Homemade Cherry Pie Bars

Need to use up some beautiful, fresh cherries? My Homemade Cherry Pie Bars are simple, delicious, and a perfect way to make those bright and flavorful rubies shine! Featuring a homemade cherry pie filling, these are as good as it gets.

Ingredients

Click “Jump to the Recipe” to get the ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions. Below you’ll find information on substitutes, FAQ, tips, and storage instructions.

• Cornstarch – This is what will give the cherry filling its viscosity and smooth, glossy look. I wouldn’t suggest another thickener such as flour; you’ll get a grainy result. If you need, potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot can be used instead.
• Water
• Cherries – The standard sweet cherries, aka purple or snack cherries, are best. You can, really, use any variety you like best! If you use sour cherries, you may need to add more sugar.
• Lemon – Fresh or bottled. Whatever you have!
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar. You can use brown sugar, but keep in mind that the result may come out a bit differently.
• Extracts – Both vanilla and almond extract. While you can leave the almond extract out, I cannot stress enough how amazing the cherry and almond combination is!
• Butter – Unsalted is best. I like to have full control over the salt content in my recipes. However, the salt content is so low in salted butter, it’s not a big deal if that’s what you have handy. Other butter substitutes like a vegetable oil spread will work too.
• Salt – Add more or less salt as per your own preference.
• Eggs – I always use large eggs for baking. You may need to adjust the amount called for if you use a different size.
• Flour – All-purpose flour. If you use self-rising, check out the salt and baking powder ratio per cup and adjust the recipe as needed.
• Baking powder – I wouldn’t use baking soda instead as there isn’t much acid in this recipe to neutralize the aftertaste.
• Glaze – Completely optional, but so delicious! Start by whisking 1 cup of icing sugar with 3 tbsp milk. Add more milk, as needed, until you’ve reached your ideal consistency. Add a bit of vanilla or almond extract if you’d like.

How to make homemade cherry pie bars

Cherry filling

1. Slurry: Whisk the cornstarch and water together to create a slurry. Add the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, salt, and prepared slurry to a large pot over medium heat.
2. Cook: Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often, then turn the heat down to low. Cook, continuing to stir often, for about 10-15 minutes until the cherries release their moisture and the mixture thickens slightly. Let the cherries cool to room temperature.

Bars

1. Wet ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the eggs, beating them into the mixture one at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extract and give the mixture a quick stir.
2. Dry ingredients: Whisk the flour and baking powder together, then add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Beat until you see no more flour, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in any residual dry ingredients.
3. Layer: Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly into the pan. Top with the prepared cherry filling, then dot the top of the filling with the remaining batter.
4. Bake: for 30-40 minutes, until the dotted batter begins to brown around the edges. Let the bars cool completely before slicing and serving. Optional: Drizzle with glaze before serving. (Check recipe notes for glaze instructions)

FAQ

Tips for making perfect homemade cherry pie bars

• Keep a close eye on the cherries as they cook and stir often to make sure the cornstarch doesn’t get lumpy. The absorption power of cornstarch is activated with heat, so keeping the mixture moving helps a lot.
• If you use pre-made cherry pie filling, try adding a pinch of salt and a splash of each vanilla and almond extracts. The flavor will go from meh to WOW!
• Make sure you have allowed the bars to cool completely to room temperature before adding a glaze, if you choose to do so. If they’re still warm, the glaze will melt and spread like crazy.
• Give these a try serving them a bit warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

How to store cherry pie bars

How long do cherry pie bars last, you ask? They will last about 2 days at room temperature or 4-5 days stored in the fridge. They disappeared with 2 days in my house, so I don’t think you’ll have to pop them in the freeze, but just in case you want to save some for later they will last 6-8 months.

Let your bars cool completely to room temperature and wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap/ bees wrap, or you can transfer the bars to an airtight container to store so they don’t dry out. A cake plate with a dome will do the trick as well! If you’ve frozen your bars, let them cool completely at room temperature rather than microwaving.

Looking for more sweets? Sink your teeth into these:

• Mini Egg Cookie Bars
• Skor Bars
• Cinnamon Roll Blondies
• Fudgy Mocha Brownies
• Blueberry Pie Bars

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