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Chewy Cherry Pie Bars Recipe with Buttery Crust

Enjoy cherry pie in a simpler, quicker form: cherry pie bars. Made with store-bought cherry pie filling, a buttery, cookie-like crust, and a sweet glaze, these bars bake in a single pan and are always a hit.

Fruity desserts are hard to beat. If you like these, try other favorites like berry cheesecake salad or strawberry cinnamon rolls with lemon cream cheese glaze for more crowd-pleasing sweets.

A stack of cherry pie bars with the glaze drizzling off.

Reasons You’ll Love This Dessert

  • Incredible flavor: Buttery, slightly crisp edges combine with sweet-tart cherry filling and a touch of almond for balanced flavor.
  • Quick and easy: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps let you prepare a whole pan in minimal time.
  • Perfect for sharing: Easy to slice and serve, these bars are ideal for parties, potlucks, and backyard gatherings. The glaze gives a pretty, finished look.

Cherry Pie Bars Recipe

These bars capture the best parts of cherry pie without the fuss of rolling crusts and lattice tops. The texture is soft and chewy like a cookie, with a jammy cherry center and a drizzle of vanilla-almond glaze. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or cool and slice for an easy dessert to take on the go.

Ingredients to Make Cherry Pie Bars

Most of the ingredients are pantry staples—just pick up cherry pie filling and you’re ready. Measurements and full details are in the recipe card below.

Bars

  • Butter: Provides richness and tender texture.
  • Sugar: Sweetens and helps the top brown.
  • Eggs: Add structure and moisture for a soft, chewy bite.
  • Vanilla extract: Brings warmth and depth of flavor.
  • Almond extract: A small amount pairs beautifully with cherries.
  • Flour: Forms the base of the batter.
  • Salt: Enhances and balances sweetness.
  • Cherry pie filling: Two cans create a generous, fruity layer.
A top view of individual ingredients for the bars, each labeled.

Glaze

  • Vanilla and almond extract: Echo the flavors in the crust and filling.
  • Powdered sugar: Creates a smooth, sweet glaze.
  • Milk: Thins the glaze to a drizzling consistency.
The top view of all of the glaze ingredients for the cherry pie bars, all labeled.

How to Make Cherry Pie Bars

This recipe comes together quickly—about an hour from start to finish, most of which is baking time.

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13×2-inch baking pan and set aside.
  2. Cream: Beat softened butter and sugar until light. Add eggs and mix well, then stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour and salt in a separate bowl, then mix into the creamed mixture until just combined.
  4. Layer: Press or spread 3 cups of the batter evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the batter in an even layer. Drop the remaining batter by spoonfuls evenly over the cherries.
  5. Bake: Bake 35–40 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust (not the filling) comes out clean. If using a larger, shallower pan (15×10 inches), start checking at about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
  6. Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar with vanilla, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bars and allow the glaze to set before slicing.
Butter and sugar in a glass bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Eggs being beaten in a glass bowl with the sugar and butter mixture.
Beat in the eggs and extracts.
Flour and salt added to the mixture.
Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture.
Batter spread in the bottom of the pan.
Spread 3 cups of batter into the bottom of the pan.
Cherry pie filling added to the top of the batter.
Top with the cherry pie filling.
Remaining batter being spooned on top of the pie filling just before baking the cherry pie bars.
Spoon remaining batter over the filling and bake.

Cherry Pie Bars Tips

  • Room-temperature ingredients: Using room-temperature butter and eggs helps the batter blend more smoothly and yields a better texture.
  • Measure flour correctly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off to avoid dense bars.
  • Grease the pan well: Use a nonstick spray or line the pan with parchment for easy removal.
  • Swap fillings: Apple, blueberry, peach, or strawberry pie filling all work well—add spices like cinnamon for a fall twist.
  • Pan size: A 9×13-inch pan with 2-inch sides is ideal. If you use a larger pan, reduce baking time slightly and watch for doneness.
A top view of baked bars on a cutting board with a bowl of glaze.

Storing Cherry Pie Bars

These bars hold up well and are great for making ahead.

  • Room temperature: Store covered at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
  • Freezer: Freeze individual bars layered between parchment for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. For best texture, wait to add glaze until serving, as it can become sticky after freezing.
A close up of cherry pie bars.

More Cherry-Inspired Recipes

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Side Dishes

Cherry Cheesecake Fluff Salad

1 hour 10 minutes

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Beverages

Shirley Temple

2 minutes

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Recipe Skill Levels

Cherry Cordials

1 hour 40 minutes

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Recipe Skill Levels

Cherry Slab Pie

2 hours 15 minutes

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Cherry Pie Bars

4.77 from 71 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Enjoy cherry pie in its best form: cherry pie bars! You can whip up a whole pan in minutes using cherry pie filling. They’re beautiful, easy to make, and always a crowd-pleaser!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

  • 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 the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13×2-inch pan with pan spray and set aside.
  • Cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar. Add 4 large eggs and beat well. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
  • In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.
  • Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling, spreading evenly across the batter. Drop dollops of the remaining batter over the top until all the batter is used.
  • Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the crust (not the filling) comes out clean and the top is lightly golden. If using a 15×10-inch pan, bake about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 tablespoons milk. Drizzle over the cooled bars.

Notes

Originally posted on July 23, 2019

Updated on June 18, 2024

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 3gFat: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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