Description
Delight in the sweet and tangy flavors of these Cherry Pie Bars featuring a buttery crust, luscious cherry filling, and a smooth almond-vanilla glaze. Perfect for dessert or a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Batter
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with pan spray. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in 4 large eggs until well incorporated. Then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract, beating well to combine.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined to form the batter.
- Assemble Bars: Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top the batter with the 2 (21-ounce) cans of cherry pie filling, spreading evenly. Drop dollops of the remaining batter evenly over the cherry filling.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bars comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown. If using a 15 x 10-inch pan, bake for about 30 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan to allow the filling to set properly.
- Prepare and Drizzle Glaze: Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bars.
Notes
- For best results, fully cool the bars before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting.
- If you don’t have almond extract, you can increase the vanilla extract slightly as a substitute.
- Using a 15 x 10-inch pan will produce slightly thinner bars and reduce the baking time to about 30 minutes.
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming and better texture.
- Cherry pie filling can be swapped with other fruit fillings like blueberry or apple for variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
