Description
Delight in these Cherry Pie Bars, a perfect blend of buttery crust and luscious cherry pie filling, topped with a sweet almond glaze. Easy to make and baked to golden perfection, these bars are an ideal dessert for any occasion, offering the classic flavors of cherry pie in convenient, handheld form.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars:
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cherry pie filling
For the Glaze:
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan to ensure the bars do not stick during baking.
- Cream: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Then add the eggs along with vanilla and almond extracts, mixing well until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Combine: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until fully incorporated to create the bar batter.
- Assemble: Spread 3 cups of the prepared batter evenly across the bottom of the greased pan. Evenly spread the 3 cups of cherry pie filling over this batter layer. Then spoon the remaining batter in dollops on top of the cherry filling.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The bars are done when the top turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan.
- Glaze: While the bars cool, whisk together the vanilla extract, almond extract, powdered sugar, and 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle this glaze evenly over the cooled bars before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For best results, allow the bars to cool fully before glazing so the glaze doesn’t melt and run off.
- You can substitute fresh or frozen cherries cooked with sugar for the cherry pie filling if preferred.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
- To make slicing easier and cleaner, chill the bars before cutting.
