Cherry Crumble Bars (Printable View)

Golden crumble bars with sweet cherry filling and buttery oat texture

# Ingredient List:

→ Crumble Base

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
07 - 1 large egg

→ Cherry Filling

08 - 3 cups pitted fresh or frozen cherries, halved
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
03 - Add the cold butter and egg to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even base layer.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss until cherries are evenly coated.
06 - Spread the cherry filling evenly over the pressed crust base.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the cherry layer in an even layer.
08 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
09 - Cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment overhang and cutting into 16 bars.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is everything—soft, fruit-filled middle with that irresistible sandy crumble on top and bottom
  • They travel beautifully for picnics or potlucks, unlike fragile fruit pies
  • You get all the satisfaction of homemade cherry filling without the hassle of rolling out pastry dough
02 -
  • Cold butter is nonnegotiable here—warm butter will make your crumble turn into a solid dough instead of those lovely crumbs
  • Don't skip the parchment paper overhang, or you'll struggle getting the bars out in one piece
  • The filling needs to bubble thickly, not just around the edges, so don't underbake
03 -
  • If using frozen cherries, don't thaw them first—toss them frozen, and they'll release just the right amount of juice while baking
  • Room temperature eggs blend more easily into the crumble mixture, so set yours out about 20 minutes before starting

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