Here’s a festive and delicious recipe for Christmas Cherry Bars—sweet, buttery, and filled with bright cherry flavor.
🍒 Christmas Cherry Bars
Ingredients (makes about 16 bars)
For the crust and topping:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the filling:
- 1 can (21 oz / 595 g) cherry pie filling (or 2 cups fresh/frozen cherries with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- Set oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the dough
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, then gradually mix into butter mixture until crumbly.
- Form the crust
- Press about 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan to form an even bottom layer.
- Add the filling
- Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the crust.
- Add the topping
- Crumble the remaining 1/3 of dough over the cherries for a crumbly, buttery top.
- Bake
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Cool and slice
- Let bars cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles.
💡 Tips
- For extra flavor, sprinkle a little almond extract into the filling.
- You can mix in chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) on top for added crunch.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
If you want, I can also give you a gluten-free version of Christmas cherry bars that’s just as rich and festive.
