Cherry Pie Bars

Sour cherries have a short season and can be tricky to find, but they're worth seeking out when you can. These Cherry Pie Bars let the juicy tartness take center stage just like a pie, but without asking you to roll out any dough or lattice any pie crust. One buttery shortbread dough does double duty as both the crust and the crumble topping. The filling comes together fast on the stovetop, just cherries, sugar, a little lemon juice and extract, plus tapioca starch to help it hold its shape once sliced. Once everything's baked and cooled, the bars cut into clean squares, sturdy enough to pack for a picnic or stack on a plate for dessert.

What Kind of Cherries To Use

Most cherries fall into one of two categories: sweet or sour. Sweet cherries (used in this Sweet Cherry Pie recipe) are more widely available, but this recipe calls for sour cherries (like in this Sour Cherry Pie Filling or Sour Cherry Hand Pies). This matters because the amount of sugar needed to balance the filling changes depending on the type of cherry.

You can use fresh or frozen sour cherries here. I pretty much always use frozen tart cherries, since they're available year-round at my grocer, they're good quality, and I don't have to pit them myself. Montmorency and Morello are both good varieties if you're shopping for a specific type, but fresh works just as well if that's what you have.

However, you can use sweet cherries for this recipe, too. Just reduce the sugar to ⅓ cup to account for their natural sweetness.

How to Make It

The crumb mixture is designed to serve two jobs: pressed into the pan, it becomes the crust; sprinkled on top, it becomes the topping, so you only make one dough for both. The filling relies on tapioca starch rather than cornstarch, which sets up with a clearer, glossier finish and lets the cherries hold their color. A little lemon juice brightens the cherries, and there is an option to use almond extract to emphasize the natural almond note sour cherries already have from their pits.

Here is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!

Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Then add in the flour.

Step 2: Stir to combine. The mixture may seem too wet at first, but after a few minutes, the flour will hydrate, and the shortbread dough will be crumbly.

Step 3: Press ⅔ of the crumb mixture into an even layer in the prepared 8-inch pan using a flat-bottomed measuring cup or your hands.

Step 4: Bake the shortbread crust until it’s lightly golden on the edges and matte in the middle.

Step 5: Stir together the granulated sugar, tapioca starch, and salt, then mix in the cherries, lemon juice, and almond extract.

Step 6: Cook the filling over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is bubbling throughout, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Spread the slightly cooled cherry filling in an even layer over the baked crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.

Step 8: Bake on the middle rack until the cherry filling is slightly puffed up and the crumb mixture is a light golden color.

Serving + Storing

Let the bars cool completely before slicing, because they are quite soft when hot. Serve them as is, or with a scoop of ice cream.

Cherry Pie Bars are best consumed the day they're made, when the crumb crust and topping are at their crispest. Like most crumb bars, they soften as they sit, so don't expect that same texture on day two.

Store at room temperature in a covered container for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. They also freeze really well. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container, then let them defrost at room temperature.