Cherry Pie Bars
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Easy Cherry Pie Bars start with a soft homemade almond crust that’s layered with cherry pie filling and topped with more crust. So much easier than a pie, but just a delicious.
What’s better than cherry pie? Cherry Pie Bars! You get all the tender, soft crust with the sweet cherry filling, but it’s so much easier to make and one pan feeds a crowd.
Why this recipes works:
- Uses canned cherry pie filling so no pitting cherries
- Bake the bars in a large pan and slice so they are easy to serve also known as a slab pie
- Soft chewy crust
- Sweet icing on top
Love the ease of slab pies? Check out these lemon and apple pie bars that are made in a similar way.
Some Notes about the Ingredients
The crust is made with your regular pie dough ingredients like flour, eggs, and butter.
I also add some almond extract to the dough. It gives it an amazing flavor and pairs so well with the cherries. It definitely takes the bars to the next level!
If you don’t enjoy almond flavoring just skip that ingredient.
You only need one ingredient for the filling – cherry pie filling! All of the work is done for you making the bars so easy to make.
Just when you think it can’t get any better we’re adding a simple glaze after the bars are finished baking. There’s almond extract in it, too!
Products Needed
How to Make Pie Bars
- First, make the crust by creaming the butter, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until well combined. With mixer running, slowly add the flour and mix until it’s incorporated.
- Spread three cups of the dough in the jelly roll pan. Reserve the leftover dough for the top of the bars.
- Spread the pie filling over the dough and then drop the rest of the pie dough by the teaspoon over the top of the filling.
- Bake the pie slab for 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F. While it’s baking make the glaze.
- Just combine powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract, and milk until the sugar has dissolved. It should be thin enough to drizzle, so if your is too thick you can thin it with a little more milk.
- Once the bars are done baking, cool the bars completely. Drizzle the glaze over the top and then slice and serve the bars.
Recipe FAQs!
A jelly roll pan is a large, shallow baking pan that is perfect for making slab pies, bars, and jelly rolls. The size I use is 15×10″. I use it to make many of my dessert bars!
Apple, blueberry, peach, and strawberry pie filling will work, too!
Any leftover bars should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep for up to five days.
Just omit it and increase the amount of vanilla extract instead.
These cherry pie bars are great for holidays, potlucks, BBQs – basically anytime you need dessert for a crowd! The combination of the cherry filling and almond flavor is so good. I know you’re going to love it!
More Fruit Desserts to Try!
- Caramel Apple Cobbler is only 5 ingredients and so ooey-gooey with caramel apple filling and a buttery topping!
- My Banana Bars topped with cream cheese frosting are so soft and tender! It’s one of my family’s favorite sweet treats!
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Box Cake is an easy no-bake dessert! It’s perfect when it’s hot out – no need to turn on the oven!
- These Cherry Turnovers are so tasty to have as a special treat for breakfast or as a sweet dessert!
- Cherry Crumble is another Quick, Easy and Delicious Cherry Dessert! Tons of Crunchy Crumb Topping and a Delicious Crumb Crust with Cherry Pie Filling.
Did you try it and love it? Be sure to comment and rate the recipe below, I definitely want to hear from you!
And if you’re like me and snap photos be sure to tag me on Instagram @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats that way I’m sure to see your pictures!!!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 c. butter softened
- 2 c. white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cans cherry pie filling 21 oz each
Glaze
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Add salt and mix until combined. Gradually add flour while mixing.
- Spread 3 cups dough into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread with pie filling.
- Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over filling. Bake 45-60 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely in pan.
- In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over top.
ladysaotome says
I found this recipe via Facebook community. They cropped your picture and didn’t give credit (unless “nothing on this page is ours. no infringement intended!” counts…) I had to hunt for your page using Google image search.
Here’s their page in case you want to say something. I don’t think they mean to be rude but none of their posts link to anyone’s page or give any credit. It’s bad internet etiquette if nothing else…
They actually have it twice – you will see both posts in their album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.360860750691860.1073741832.324732720971330&type=3
Julie Evink says
Thank you so much! I’ve reported the copyright infringement to Facebook so we will if they make them take it down. You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this!!!
ladysaotome says
You’re welcome! I read recently about food bloggers having problems with Facebook groups stealing their recipes and now I keep my eye out for it. It’d be one thing if they asked permission to share the picture and then pointed everyone to your site. But the way they copy everything and crop the picture is just wrong.
Julie Evink says
Exactly! We love when people share our posts, but don’t write the entire recipe out, not give us credit and no one even knows we exist! Do it properly and we are just fine. Share my picture and the title of the recipe with a link to it and you are good to go!
ladysaotome says
And here’s another one. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151579778870818&set=a.93795360817.84691.93792865817&type=3&theater
I guess it’s a compliment in a way but it makes me mad to see no credit given. It took me 3 seconds to find your page using Google image search. So these groups can’t even be trying!
(btw, on the original group I had pointed out to you earlier, one of the pictures is gone but the 2nd is still there.)
shirley says
i have a question…. i see a lot of the same exact recipes floating around blogs, majory corporate sites, in newspapers, cookbooks etc… how do you know if its copyrighted? Im sure you got this recipe from somewhere right? Did you give credit to the original? Im confused by it because I search different recipies that are the same ingredient/name to read the suggestive comments and see if there is something different i can throw together and i always see recipes that are the same as some blogs i follow…. how do you know who had it up first…
Julie Evink says
It’s a touchy subject, but I found this recipe over at the Recipe Critic and I have put that under that recipe. Usually bloggers are fine with just being linked to a recipe that you use, but of course there are always exceptions. Where she found it I’m not sure, but that’s where I personally found it and that’s where I chose to link too due to that!
shirley says
Ah! I think I get it now. So it would probably be etiquette and more respectful not to use recipes that have no links because most likely they did not make it themselves?
Best Foodies says
I made your cherry pie bars for Easter and my family absolutely loved them! I wrote about them on my blog today and sent people your way for the recipe! Thanks for sharing we will have these often.
Mike @ Webakecookies.com says
OMG! These look sooo good. I am going to try a batch with cherries and another one with blueberry filling. Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
Thanks Mike! I hope you enjoy them!
Sarah says
Hi Julie!
These bars are super yummy. Just wondering how many servings you think this recipes makes? My best guess is 12. Am I right?
Sarah says
By the way, this recipe was featured in my local newspaper!
Julie says
I would guess 16-20 servings depending on how big you like them! I would do either a 4×4 row or 4×5 row. Glad to hear it was in your newspaper!
Sara says
What size jelly roll pan do you recommend? Mine definitely don’t appear like yours in the picture! They are tasty, but not as pretty!
Julie says
I used a 15 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ pan!
Kathy says
What size jelly roll pan do you use?
Julie says
I think mine is a 10.5 x 15.5 pan!
Erin Glenn says
I am new at this baking thing, and was wondering if I was to use apple pie filling what kind of extract would I use? Oh by the way love your web site!
Julie says
I think I would go with vanilla extract with the apple pie filling!
shirley says
I read this recipe on a featured site and it was suggested for instead of cherries try different types of fruit by the pie filling or jam, strawberry, apple, blueberry, cinnamon etc. also that you can add some drops of cream cheese for a cream cheese+cherry(or substitute) pie ….. also instead of extract that recipe suggests you can substitute with your liking of; almond, vanilla, lemon juice, maple, they even make extracts made of the fruits if you were doing cherry you could use cherry extract and add to the flavor of the whole thing.
Kim says
Congrats Julie! This was the recipe with the most clicks at last week’s Weekend Potluck. They do look absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to see what you bring this week! Congrats and I hope your holidays are wonderful!
http://sunflowersupperclub.blogspot.com/2012/12/weekend-potluck-47.html
Julie says
Thank you so much Kim! It sure made my day when I logged in and saw the feature!
Mari says
These sound wonderful! My hubby is all about cherry, and I’m the one who wants strawberry. However, I agree with you that strawberry pie filling just doesn’t sound right.
Julie says
I’m glad I’m not the only one doubting the strawberry 🙂
laurie says
i used homemade straberry jam for pie filling …sometimes i will use store bought…
Julie Evink says
Thanks for the tip Laurie!
shirley says
jam sounds alot better… than pie filling. entemanns has a raspberry danish style cake like this and they use a type of raspberry jam…. its delicious!
The Better Baker says
I love almond extract too…these look amazing! Thanks for linking up at Weekend Potluck. (Would you recheck your link back? It won’t work for me?) Thanks much.
Pam Fields says
This looks amazing! I have pinned for future baking but plan to buy all the ingredients tomorrow! I love Almond extract too and Cherry is my favorite fruit in pies. Perfect combo for me! 🙂
Lisa @ Flour Me With Love says
These look divine! They are being featured today…thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2012/12/featuring-you_8133.html 🙂
Julie says
Thank you so much for the feature!!!
Shirley Corwin says
I love cherry pie; my favorite so I’m sure I’d love these!! They have my mouth watering!
Deb Larsen says
Everything tastes better with almond! This looks like a wonderful recipe to try! Thanks Julie!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
Oh, I like the idea of using almond extract in the crust!