Cherry pie in bar form — cherry pie bars made with pie filling, a simple homemade crust and a vanilla-almond glaze. These portable bars are perfect for summer gatherings and holiday dessert tables.
This past summer I worked at a farm stand that sold jars of Amish pie filling from a local Illinois farm. I bought a jar of cherry filling and it sat on my counter for a few weeks while I considered what to make. I didn’t want to use it in a classic from-scratch cherry pie, so I searched for alternatives and landed on cherry pie bars — a perfect fit.
After looking through recipes online I kept finding the same version from Taste of Home. I adapted it slightly and found the result to be delightful. These bars are easy to make, portable, and have a nostalgic bakery quality — the kind of treat you’d buy by the slice at a neighborhood bakery.
To assemble the bars, you make a simple dough that forms both the crust and the dolloped topping. Press most of the dough into a prepared pan, spread the cherry pie filling over it, then drop the remaining dough on top in spoonfuls. Scatter sliced almonds over the surface and bake until golden. Finish with a quick vanilla-almond glaze and cut into squares.
When I photographed these bars and tasted them, they disappeared fast — everyone loved them. I brought the leftovers to the farm stand and customers asked for more and for the recipe. The bars’ bright cherry filling and almond glaze make them festive enough for holiday gatherings, and their portability makes them ideal for picnics or potlucks.
This recipe is flexible: swap the cherry filling for blueberry, blackberry, apple, or another favorite pie filling, and change the nuts to pecans or walnuts if you prefer. Any quality pie filling will work well, and you can easily adapt the toppings to suit the season or your taste.
With the holidays in full swing, these cherry pie bars make a colorful and easy addition to dessert spreads. If you try them, I hope they become a favorite — I’m already planning to adapt the recipe for apple-slice style bars with my remaining jar of Amish apple pie filling.
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (32-ounce) jar cherry pie filling (or equivalent canned pie filling)
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2–3 tablespoons milk (to reach desired consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10 x 15 x 1-inch pan, line it with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing until combined. Reserve about 1 cup of the dough for the top.
- Press 3 cups of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly. Spread the cherry pie filling over the dough. Drop the remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over the filling (about 24 teaspoonfuls). Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
- Bake 35–45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with vanilla, almond extract, and enough milk to reach drizzleable consistency. Drizzle over the cooled bars, cut into squares, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Any flavor of pie filling and choice of nuts will work well. Make a variety for parties by changing fillings and toppings.
Nutrition
* Adapted from Taste of Home.