Cherry Crumble Bars (Printable Version)
Buttery crumbly bars with sweet-tart cherry filling, golden and bubbly from the oven.
# 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 cold unsalted butter, 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 Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
03 - Add cold butter and egg to flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Press two-thirds of crumble mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of prepared pan to create a solid crust layer.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Toss until cherries are evenly coated.
06 - Spread cherry filling evenly over the pressed crust base.
07 - Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over cherry layer, covering filling completely.
08 - Bake for 38-42 minutes until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges.
09 - Cool completely in pan before lifting out using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 bars.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of tart cherries and sweet crumble hits every perfect flavor note
- They travel beautifully and actually taste better the next day
02 -
- Cold butter is nonnegotiable for that irresistible crumbly texture
- Letting these cool completely makes all the difference for clean cuts
03 -
- Use the parchment overhang like handles to lift the whole batch out at once
- Cherry juice bubbles can create sticky spots on your pan, so parchment is essential