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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.
Very good. I have made these many times.
Do you have to refrigerate
I had a thawed bag of frozen cherries given to me so I made cherry pie filling and then went in search of a recipe since I’ve never been blessed with being able to make pie crust. This one was the winner and what a winner it is. I read some of the comments about the amount of crust, but I didn’t want too thin of a crust. I almost followed the recipe, but I made one addition, cinnamon, which I added to the dough. I didn’t want a soggy crust so I spread it into a cookie sheet pan and prebaked it for 12 minutes first and then assembled the rest. That did the trick. Thank you for sharing, I’ll definitely make these again.
I made these today, doubled the recipe and baked it in 10 X 15 pans and it turned out so beautifully. I used parchment paper, sprayed it AND my hands. Made the dough easy to work. Can’t wait to try it with peach pie filling! Success!
this looks delish but is there a way to make the “crust” browner? Maybe an egg wash before baking? Thank you.
These are perfection
Would i be able to put together tonight refrigerate and bake tomorrow? Or should i bake tonight refrigerate and warm up tomorrow?
These are my new favorite go-to treat…made a cherry lover out of me! I made the recipe exactly as written the first time, fantastic. The second time I tried butter flavored shortening (which I prefer, just out of it on the first go.) The shortening made for a denser, sugar cookie-ish dough…good for easy cutting and serving. I have some in the oven now, but THIS time I got ahead of myself and forgot to save a third of the dough for topping. Not wanting “naked” cherries on top, I made a quick streusel topping. Hoping it will make for a nice texture l? Fingers crossed!!
Can these be made ahead of time & frozen until needed?
I’ve made these “bars” for the last 30 years. . .I know them as the Dairy Council Coffee Cake. . .My favorite is made with apricot filling, but I’ve also made it with cherry, strawberry, apple, blueberry and sandhill plum (sometimes I’ve made my own pie filling). I always make it in a large jellyroll pan and watch very carefully to not over cook it. It’s fast (I can have mixed and out of the oven in 30 mins.), delicious, looks beautiful and serves a lot. . .This is a perfect, thanks for sharing it!
I just need a bit of clarification : when the recipe is halved, but still baked in a 9×13 pan, what is the baking time ? And, how much batter would you reserve aside for the top ? I noticed that several people had asked if they could be frozen (for Christmas baking) but didn’t see an answer. Has anyone tried to freeze them yet ?
They sounds awesome, looking forward to trying them.
I LOVE Cherry Pie, but I only use fresh or frozen cherries. Do you have an adaption for fresh/frozen cherries instead of canned pie filling?
I have a 3y/o daughter, always wanting to help cooking, this will be fun for both of us.
Will try this with all the peaches I have now.
I made these tonight and they are amazing! Thanks!
I just made these and will be making these again soon. My family inhaled them! Boys! I had already put the full batter amount and cherries in the 9×13 pan before seeing the comments about the thick crust. (Glad I seen them I don’t like cake or anything cake like) so I used a half can more of cherry filling then lightly swirled it in with the batter. Their still a little thick but not like they would have been. Next time I will def use only half the recipe but these are still really really good. Thanks for sharing your recipe!