Christmas Cherry Bars Recipe
These Christmas Cherry Bars are a festive and delicious treat perfect for holiday gatherings. With a buttery crumb crust and topping enveloping a sweet cherry pie filling, these bars bake to a golden perfection and can be garnished with powdered sugar or white chocolate for an extra touch of holiday cheer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 cups cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought)
Optional Garnish
- Powdered sugar
- Melted white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make removal easier.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, stir together the melted and cooled butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the mixture forms a crumbly texture.
- Reserve Topping Crumbs: Set aside ¾ cup of the crumb mixture to be used as a topping later.
- Form the Crust: Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to create the crust layer.
- Add Cherry Filling: Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the crust layer to ensure every bar gets a generous amount of cherries.
- Top with Crumbs: Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the cherry filling to create a delightful crumb topping.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and set.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting them into squares to ensure clean cuts.
- Garnish (Optional): Dust the cooled bars with powdered sugar or drizzle melted white chocolate over the top for an extra festive touch, if desired.
Notes
- Use room temperature melted butter that has cooled so it doesn’t cook the flour prematurely.
- Cherry pie filling can be homemade for a fresher taste or store-bought for convenience.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to avoid crumbling.
- For a chocolate twist, drizzle melted dark or milk chocolate instead of white chocolate.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Keywords: Christmas cherry bars, cherry crumb bars, holiday dessert bars, cherry pie bars, festive dessert, crumb topping bars
Find it online: https://annakocht.com/christmas-cherry-bars-recipe/
