Easy Cherry Pie Bars (Printable Version)

Buttery shortbread bars with cherry pie filling and vanilla glaze. Ready in under an hour.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
06 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Filling

08 - 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

→ Glaze

09 - 1 cup powdered sugar
10 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
04 - Whisk flour and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
05 - Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface.
06 - Spread cherry pie filling evenly over the dough base.
07 - Drop small spoonfuls of remaining dough over the filling, leaving gaps for cherries to show through.
08 - Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is lightly golden and edges are set.
09 - Let bars cool completely in pan on a wire rack before glazing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and drizzle-consistency.
11 - Drizzle glaze over cooled bars. Let set for 15 minutes, then cut into 16 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in one bowl without any fancy techniques or waiting time
  • They travel beautifully and actually taste better on day two when the flavors have had time to mingle
02 -
  • Resist the urge to add more flour if the dough feels soft, it's supposed to be somewhat sticky and spreadable
  • Let these cool completely before slicing or the glaze will melt right off and the bars may fall apart
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop to drop the remaining dough evenly over the cherry filling for that pretty patterned look
  • Warm the cherry filling slightly in the microwave before spreading to make it easier to distribute evenly

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