probably just need to grab some cherry pie filling and you might already have the rest! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact measurements.
Bars
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and creates a tender, flaky texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps create a golden brown crust.
- Eggs: Provide structure and moisture, making the bars soft and chewy.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor with a warm, sweet note.
- Almond Extract: Adds a subtle, nutty depth that pairs well with cherries.
- Flour: Forms the base of the batter, giving the bars their structure.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
- Cherry Pie Filling: Provides a delicious, fruity center that’s easy to use.
Glaze
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: These complement the flavors in the crust.
- Powdered Sugar: Used in the glaze for sweetness and a smooth texture.
- Milk: Thins the glaze to a perfect drizzling consistency.
How Do You Make Cherry Pie Bars?
This recipe is so easy and comes together in less than an hour, start to finish! And most of that is baking time.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with pan spray and set aside.
- Cream: Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Combine: In a separate bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.
- Add batter and filling to pan: Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the cans of cherry pie filling, spreading evenly across the batter. Drop dollops of the remaining batter as evenly as you can over the top until all the batter has been used.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown. If you are using a 15×10-inch pan instead, the bake time may end up being a bit shorter, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cooled bars.
Cherry Pie Bars Tips
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: Use room-temperature eggs and butter for a fluffier texture. To quickly warm cold eggs, soak them in warm (not hot) water for 5-10 minutes.
- Measuring the Flour: For best results, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. This prevents dense, heavy bars.
- Grease the Pan: Grease your pan well to ensure easy removal. I like using a pan spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy.
- Try Different Fillings: You can use any pie filling you like—apple, strawberry, peach, or blueberry. For a fall flavor, add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pan Size: A 9×13-inch pan with 2-inch high sides works best. If you use a larger pan, reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Storing Cherry Pie Bars
This dessert is great to make ahead of time because it stores great!
- At Room Temperature: Store the bars by tightly covering them with plastic wrap or placing them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
- In the Refrigerator: If you prefer to refrigerate them, they will last up to 7 days.
- In the Freezer: To freeze, cut the bars into pieces and layer them with parchment paper. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours. For best results, wait to add the glaze until you’re ready to serve, as it may get sticky when thawed.
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Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 21-ounce cans cherry pie filling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with pan spray and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.
- Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the cans of cherry pie filling, spreading evenly across the batter. Drop dollops of the remaining batter as evenly as you can over the top until all the batter has been used.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown. If you are using a 15×10-inch pan instead, the bake time may end up being a bit shorter, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cooled bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow – absolutely delicious. It is hard to get a glowing review from my husband and he said, I quote, “Save that recipe”. That means it is a 5 star treat!!
I have made this recipe over a dozen times. Have used Cherry, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry & lemon pie filling in a can. I always get rave reviews on this dessert. The dough is so nice to work with. I’ve even made it GF & it turns out great every time. Try it, you won’t be disappointed
Please ignore my last post. I hit 2x thinking it’d enlarge the print but it didn’t. I then followed the instructions for a doubled recipe in a single pan! My family really liked it and I plan to make it again but correctly!
Can I use parchment paper On The pan while baking the Cherry dessert?
Yes! They will still bake accordingly!
Made this for the second time and it was great. Everyone loved it. The one thing I changed was cut back on the sugar. I only a used 1 1/2 cup instead of the 2. Next time ill use only 1. This one is a keeper 👍🏻
Should give credit here to Taste of Home, as others do. It is an exact replica of an old TOH recipe.
Glad to know that you can recommend them for freezing.
How do you store these bars?
Store in an air tight container for 5 to 7 days. You can leave it in the refrigerator or on the counter top.
Can you freeze these bars? Thanks!
Yes, these are great dessert bars to freeze.
It was a little sweet for us, so I added 4-5 oz. Neufchatel cheese thinned with milk over the top. Cut the sweetness and added to the good flavor.
Made this dessert last night. Very easy and everyone loved it!! Definitely a recipe I’ll be using often. Thank you for sharing!
Made it & family loved it; therefore it’s a success. Thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with us, 🤸✨💐👑; thusly making us a great success with our families, friend, and co-workers.
Be safe and keep sending your recipes our way.
Can you freeze it!?
Yes, these pie bars freeze really well. It is best to freeze in layers flat and not on top of each other unless using a foil or wax paper to separate them. When ready to warm up simply warm up in the microwave or oven.
So excited. I made it for church gathering…cant wait to see what everyone thinks. I made 2, a blueberry pan and a strawberry pan. Instead of sugar I substituted with monk fruit sweetener and swerve for the fruit filling…using fresh fruit. And made a cream cheese frosting/drizzle. Its thick so gotta keep adding milk til I got the right consistency. I ran out of dough cuz I used 17 inch pans….not enough for dropping on top…so I made a struessel for the topping instead.
Delicious and easy
These were excellent. VERY sweet, but do a smaller portions and WALK away from the pan lol
Made these for my daughter’s weekly special “get your homework done without fussing and ahead of schedule during social distancing” reward. Had them without the glaze cause it was plenty sweet. They are delicious.
What is baking time if using 9×13 glass baking dish?
It will be about 35 to 45 minutes.