My absolute favorite birthday treat! These Cherry Pie Bars are SO good, I literally make them every single year to celebrate! They’re super easy to whip up, look gorgeous, and are always the first thing to disappear at any gathering. Seriously, if you need a crowd-pleaser that tastes like pure joy, you HAVE to try these!
Easy Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients:
• For the Crust:
• * 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• * 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• * 2 cups all-purpose flour
• * 1/2 teaspoon salt
• * For the Filling:
• * 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling (or your favorite fruit pie filling!)
• * For the Crumb Topping (Optional, but highly recommended!):
• * 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• * 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• * 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• * 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- 2. Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined and a soft dough forms. It might be a little crumbly, that’s okay! Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. This is your delicious base!
- 3. Add the Filling: Carefully spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the crust.
- 4. Create the Crumb Topping (if using): In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using). Add the cold, cut-up butter. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
- 5. Assemble: Crumble the remaining one-third of the crust dough (and the crumb topping, if you made it) evenly over the cherry filling.
- 6. Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- 7. Cool & Serve: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. This is super important – they firm up nicely as they cool!
Enjoy these delightful bars! They’re perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or just on their own with a cup of coffee. Let me know if you make them!