Description
Sweet and tangy cherry pie bars blend classic American dessert flavors into a convenient handheld treat. Crumbly buttery crust and rich cherry filling create a delightful summer dessert you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Filling:
- 1 (21-ounce / 595 grams) can cherry pie filling
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
Additional Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or butter.
- Using an electric mixer, blend butter and sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale, incorporating vanilla and almond extracts for enhanced flavor complexity.
- Introduce eggs individually, ensuring thorough integration after each addition to create a smooth, consistent base.
- Gently fold flour and salt into the wet mixture, stirring until ingredients are just combined to maintain a tender texture.
- Transfer approximately two-thirds of the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to create a uniform base layer.
- Carefully distribute cherry pie filling across the initial batter layer, ensuring complete and consistent coverage.
- Delicately dollop remaining batter over the cherry layer, creating a rustic, textured surface that allows glimpses of the fruity filling.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, monitoring until the top develops a golden-brown hue and the edges appear slightly crisp.
- Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature, then slice into individual servings and optionally dust with a light veil of powdered sugar for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Customize the fruit filling by swapping cherries with other seasonal fruits like blueberries, peaches, or mixed berries for variety.
- Control the sweetness by reducing sugar or using a sugar substitute if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
- Enhance the texture by adding chopped nuts like almonds or pecans to the batter for extra crunch and depth of flavor.
- Make the bars gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 308 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 131 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg