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cherry pie bars recipe featured
Avatar photoJohnson Maya

Cherry Pie Bars Recipe

These cherry pie bars recipe deliver all the flaky, fruity joy of classic American pie in easy-to-slice squares. With a buttery press-in crust, jammy tart cherry filling, and crisp streusel top, they're perfect for picnics or potlucks—nostalgic comfort without the fuss.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • FOR THE FILLING:
  • 2 (21 oz/595g each) cans cherry pie filling
  • FOR THE STREUSEL:
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking pan
  • Electric mixer
  • Pastry blender
  • Mixing bowls

Method
 

  1. cherry pie bars recipe recipeCard1
  2. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch pan with parchment overhang. Beat 1 cup butter and ½ cup sugar until fluffy, mix in 2 cups flour to form dough, press into pan, and par-bake 12-15 minutes until edges golden. Cool 5 minutes while prepping filling.
  3. Step 2: Spread cherry pie filling evenly over crust. For homemade, simmer pitted cherries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon until thick. In another bowl, cut 1 cup flour, ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup butter into streusel; sprinkle over filling without pressing.
  4. Step 3: Bake 30-35 minutes until streusel browns and bubbles. Cool 2+ hours, slice into 24 bars. Dust with powdered sugar for serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 320 | Carbohydrates: 42 | Protein: 3 | Fat: 13 | Fiber: 1 | Sugar: 28

Notes

STORAGE: Store in airtight container at room temp 2 days or fridge 5 days. Freeze sliced up to 3 months; thaw and re-crisp at 300°F.
MAKE AHEAD: Crust can chill overnight; assemble and bake fresh.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Gluten-free flour 1:1; coconut oil for butter; fresh cherries for canned.
PRO TIPS: Par-bake crust to avoid sogginess; use cold streusel butter for crunch; cool fully for clean cuts.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Warm with vanilla ice cream; top with whipped cream or almonds; great for potlucks.
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