This cherry pie bars recipe is cherry filling between two shortbread layers. It is not a cherry dump cake or a lattice pie.
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Cherry Pie Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
Cherry Pie Bars. From Alissa.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 2 cups (240g) flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (300g) drained tart cherries
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar for the filling
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square pan.
- Beat butter, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and salt into a soft dough. Press two-thirds into the pan.
- Cook cherries, the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice until thick. Cool 10 minutes.
- Spread the filling on the crust. Crumble the rest of the dough on top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is pale gold.
Notes
Canned tart cherries in water, drained, beat cherry pie filling from a can. Pie filling is already gelled and too sweet here.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Filling
The cornstarch must boil or the bars stay loose.
Crust
Save the larger crumbs for the top so the base stays solid.
Tart fruit
Tart cherries taste like pie. Sweet ones taste like jam.
Pan
Eight inches keeps a thick bar. A 9-by-13 pan makes them thin.
Nutrition (estimated)
About 230 calories per serving. Estimate only, not a lab test.
FAQ
Sweet cherries?
They work if you cut the filling sugar to 1/3 cup.
Fresh or canned?
Both, once the fresh ones are pitted. Drain canned fruit well.
When to cut?
After the pan is cool. Warm filling runs.
Freeze?
Yes, cut bars, for a month.