Easy Desserts

Cherry Pie Bars

Name: Cherry Pie Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 185 min
Yield: One 8 × 8 inch pan; square count varies
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour; 3 g baking powder; 2 g ground cinnamon; 180 g unsalted butter melted; 100 g granulated sugar; 50 g light brown sugar; 35 g almonds roughly chopped; 600 g canned cherry pie filling; 10 g cornstarch; 20 g water; 3 g lemon juice

Buttery cherry pie bars with a soft pressed base, thick fruit filling, and a loose cinnamon almond crumble.

By PedroPublished August 24, 2026 · Updated September 14, 2026

MakesOne 8 × 8 inch pan; square count varies

Time3 h 5 min

Estimated total time. This covers the full recipe from start to finish, including preparation and any resting, chilling, baking, or cooling. Some of that time is hands-off.

DifficultyMedium

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Cherry pie bars with a golden almond crumble topping

You can want cherry pie without wanting to roll out a pie crust. That’s where these bars fit for me. They have a thick cherry layer and a buttery base, with a loose almond crumble on top, all in one square pan.

The crumble is the part I’d choose over a second layer of crust. The chopped almonds give the topping some bite, and you can see the cherries between the crumbs. This isn’t a dessert to start just before you need it, though. Allow time for it to cool, and you’ll have bars you can cut into neat squares instead of a warm filling that slides across the plate.

Ingredients for Cherry Pie Bars

I use one flour-and-butter mixture for both the base and the crumble, with roughly chopped almonds reserved for the topping. The fruit layer starts with 600 g of canned cherry pie filling, then cornstarch, water, and lemon juice give it the balance needed for these bars.

Cherry pie bar ingredients arranged in bowls on a pale work surface — The ingredients for the pressed base, cherry filling, and almond crumble.

300 g all-purpose flour
3 g baking powder
2 g ground cinnamon
180 g unsalted buttermelted
100 g granulated sugar
50 g light brown sugar
35 g almondsroughly chopped
600 g canned cherry pie filling
10 g cornstarch
20 g water
3 g lemon juice

From my kitchen

Watch me make Cherry Pie Bars

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How to Make Cherry Pie Bars

Line the pan with enough parchment overhang to lift the cooled slab straight out. Two bakes and a full cool mean this runs to about three hours end to end, so start it well before you need it.

Prepare the pan

Heat the oven to 180°C. Line an 8 × 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang around the edges.

Mix the dough

Combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until a soft, compact dough forms.

Soft cherry pie bar dough mixed in a glass bowl — The flour and butter mixtures come together into a soft, compact dough.

Build the base

Take a little more than half of the dough and press it evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan with your hands or the back of a spoon.

Cherry pie bar dough being pressed into a parchment-lined square pan — A little more than half of the dough is pressed evenly across the lined pan.

Cherry pie bar dough divided between two glass bowls — The smaller portion of dough is reserved for the almond crumble.

Prepare the crumble

Add the chopped almonds to the remaining dough. Gently work the mixture with your fingers until it has a crumbly texture, then refrigerate it while you continue.

Partially bake

Bake the base for about 12 to 13 minutes, until it begins to turn lightly golden and feels more set. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Lightly golden cherry pie bar base in a parchment-lined pan — The base after its first bake, lightly golden and set across the surface.

Thicken the cherries

While the base cools, warm the canned cherry pie filling in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until smooth and free of lumps, then add this mixture to the cherries with the lemon juice. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from the heat and cool for about 10 minutes.

Thickened cherry filling in a white saucepan — The cherry filling after cooking until thickened.

Add the cherry layer

Spread the cooled cherry mixture evenly over the partially baked base, taking it into the corners without disturbing the base underneath.

Thick cherry filling spread over a partially baked square base — The cooled cherry filling is spread evenly over the partially baked base.

Add the crumble

Take the crumble from the refrigerator and scatter it evenly over the cherry filling without pressing it down.

Unbaked cherry pie bars covered with loose almond crumble — The almond crumble is scattered loosely over the cherry layer before the final bake.

Finish baking

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes. The topping should be golden and the cherry filling should bubble slightly around the edges.

Cool and slice

Let the bars cool completely in the pan, then give the pan about 15 minutes in the freezer. Lift the whole slab out by the parchment overhang, set it on a cutting board, and cut it into squares with a long knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

Tips that make a difference

Reserve a little more than half of the dough for the base so it is sturdy enough to hold the cherry layer.
Mix the cornstarch with the water until no lumps remain before adding it to the warm cherries.
Scatter the almond crumble loosely over the filling because pressing it down would remove the crumbly texture.
Cool the bars completely and give them the final 15 minutes in the freezer so the slices come out cleaner and more even.

I like the way this recipe uses one dough in two different ways. It gives the bars a soft, buttery base and a loose almond crumble, with the thick cherry layer sitting between them.

When the Bars Are Ready to Cut

I let the pan cool completely, then give it the short freezer rest before slicing. A cold slab is much easier to move to the board, and a clean blade passes through the cherry layer without dragging it into the crumble. The topping should look loose rather than pressed flat.

Stack of cherry pie bars showing the fruit layer and almond crumble — The cooled bars hold a clear cherry layer between the base and crumble.

Single cherry pie bar on a white plate with a fork — A fully cooled bar cuts cleanly while the crumble stays loose on top.

Questions you might have

What kind of cherry filling should I use?

Use 600 g of canned cherry pie filling. A fresh or frozen sour-cherry filling needs a different formula, so it should not be swapped into this version without changing the other ingredients.

Should I press the crumble onto the cherry filling?

No. Scatter it over the surface without pressing it down so it keeps its crumbly texture.

How can I get cleaner slices?

Cool the bars completely in the pan, then freeze the pan for about 15 minutes before lifting out and slicing the dessert.