Description
Delicious cherry pie bars with a buttery crust, sweet cherry filling, and a delicate almond-vanilla glaze. Perfect for dessert or a sweet snack, these bars combine the best of cherry pie in an easy-to-make bar form.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Batter
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with pan spray and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and extracts. Beat in 4 large eggs until well combined, then mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually add this flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Assemble the bars. Spread about 3 cups of the batter evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan. Evenly spread the contents of the 2 (21-ounce) cans of cherry pie filling over the batter. Drop the remaining batter by dollops on top as evenly as possible.
- Bake bars. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown. If using a larger 15 x 10-inch pan, bake for about 30 minutes. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare and drizzle glaze. Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Drizzle this glaze evenly over the cooled bars.
Notes
- Use softened butter for easier creaming and better texture.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding the flour to avoid tough bars.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- If you prefer a thicker glaze, reduce the milk to 1 tablespoon.
- Cherry pie filling can be substituted with other fruit fillings like blueberry or apple.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter and milk with appropriate alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
