Cherry Pie Bars or Kuchen Bars have a moist and chewy cake-like base topped with cherry pie filling, more pockets of tender crumble, and a sweet sugar glaze. Definitely better than traditional pie and so easy to make too.
Who loves cherry pie? In our house it is a top favorite and I’m constantly being asked to make it. But I have to say, when it comes to making dessert, I would take these cherry pie bars over a regular pie any day.
These bars are so easy to make and positively delicious. Sometimes called Kuchen Bars by some (Kuchen meaning cake in German) because the bottom has a cake-like flavor and texture. Then you top it with the pie filling and little dollops of the crust layer on top – WOW, it is seriously scrumptious.
These bars are great for serving at summer potlucks – especially great for 4th of July celebrations too. But they are also quite versatile and transition well into a great dessert for the holidays.
They are so much easier than a traditional pie and keep the holiday prep simple. You can’t beat that with how hectic the holidays can get.
cherry bars recipe
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can these be made with any pie filling?
You bet! That is the best part about these bars – you can swap out the flavors and make these with your favorite pie filling. Come fall, we make this all the time with apple pie filling, and my girls, they are all about the blueberry. They sure look forward to that.
How to store these cherry pie bars?
These pie bars will store well in an airtight container at room temperature. Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to help absorb the moisture if you live in an area with average-high humidity. If you live in single-digit humidity you probably can skip this step.
These bars can also be refrigerated for up to 1 week or you can freeze them for up to 6 months. For the freezer, I like to wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap and then place them on a plate to freeze in a single layer. Then once they have frozen, I transfer them to a zip-top bag for more space-saving storage.
cherry bars
What pan should I use?
It is important to use a standard 10x15x1 pan, often called a jelly roll pan. (link below) This pan is the perfect size for this recipe. If you try to make this in something else, it won’t bake the same and you could end up with it either burning or not cooking through as expected.
Can this be made with fresh cherries?
You bet you can make this with fresh cherries. To do this – take 2 cups of cherries (pitted and diced) and combine them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Toss to coat and then let them macerate for about 30 minutes to an hour to let the mixture come to the perfect consistency for this recipe.
recipes with canned cherry pie filling
What else can be made with cherry pie filling?
We love cherry pie filling in this house – so it is no surprise that we have many recipes that call for it. Check out some of our favorites & don’t forget to try your hand at making our homemade pie filling too.
More Cookie Bar Recipes
- M&M Sugar Cookie Bars
- Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie Bars
- Birthday Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- St. Patrick’s Day Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- M&M Christmas Cookie Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Patriotic Cookie Bars
cherry bar
Ingredients for Cherry Pie Bars
Cookie Base
- unsalted butter – softened
- granulated sugar
- eggs – room temperature
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- cherry pie filling
Glaze
- confectioner’s sugar
- clear vanilla extract ** see notes
- almond extract
- milk
cherry squares
How to make Cherry Pie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 15x10x1 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with oil or shortening.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the salt to the flour and whisk lightly to combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to batter and beat until well combined.
- Spread 3 cups of batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Spread the pie filling evenly over batter.
- Drop the remaining batter using a tablespoon over the top of the cherries. Do not spread out.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Glaze
- Combine the ingredients for glaze until smooth
- Drizzle over the bars.
- Cut and serve or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
- Store the leftovers in the refrigerator.
Products I love when making cherry pie bars…
This cherry pie bar recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me this time of year, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made homemade pie bars before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love them. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this bar recipe.
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- granulated sugar
- almond extract
- salt
- cherry pie filling
- confectioner’s sugar
- clear vanilla extract ** see notes
- 15x10x1 baking pan
- mixing bowls
If you love this Easy Cherry Pie Bars recipe, you’re going to love these other treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
If you love this recipe for Cherry Pie Bars as much as I do, please write a five-star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
Cherry Pie Bars or Kuchen Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cans cherry pie filling 21 oz ea
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ tsp clear vanilla extract ** see notes
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 15x10x1 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with oil or shortening.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the salt to the flour and whisk lightly to combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to batter and beat until well combined.
- Spread 3 cups of batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Spread the pie filling evenly over batter.
- Drop the remaining batter using a tablespoon over the top of the cherries. Do not spread out.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Glaze
- Combine the ingredients for glaze until smooth
- Drizzle over the bars.
- Cut and serve or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
- Store the leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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