Easy Cherry Pie Bars (Print Page)

Buttery bars layered with sweet cherry filling and vanilla glaze, ready in 50 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ For the Dough

01 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs
04 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional for extra flavor)
06 - 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ For the Filling

08 - 1 (21 oz / 600 g) can cherry pie filling

→ For the Glaze

09 - 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
10 - 2-3 tbsp milk
11 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
05 - Spread about 2/3 of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
06 - Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over the dough layer.
07 - Drop small spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the cherry filling, leaving some gaps for the cherries to peek through.
08 - Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the edges are set.
09 - Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bars.
11 - Allow glaze to set before slicing into bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is impossibly tender, almost like a giant sugar cookie met a pie crust and fell in love
  • You get all the satisfaction of homemade cherry pie without wrestling with rolling pins or lattice tops
02 -
  • The dough is sticky, so lightly flour your hands or use an offset spatula to spread it evenly
  • Completely cooling before glazing is essential or the icing will melt right off
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients prevent the dough from seizing up and becoming impossible to spread
  • If using homemade cherry preserves, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to prevent a soggy bottom layer

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