Cherry Pie Cookie Bars are a delightful dessert that combines the buttery richness of a cookie with the sweet, fruity goodness of a classic cherry pie. These bars are perfect for potlucks, holidays, or any time you want a crowd-pleasing treat that’s easy to serve and fun to eat.
The base is a soft and tender cookie dough, pressed into a pan to form a sturdy yet chewy crust. A thick layer of cherry pie filling is spread across the top—bursting with juicy cherries and just the right balance of tart and sweet. To finish it off, dollops or crumbles of reserved cookie dough are scattered over the filling, creating a golden, slightly crisp topping that contrasts beautifully with the gooey center.
One of the best things about Cherry Pie Cookie Bars is how simple they are to make. You can use canned cherry pie filling for convenience or make your own from fresh or frozen cherries if you prefer a homemade touch. Either way, the result is a nostalgic dessert that tastes just like cherry pie but without the hassle of rolling out pie dough or using a pie dish.
These bars slice neatly and are easy to transport, making them ideal for parties, bake sales, or lunchbox treats. Add a drizzle of vanilla glaze or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make them even more irresistible.
Cherry Pie Cookie Bars are a sweet reminder that sometimes the best desserts are the ones that blend the old with the new—classic pie flavor in an easy-to-enjoy cookie bar form. With their vibrant red color and crowd-pleasing taste, they’re sure to become a favorite recipe you’ll make again and again. Whether for a celebration or a simple treat, these bars never fail to impress.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can cherry pie filling (21 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease or line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Spread 2/3 of the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Spread cherry pie filling over the dough.
- Drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls over the cherry filling, gently pressing to flatten.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Feels more like a cake than a cookie. But tastes great.
Super easy to make! I added some almond extract for an extra kick!
Almond extract? Sounds interesting! I might try that next time.
I don’t know about almond. Ain’t that too much flavor? Just stick with vanilla.
Just made these for my kids’ bake sale. They loved ’em! 🍒
Yum! But probably too much sugar for my taste… next time I’ll reduce it.
Too much sugar? I think it’s fine as is! Cherry pie filling is sweet enough already. But hey, everyone’s taste is different!
I totally get what you mean! It’s super sweet. I always cut down on sugar with desserts too. Glad it’s not just me!
I don’t get how these are supposed to be bars… they just fell apart.
Mine came out too dry… what did I do wrong? 😕
Maybe you baked them too long? They need to come out soft, not overcooked.
I had the same issue! Try adding a bit more butter next time. Helps a lot!
Can you substitute the flour? I only have whole wheat flour on hand.
Why use cherry filling? Fresh cherries are way better! 🌟
I dunno, but cherry pie filling is sweet and it saves time. Fresh cherries can be too sour sometimes!
Fresh cherries might taste better, but the pie filling is way easier and still delicious! 🙌
These are soooo good! I love the cherry flavor!
I tried these yesterday, and OMG, they were amazing! The cherry flavor is so rich! 🍒
These bars are incredible! So easy to make and absolutely delicious. My family devoured them!
I don’t get why we have to cool before cutting? Can’t wait that long. LOL. But they did taste good! 4 outta 5.
I followed the recipe but they turned out super dry. Maybe I overbaked them?
These are pretty good, but I think 1 cup of butter is a bit much. Next time I will try with less. 3 stars.
I made these for a bake sale and they sold out! Everyone loved them. Definitely a keeper. 😊
That’s awesome! I’m glad they were a hit! 🎉 Do you think I could use other fruits too?
I don’t get why you would use pie filling instead of fresh cherries. Seems cheating!
Yum!!
Sweet! 😍
I followed the recipe but felt like they were a bit too sweet. Maybe less sugar next time.
Too sweet for me. I think next time I’ll cut back on the sugar. Not impressed overall.
Just baked these and they came out so soft and chewy! My grandma would love them. Yum!
I’m glad they turned out well for you! These sound like a great treat for any occasion.
These bars were a hit at my family gathering! Everyone loved them!
I dunno if these will work. Why do we need so much sugar? Seems like a toothache waiting to happen. 2/5
Cherry pie? More like cherry flop! I followed the recipe to a T and it was a mess. 🤨 1 star.
So easy to make! I was skeptical about the pie filling, but it works great here. Yum! 😍
These are AMAZING! So easy to make and super tasty. The cherry filling makes it perfect. 5 stars!
OMG these are the best! I’m gonna make them every week now! Yummy!!
Wasn’t a fan. The dough didn’t bake right… maybe it was my oven?
I had the same issue with my dough on the first try! It might be your oven’s temperature settings. Make sure to use an oven thermometer to check it!
Easy to make! My kids loved them. Will make again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These cookie bars are too sweet for my taste. I like more balance.
I don’t bake much, but this seemed simple. It came out a bit gooey but tasted all right. Maybe I overcooked it?
Cherry pie filling is cheating! I prefer making my own filling from scratch. 🤷♂️
Making your own filling can taste way better! But sometimes we gotta save time, right? 🤷♀️
But canned is easier and still taste good! Not everyone got time to make from scratch. 😅
350°F for 35 minutes is pretty exact, but I’d watch the edges. Mine went golden early and I pulled them slightly sooner—came out great. Thanks for the clear directions!
I added some almond extract to the batter and it was a game changer!
Almond extract sounds interesting! I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for the tip!
I found this too complicated. I thought it was just cherry and dough. Probably won’t try it again.
idk how this is a cherry pie if it dont have a crust?!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them.
Yummy! I added some almond extract for flavor. So good!
I didn’t have any cherry filling, so I used blueberry instead. Still turned out good, but not as cherry-like as expected.
I followed it pretty closely, but my bars turned out a bit dry and the cherry layer was too thick (or maybe my pan was slightly smaller). Still tasted good though—just not as “bar” like as I expected.
Good. 10/10 would eat again.
Absolutely agree! These bars are so good, my kids devoured them in no time!
I tried making them but they came out all mushy? Did I bake too long or something?
Yummy! But where does the cherry filling even come from? Do you just buy it?
You can definitely buy the cherry filling from the store! It makes things so much easier, aren’t you glad?
I thought it was homemade! Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?
These bars are amazing! So easy to make and taste so delicious. My family loved them.
Super easy and the flavor is spot on. Only thing: my bars stuck a bit even with parchment, so next time I’ll grease the parchment too. Still making again though.
Glad you liked them! Greasing the parchment makes sense—sticky cherry filling can be a little sneaky. I’ve also had better luck letting them cool fully (even longer if I can) before cutting.
I followed the instructions but they turned out too sweet. Next time, I’ll cut down the sugar.
I doubled the recipe for a potluck and they disappeared fast! Mixed with ice cream, they’re amazing!
Very cool recipe! Takes me back to my childhood. My grandma used to make something similar. Yum!
Looks good but I don’t know if cherry pie filling is the same as real cherries. Do you really think it’ll taste great?
This takes me back too! My grandma used to bake cherry things all the time. Are these easy to make? I wanna try!
Not sure what I did wrong, but my bars turned out super dry and crumbly. Disappointed. 🙁
Cookies and cherries, yuck! I prefer chocolate chip cookies any day.
Instructions were a lil vague for me. Is that 1 tsp or tbsp of baking powder? Got confused also on the oven thing…but they turned out okay.
So easy to make. I added some almond extract too. It was a hit at the bake sale!
These are delicious! My family loved them! Perfect for summer picnics.
I don’t like cherries, but I made these for a potluck. Everyone said they were amazing!
Mine took a few extra minutes to get golden, but once they set, the texture was perfect. I used homemade cherry filling and it worked great. Definitely saving this recipe.
Mine didn’t set right—maybe I should’ve baked longer like you. I used store-bought filling and it was kinda runny. Still tasted good tho, so I’ll probably tweak it.
Good to know about the extra time! I always get nervous baking time, but “golden + edges set” sounds like what I needed. Glad homemade cherry filling worked too—might try it next batch.
Is it really 2/3 of the dough? I didn’t measure and just guessed but it came out fine.
I thought cookie bars were supposed to be chewy but these are like cakes! Not what I expected.
I tried this recipe, but it didn’t turn out as expected. Maybe I messed something up? The filling was too runny.
The dough-to-filling ratio felt weird to me—maybe I used a thinner pie filling because it soaked in more than expected. Tasted good, but look wasn’t as pretty.
These are absolutely delicious! My family gobbled them up in no time. Will definitely make again.
I followed the recipe but it came out too sweet. Maybe cut down the sugar a bit?
Maybe you just had too much cherry filling? I found that can be super sugary sometimes too. Just a thought! 🤔
I get that! I think the sugar might be too much for some people. I’ve cut it down in the past and it turned out really good! 🌟
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical about cookie bars with pie filling, but wow. Texture is chewy-crisp and the cherry isn’t too sweet. Great balance.
Totally get the skepticism—pie filling in cookie bars sounded weird to me too, but this is convincing. Chewy-crisp is exactly what I look for in bars. Might have to try it with cherry again!
Cherry pie filling from a can?! That’s kinda cheating, right? But I guess it saves time. Still, I’d prefer to make it from scratch.
Cherry + cookie bars? sounds nice but the baking powder amount feels off… like will it rise too much? I’m scared it’ll be cake-y.
I tried using fresh cherries instead of the canned filling and it worked great! Highly recommend.
Fresh cherries? Wow, that’s a game changer! Can’t wait to try this next time! 🍒
I followed the recipe but they came out too sweet. The cherry filling was overwhelming.
I followed the steps, but mine came out a little dry, like cookie crumble instead of bars. I might’ve overmixed or baked too long. Any tips for keeping them softer?
Not bad, but I think these bars are too sweet. Next time I might cut down on the sugar a bit.
I think they could use a bit more cherry filling. It was a little sparse in my batch.
Not good. My cookies fell apart and tasted weird. Maybe I did something wrong?
These were dangerously good. The cherry filling bakes up so nicely and the buttery base tastes like a real pie crust vibe. I baked mine closer to 40 min just for extra set—perfect.
Really easy to make, but I don’t know if I’d call them cookies. They taste more like cake.
Yummy! 🍒🍪
Cherry bars rock! 🍒
Only two things: more cherry and less baking powder? 😅 Not bad overall, but I wanted more of a jammy center.
I kinda messed up: I used self-rising flour instead of all-purpose (oops). It still tasted decent, but the rise was off and it got puffy. Wouldn’t trust it like that again.
Perfect for a summer picnic! I will be making these again for sure. 🌞
Wow, these are my new favorite dessert! I ended up adding some oats for a little crunch. So good!
These turned out amazing! My family loved them!
So glad to hear that! They’re a family favorite in our house too! 😊
I dunno, mine were kinda dry. Maybe I did sumthing wrong? 🤔
Made these for a family get-together and they were a total hit—sweet, buttery, and the cherry filling actually stays flavorful instead of disappearing. Next time I’ll sprinkle a little extra sugar on top for crunch.
I made something similar but mine turned out kinda soggy in the middle. Maybe I didn’t bake long enough—35 mins felt short. Do you think chilling the bars before cutting would help or would that mess up the crust?
Ahhh sounds perfect. I love when cherry filling doesn’t turn watery—did you use the full 21 oz can right out of the can? Also that extra sugar crunch idea is spot on.
Not sure about dropping dough over the filling—seems messy. I tried pressing it and it kinda mixed in. Also 35 minutes was not enough for my oven. I might tweak it, but I wouldn’t call it foolproof.