Cherry Bars with Almond and Vanilla flavoring Recipe
Delicious Cherry Bars featuring a buttery, tender crust layered with sweet cherry pie filling and topped with a smooth confectioners’ sugar glaze. Perfect for dessert or a sweet snack, these bars combine classic flavors with easy preparation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 35 squares 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars:
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cans (21 oz. each) cherry pie filling
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12×17-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until all ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder to the wet mixture. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Reserve Dough and Press Base: Set aside 1 3/4 cups of the dough for topping. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Add Cherry Filling: Spread the two cans of cherry pie filling evenly over the pressed dough base in the pan.
- Top with Remaining Dough: Drop the reserved dough in small pieces over the cherry pie filling to create a rustic topping.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges and top are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and milk until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Drizzle Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bars. Cut into approximately 35 squares and serve.
Notes
- You can substitute cherry pie filling with fresh or frozen cherries sweetened to taste for a more homemade touch.
- Ensure the dough is fully cooled before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting and running off.
- For a stronger almond flavor, you can add a bit more almond extract, but be careful as it can be overpowering.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- These bars freeze well; wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before glazing.
Keywords: cherry bars, cherry dessert, cherry pie filling bars, baked cherry bars, almond extract cherry bars, easy cherry bars recipe
