Cherry Bars are super easy to make and are bursting with fruity flavor. You can make the cherry squares with fresh or frozen cherries, or a can of cherry pie filling!
These cherry bars (or cherry squares) are super easy to make and full of juicy cherries.
When cherries are in season, you can make them with fresh cherries. Out of season, you can make your own cherry filling with frozen cherries (instructions below).
Or, you can just grab a can of cherry pie filling!
Then it's a super quick homemade dessert.
These cherry bars have an almond oat shortbread layer, then they're topped with cherry sauce.
A crumble of the almond oat mixture and some chopped almonds are then added on top.
Delicious!
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Cherries
I have a cherry tree in my garden, but I've never had a single cherry from it.
Sadly, all the branches are too high for us to ever reach, so instead we can watch the birds come and go as they feast upon their cherry buffet.⠀
⠀
Cherries are quite possibly my favourite fruit though, so when they're in season I'm constantly picking up boxes of them.
They're so sweet and fragrant eaten on their own, but also wonderful for baking.⠀
I've used them in these Cherry Squares with almonds and oats. The juicy, plump fruit is so tasty and also full of vitamin C, fibre and antioxidants.⠀
How to pit cherries
I use a cherry pitter to take the stones out of cherries. It’s an inexpensive gadget that makes it super quick to pit them.
If you don’t have one, you can use a paperclip to hook them out, a metal straw to push them out or a piping nozzle will work too.⠀
How many cherries are in 1 cup?
It totally depends on how big the cherries are. On average, there are 20 cherries in 1 cup.
There are around 85 cherries in 1 lb.
One serving of cherries is 15.
Step by Step Tutorial
This recipe is super simple. Follow these step by step photos, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions and ingredients.
- Add the cherries to a pan over a low/medium heat. Stir the cornstarch into 1 teaspoon of the orange juice to make a slurry and stir it into the pan with the remaining orange juice.
- Heat for 5 minutes or until thick.
3. Stir the oats, flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
4. Add the melted coconut oil and almond essence.
5. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips to make a crumbly dough.
6. Press half the mixture evenly into the pan.
7. Spread the cherries onto the base evenly.
8. Sprinkle the remaining crumbly mixture onto the top and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
Scroll down for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- You can use fresh or frozen cherries to make the simple cherry sauce
- Make them even faster with canned cherry pie filling
- For a different flavor, use other canned pie filling like apple, blueberry or peach.
- They're tasty at room temperature or straight out of the fridge.
Storage and Freezing
- These cherry pie bars are best enjoyed within 2 days.
- They can be stored, wrapped, on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days.
- They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- The bars are not suitable for freezing.
- The homemade cherry pie filling is freezable.
Special Diets
- These cherry squares are dairy free and vegan.
- To make them gluten-free, use gluten free flour
More Cherry Recipes
Cherry Pie
Cherry Hand Pies
Black Forest Cherry Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Coconut Cherry Popsicles
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📖 Recipe
Cherry Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) fresh fresh pitted cherries
- 1 teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup (75m)l orange juice
- 1 cup (100g) oats
- ¾ cup (115g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 5 tablespoons light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a 20cm square / 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Note: I use a cherry pitter to take the stones out of cherries. It’s an inexpensive gadget that makes it super quick to pit them. If you don’t have one, you can use a paperclip to hook them out, a metal straw to push them out or a piping nozel will work too.
- Add the cherries to a pan over a medium/low heat. Stir the cornstarch into 1 teaspoon of the orange juice to make a slurry and stir into the cherries along with the remaining orange juice. Heat for 5 minutes or until thick. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the melted coconut oil and almond extract and rub it together gently to make a crumbly dough.
- Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, into an even layer.
- Spread the cherries onto the base, then cover with the remaining flour mixture and sprinkle the almonds onto the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the topping begins to turn golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Kelly
I love how wholesome and delicious this recipe is! It's a snack I can feel good about giving to my kids!
Sarah
I wish I still had fresh cherries! I'll have to pick up some frozen ones and try these- I'm so excited!! LOVE cherries! (I used to use a chopstick to pit my cherries but the pitter is so much easier lol!)