Cherry Pie Bars

Cherry Pie Bars bring together a buttery crust, juicy cherry filling, and a golden crumb topping for a treat that’s every bit as delicious as pie, but so much easier to make. The bars slice neatly, giving you a dessert that’s both pretty and practical for sharing. A drizzle of almond glaze on top adds the perfect finishing touch, making each bite sweet, tangy, and irresistible.

Love More Cherry Desserts? Try My Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars or this Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake next.

Why You’ll Love Recipe

The buttery oat crumble doubles as both crust and topping, so you only need one simple mixture for the whole recipe. The cherries bake down into a juicy, jammy filling that holds together beautifully, giving you clean slices every time. Made with frozen sour cherries, these bars are quick to assemble, egg-free, and finished with a sweet almond glaze that makes them irresistible. They’re easy to transport, serve, and even freeze—perfect for any occasion.

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Ingredients

Crust & Crumble Topping (same mixture for both!)

• 1½ cups flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats (the old-fashioned kind)
• ½ cup brown sugar (packed down)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cherry Filling

• 3½ cups frozen sour cherries (keep them frozen!)
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract (skip it if you don’t have it)

Almond Icing (totally optional)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Quick swaps: Got fresh cherries? Fine, just pit them first. Sweet instead of sour? Use less sugar – maybe ⅓ cup instead of ½. No oats? More flour works but won’t taste as good. Trust me, the oats are worth buying if you don’t have them. They add this nutty texture that makes people think you’re some fancy baker.

I’ve tried this recipe with canned cherries too when I was desperate. Worked okay but fresh or frozen are better. Canned ones get a little too soft and the flavor isn’t as bright.

Why These Ingredients Work

Frozen cherries don’t fall apart like fresh ones do. I learned this the hard way when I tried to be fancy with fresh cherries from the farmer’s market. Pretty to look at, turned to mush when I baked them. Frozen ones hold their shape and you don’t have to stress about timing.

Oats make it taste homemade, not like some boxed mix. Regular flour makes bars that taste flat. The oats add this chewy texture that’s addictive. Brown sugar’s got more flavor than white sugar – kind of molasses-y. Makes the whole thing taste richer.

Lemon zest wakes everything up without being weird about it. Just enough to make the cherry flavor pop. Don’t skip it even if you think you don’t like lemon stuff. It’s not lemony, it just makes everything taste more like itself.

Almond extract makes people go “what’s different about this?” but you don’t need it. I forget it half the time and they still turn out great. But when I remember, people notice something special about them.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Square pan (9-inch) – don’t go smaller or they’ll be too thick
• Parchment paper – makes your life so much easier
• Big bowl for mixing
• Medium pot for the filling
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife for cutting
• Measuring cups
• Small bowl for the cornstarch slurry

Nothing fancy here. I’ve made these with whatever I had in the kitchen. The parchment paper is the only thing I’d say is really important. Without it, good luck getting them out in one piece.

How To Make Cherry Pie Bars

Prep Your Pan

Oven to 350°F. Line pan with parchment. Leave some hanging over so you can lift these out later. I usually tear off a piece that’s way too big because I’d rather have too much than too little.

Mix the Base

Everything except cherries goes in a bowl. Flour, 1 cup oats, brown sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, melted butter, vanilla. Stir till it’s crumbly but holds together when you squeeze it. Save about a third for later – I just eyeball this.

Build the Crust

Press the rest in your pan. Pack it down with your hands or the back of a measuring cup. Really mash it down or your crust will be crumbly later. Bake 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step – learned that one the hard way.

Cook the Filling

While that’s baking, throw your frozen cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and almond stuff (if using) in a pot. Medium heat. Let it bubble and get juicy. Takes about 5 minutes to get going. Mix your cornstarch with a couple spoonfuls of the hot cherry juice in a small bowl till smooth, then stir it back in. Keep cooking till it’s thick like jam – another 5-7 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can drag a spoon through it and it doesn’t immediately fill back in.

Stack It Up

Cherry stuff goes on the hot crust. Spread it around evenly. Then take that leftover crumble and the extra 2 tablespoons of oats and sprinkle on top. Don’t pack it down this time – you want it loose and crumbly.

Finish Baking

Back in the oven for 35-40 minutes till the top is golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling around the edges. If the top gets too brown before the time’s up, cover with foil.

Make the Drizzle

If you’re doing the icing (and why wouldn’t you?), mix powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract in a bowl till smooth. Start with less milk and add more if you need it. You want it thick enough to drizzle but not so thick it just sits there in a blob.

Cut Clean

This is the hardest part – waiting. Let them cool completely. Like, completely completely. At least 2 hours. I know it sucks but if you cut them hot they’ll fall apart. Once they’re cool, lift them out with the parchment and cut with a sharp knife. Wipe the knife between cuts for clean edges.

You Must Know

Don’t skip the cornstarch or you’ll have cherry soup. I made that mistake exactly once. Took forever to clean up and tasted terrible. Keep those cherries frozen till they go in the pot. Room temperature cherries get mushy.

Personal Secret: Tiny bit of cinnamon in the crumble. Not much, just a pinch. Maybe ¼ teaspoon max. My sister-in-law has been trying to figure out what I do different for two years. Finally told her last Christmas.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Crumble should stick when squeezed but still fall apart. If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter. If it’s too wet, add more flour.

Pre-bake the crust or it gets soggy. Found this out when I was in a hurry once and skipped it. Bottom layer was like mush.

Mark your cuts with a ruler first if you want them to look nice. I don’t always bother for family stuff but if I’m taking them somewhere, I make the effort.

Don’t cook the filling too long. Cherries turn to mush and lose their shape. You want them soft but still recognizable as cherries.

If your oven runs hot, check them at 30 minutes. If your oven runs cool, might need 45 minutes. Every oven’s different.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Mixed berries: Half cherries, half blueberries. Or throw in some blackberries. Whatever you’ve got.

Chocolate cherry: Mini chocolate chips mixed into the crumble. Maybe ½ cup. Kids love this version.

Spiced cherry: Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and tiny pinch of nutmeg to the filling. Tastes like fall.

Extra lemon: Double the lemon zest and add a tablespoon to the filling too. Really brightens everything up.

Nutty: Chopped almonds or pecans sprinkled on top with the final crumble layer. Adds nice crunch.

Coconut: Shredded coconut mixed in the topping. Sounds weird but tastes good.

I’ve tried all of these. The chocolate cherry one disappears fastest at my house. My husband’s not usually a dessert person but he’ll eat three of those.

Make-Ahead Options

Make the crumble mix a few days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Saves time when you actually want to bake them. The finished bars honestly taste better the next day – flavors settle in together overnight. Something about how the oats soften up just a little.

They keep 3 days on the counter if it’s not too hot out. Week in the fridge easy. I wrap them individually and freeze them too. Good for up to 3 months. Just grab one whenever you want dessert.

You can even assemble the whole thing and freeze it before baking. Add maybe 10-15 extra minutes to the bake time. Sometimes I make two pans – bake one now, freeze one for later.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The filling consistency is everything. Too runny and your bars will be messy to eat. Too thick and they taste gummy. You want it thick enough to hold its shape when you cut the bars but still soft and jammy.

If it’s too thin after adding the cornstarch, keep cooking. Give it another 5 minutes. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or more lemon juice.

Pan size matters. 9×9 is perfect. 8×8 makes them too thick. 9×13 makes them too thin unless you double the recipe.

Don’t use a glass pan if you can help it. Takes forever to bake through and the bottom gets weird. Metal pan works best.

Serving Suggestions

Good on their own or with vanilla ice cream. I like them with coffee in the morning – don’t judge me. They’re not too sweet for breakfast.

Great for BBQs because they travel well and you don’t need plates or forks. Potlucks too. Always get compliments and recipe requests.

If you want them to look fancy, dust with powdered sugar before serving. Or put that almond icing in a squeeze bottle and drizzle designs. My daughter loves doing that part.

They look nice on a dessert table with other summer stuff – lemon bars, brownies, whatever. The colors are pretty together.

How to Store Your Cherry Pie Bars

Counter: Cover, 3 days.
Fridge: Container, 1 week.
Freezer: Wrap each one, 3 months. Thaw 30 minutes.
Reheat: Don’t need to but microwave 10 seconds if you want.

Allergy Information

Has: Wheat, dairy
No dairy: Coconut oil instead of butter
No gluten: Gluten-free flour
Nut stuff: Skip almond extract

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use fresh cherries instead?

Sure thing. Same amount, just pit them first. Might need to cook the filling a bit longer to get the right thickness. Fresh cherries have more water in them.

My bars fall apart when I cut them. What went wrong?

Two things usually – didn’t press the bottom crust down hard enough, or didn’t let them cool completely. I know waiting sucks but it’s important.

Can I make these in a different pan size?

9×13 pan, double everything. 8×8 pan, use about ¾ of the recipe. Different shapes work too – I’ve done them in a round cake pan. Just watch the baking time.

My filling turned out too watery. Help!

That cornstarch step is crucial. Make sure you cook it long enough after adding the cornstarch. Should coat a spoon when it’s ready.

I only have sweet cherries. Will it work?

Yep, just cut the sugar back to ⅓ cup instead of ½. Sour cherries balance the sweetness better but sweet ones are fine.

Do I have to make the icing?

Nope. They’re good without it. I probably skip it half the time. Depends on my mood and if I have powdered sugar around.

Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned?

You can but the texture won’t be as good. Quick oats get mushy. Old-fashioned ones hold their shape and give you that nice chew.

These disappear fast here. Hope yours do too.

💬 Made them? Let me know how it went.