These Cherry Pie Crumb Bars are quick and easy crumb bars with fresh cherry filling. Buttery crumb topping and sweet fruit filling make this a perfect summer dessert!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Dessert
After the light and fluffy Cherry Poke Cake, which may I just say now disappear quicker than any cake I've ever made (maybe with the exception of my Pineapple Coconut Cake), I was left with 2 cups of cherries to use up quickly. As always in such a situation, I quickly decided to make my favorite and trusted crumb bars.
It's hard to decide what part of these bars is better: the buttery and crunchy crumb topping or the sweet cherry filling that just screams summer! Enjoy these Cherry Pie Crumb Bars dusted with powdered sugar, a la mode with a scoop of ice cream or packed in your lunchbox.
If you have apples on hand, you can try my Apple Pie Bars too! The crumb topping tastes like my Perfect Sugar Cookies.
Ingredients:
- cherries - I used fresh cherries. Use what you have on hand, even frozen cherries. Just make sure to thaw them out first.
- cornstarch - Added to any fruit, helps make the delicious filling.
- flour - I used all-purpose flour. Make sure to measure it properly. For my tips, check out the notes in the recipe box below.
- baking powder and baking soda - Necessary for proper rising and browning of the bars.
- sugar - I used white, granulated sugar. You can use brown sugar for a chewier texture.
- butter - Using melted butter makes the crust and crumb topping rich in flavor and buttery.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to make cherry pie crumb bars?
- Make the filling by combining cherries, cornstarch and lemon juice.
- Combine butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients and stir everything with a fork.
- Reserve some mixture for the crumb topping.
- Press the remaining dough into the bottom of a baking pan.
- Pour filling over the crust.
- Top with crumb topping.
- Bake the bars in preheated oven until golden brown on top.
- Cool completely before slicing.
The full recipe with ingredients measurements is below in the recipe box.
Helpful Tips!
- The trick to perfect crumb topping is to use completely cooled to room temperature butter. Hot will cook the mixture and the crumbs won't form. It's helpful to stir the mixture with a fork to make perfect size crumbs.
- You can bake these bars in a round 8" pan for a thin slice of pie.
- Use any fruit you like to make these bars: strawberries, blueberries, even peaches.
Common questions:
For this recipe, you can use any fruit. You can use fresh or frozen, but thawed before baking.
Of course! Double the ingredients and bake the bars in a 13" x 9" pan for 35 to 40 minutes.
Yes, you can freeze these bars. Make sure to cool them completely, then wrap them tightly in saran wrap and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can substitute gluten-free flour in the recipe. Make sure to use a product you are familiar with and one that can be used in a 1:1 ratio while substituting.
More dessert recipe:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Cherry Pie Crumb Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted , cooled to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh cherries , pitted, each sliced in half
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Line a square 8" baking pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides and bottom of lined pan. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cherries, cornstarch and lemon juice.2 cups fresh cherries, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar.½ cup unsalted butter melted, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir with a fork until the mixture resembles crumbs.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Reserve ¾ cup of mixture.
- Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.
- Spread cherry filling over the crust.
- Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over cherries.
- Sprinkle sugar over crumb topping.1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Bake bars for 23 to 25 minutes OR until the top is golden.
- Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- This recipe makes 9 bars.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Linda Colista says
There is nothing better than Butter when baking and your Cherry Pie Crumb Bars were amazing!
But my daughter has a Dairy allergy. I am going to use Canola Oil in place of the Butter so she can enjoy them too. Do you think this might work?
Kat says
Loved it made a 2x serving today for the kiddos! Great taste and came out just as I expected.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Kat! I'm so glad the bars were such a hit!
Phyllis Jones says
What a delicious yet easy dessert to make. My family has requested this for the second time this month!
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Phyllis!
Sheena says
I doubled this recipe and made it in a 13×9 pan. We have eaten half the pan worth today. They are amazing.
Anna says
Thank you so much, Sheena!
Amber says
This is the best recipe I’ve come across in awhile! The bars just melt in your mouth
Anna says
Thank you so much, Amber, for this kind comment! Have a wonderful day!
Emily says
Subbed half the flour for almond flour and these were still incredible! I did add 1/2 t of almond extract to the cherry filling as well as 1 T of sugar - it was perfect
Jessica says
When I was making these It looked like there was not enough crust and filling, but they turned out delicious! I like that the filling was not sweet. Nuts in the crust would be a good addition, or they could be gluten free with almond flour.
Bruce says
Easy to make
Jessica says
I just put these in the oven. It does not seem like there were enough ingredients. The topping barely covered the cherries, and even though I used more than the 2 cups of cherries in the recipe, they did not entirely cover the bottom crust. I double checked the pan size to make sure it was an 8x8. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Amy says
Did you do anything else to the cherries besides cutting them in half. There's no way I'm getting that jammy-looking layer with fresh cherries just cut in half. Followed the recipe exactly. It's cooling now. Also took about 40 minutes to bake, but that's just my oven. Smells amazing, tho.
Desiree says
Made this tonight. My husband is a cherry farmer and we are drowning in cherries. It didn't say to crush or use a food processor for the cherries. I kept them whole but you picture looks different than mine. Are you supposed to crush the cherries? Thanks
Michelle says
Great recipe.
Easy and yummy.
I love the way you add ingredient amounts to each step, saves from looking back to ingredient list.
Kudos to you!!
Thank you
Cindy says
I also like your recipe format! Thanks!
Irma says
Agree!! Very user-friendly feature of your recipe
Linda Standow says
I had some fresh cherries and wanted to try out my new cherry pitter (one at a time), and had a desire for some really crusty pie-type bars. This recipe is awfully close to absolutely perfect, and very easy to make. I added just a touch of vanilla and almond extract to the cherries, maybe 1/4 tsp each; I could have added a little more. I also increased the dough by about 1/4, because I'm telling you, it looked so good and I wanted a thicker layer. These bars are incredibly good. My cherries were delicious but not real sweet, and Hubby loved it; he is overpowered by too much sweet. Do let them cool completely on a flat surface or they will break apart if the entire bottom is not at a level. YUM!
Chris says
This cake is too good!!! 🙂
Sam says
I’ve made this recipe over a dozen times with different fruit fillings, and it has NEVER disappointed. Tried making the base last night, baking the bottom layer in my 8*8 pan and 3/4 cup of crumble on a tray. In the morning filled the base with vanilla custard and topped with the baked crumble…. Guys!! You seriously can’t go wrong here 🤤
Boots Smith says
This is a great "base" recipe. I have used this recipe many times and have always had great success. I've used different fruits, both fresh and frozen. I've added toasted almonds to the crust which add a nice flavor and some crunch. I've also added ginger/lemon/honey to some peaches I used. Again, very taste.