Description
Cherry bars bring pure delight straight from your kitchen, combining sweet fruit and buttery pastry into a simple dessert that everyone adores. Baked with fresh cherries and a crumbly streusel topping, these bars make dessert time a celebration of simple, delicious comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 can (21 ounces / 595 grams) cherry pie filling
Supporting Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Cream 1 cup (226 grams) softened butter with 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Incorporate 4 large eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully blended before adding the next. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl to remove any potential lumps.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring gently until a consistent batter forms without overmixing.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by lightly greasing or lining with parchment paper.
- Spread approximately ⅔ of the batter evenly across the prepared pan using a spatula.
- Carefully distribute 21 ounces (595 grams) of cherry pie filling over the initial batter layer, ensuring an even coverage.
- Drop remaining batter in small spoonfuls across the cherry layer, creating a rustic, marbled appearance.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, watching for golden edges and a set center.
- Remove from oven and allow bars to cool completely at room temperature for about 2 hours.
- Optional: Dust the cooled bars with powdered sugar just before serving for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Choose ripe, sweet cherries for the most flavorful filling when making homemade cherry bars.
- Cold butter works best when creaming with sugar to create a light, fluffy base for the bars.
- Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter randomly over the cherry layer to create a rustic, beautiful top crust.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to keep the same texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg