Delicious Cherry Pie Bars: A Crowd-Pleasing Birthday Treat
Cherry pie bars are a delightful twist on the classic cherry pie, and they make the perfect birthday treat for anyone with a sweet tooth.
These bars are bursting with the rich, sweet flavor of cherry filling, nestled between layers of buttery, soft crust.
Whether you’re serving them at a party or enjoying them for a cozy gathering, these bars are sure to impress.
With a simple set of ingredients and easy instructions, you can make this dessert with minimal effort while still serving a crowd-pleasing dish that feels special.
Ingredients
Cherry pie filling (1 can, 21 ounces)
All-purpose flour (2 ½ cups)
Granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
Salt (¼ teaspoon)
Unsalted butter (1 cup, softened)
Large egg (1)
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Lemon juice (1 tablespoon, optional)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C), ensuring it’s nice and hot for the best texture and flavor in your cherry pie bars.
Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper to make the bars easier to remove once baked.
Next, in a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. These dry ingredients will form the base of your crust, so make sure they’re well combined.
Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Then, beat the egg and vanilla extract together, and add them to the crumb mixture. If you’d like to add a bit of extra brightness to your bars, stir in the lemon juice at this stage as well.
Once everything is combined, set aside about a cup of the dough for the top layer. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of your prepared baking pan, creating an even layer.
This will form the crust of your cherry pie bars. Next, spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the dough layer, spreading it out so it covers the surface well.
Crumble the reserved dough over the cherry filling, creating a rustic, crumbly top layer. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly even—this will give the bars a deliciously rustic appearance once baked.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbling up at the edges.
Once baked, remove the bars from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. After that, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once they’re cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness and elegance. You can slice them into squares or bars, whichever you prefer.
How to Make
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