Ah, cherry pie bars! 🍒✨ Those are like the lovechild of a cherry pie and a brownie—sweet, buttery, with a tart cherry filling all sandwiched in a soft, crumbly base. Here’s a straightforward recipe for them:
Cherry Pie Bars Recipe
Ingredients:
For the crust & topping:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ÂĽ tsp salt
For the filling:
- 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling (or fresh/frozen cherries with sugar & cornstarch to thicken)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven: 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
- Make the crust & topping:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
- Assemble the bars:
- Reserve about 1 cup of the dough for the topping.
- Press the remaining dough evenly into the prepared pan.
- Spread the cherry pie filling over the crust.
- Crumble the reserved dough over the cherry layer.
- Bake:
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Serve:
- Cut into squares or bars. Optional: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze.
These bars are perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
If you want, I can also give you a version with a soft, chewy shortbread base and a gooey cherry layer that’s even more decadent—basically cherry pie in a chewy bar.
Do you want me to give that version too?
