These Cherry Pie Bars are a dream: a thick, buttery shortbread-style crust topped with cherry pie filling and more buttery shortbread pieces, finished with a simple vanilla glaze. They’re an easy, crowd-pleasing way to serve pie.
I went for a walk this morning and ended up trying to run for a bit. It felt more like brisk walking with exaggerated knee lifts than a real run, but hey — I moved. Hours later my whole body aches and I have a headache, so I’m filing this under “exercise was worth it… maybe.” With a three-month-old at home, I’m trying to ease back into a routine without letting people assume I’m still pregnant forever.
I recently read a post about building an exercise habit and realized I’ve used every classic excuse: tiredness, lack of time, a newborn. Still, I laced up and did a mile-plus of walking-jogging. Then I rewarded myself with these Cherry Pie Bars, because balance.
Homemade Cherry Pie Bars
These are basically cherry-filled shortbread bars: a dense, buttery crust (thanks to lots of butter and a little baking powder) spread with cherry pie filling and topped with crumbled shortbread pieces. If you’ve tried cranberry shortbread bars or apple pie bars, you’ll know the delightful crust-to-filling ratio here. They’re irresistible.
How to make Cherry Pie Bars
Start with plenty of butter — one pound — and beat it until smooth. Add sugar, a touch of almond and vanilla extract (or use all vanilla if you prefer), and one egg. The almond is optional but complements cherry nicely.
Mix in the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, a half teaspoon of baking powder, and salt. The small amount of baking powder gives the crust a slight lift without making it cakey — think shortbread texture rather than cake.
Press about two-thirds of the dough into a prepared 9×13-inch pan and bake until golden. Spread two cans of cherry pie filling evenly over the warm crust (a good store-bought cherry pie filling works well). Crumble the remaining dough over the filling and bake until the top is golden.
Finish the cooled bars with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar whisked with a little milk and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla (or almond) extract. Drizzle, let it set, and cut into squares.
These cherry pie bars are a perfect quick dessert when you don’t want to fuss with individual pies. Keep two cans of cherry pie filling in the pantry and you can assemble this in no time. They’re great served room temperature, warmed briefly, or chilled.
To summarize the method in brief: press most of the dough into a 9×13 pan, chill briefly, bake until golden, spread cherry pie filling, dot with remaining dough, bake again until golden, cool, then glaze. Let them set fully before slicing for neat bars.
Recipe: Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt* (see notes)
- 2 (21-oz) cans cherry pie filling
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 2 cups softened butter until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in extracts and the egg.
- Spoon and level half of the flour. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt to the flour so there are no lumps. Gradually stir the flour into the butter mixture, then add the remaining flour and mix until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
- Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, about 1/2 inch up the sides. For best texture, refrigerate the crust in the pan for about 20 minutes (optional).
- Bake at 375°F for 20–23 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Remove from the oven and spread both cans of cherry pie filling evenly over the crust.
- Take the chilled remaining dough and drop medium-sized chunks over the cherry filling to create a crumble-like top.
- Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden. Cool on a wire rack until fully set (at least 1 hour, longer if you want clean slices).
- Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1–2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract. Drizzle over cooled bars and let glaze set about 30 minutes.
- Cut into squares and serve. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours; refrigerate after that for 3–5 days.
Notes
*If using table salt, use 1 1/4 teaspoons instead.
If you lined the pan with parchment to lift the bars out, wait until they are completely cooled (or chilled) before removing to avoid breaking. To make a smaller batch, these bars halve well in an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 681 | Carbohydrates: 95 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 32 g
Enjoy these Cherry Pie Bars warm with vanilla ice cream or chilled as a buttery, fruity treat.