Cherry Crumble Bars (Printable)

Buttery crumbly bars with sweet-tart cherry filling, perfect for dessert or snacking.

# What You Need:

→ 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:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
03 - Add cold butter and egg to flour mixture. Blend with pastry cutter or fingers until texture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Press two-thirds of crumble mixture firmly into bottom of prepared pan to create even crust.
05 - Toss cherries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla in separate bowl until evenly coated.
06 - Spread cherry filling evenly over crust. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over cherry layer.
07 - Bake for 38-42 minutes until top is golden brown and filling bubbles around edges.
08 - Cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttery crumble layer stays perfectly tender, never dry or sandy like some coffee shop versions
  • Fresh cherries bubble up through the topping creating those gorgeous jammy pockets in every bite
  • They travel beautifully and actually taste better on day two when the flavors have had time to become friends
02 -
  • Warm bars will crumble and fall apart, so let them cool completely or even refrigerate briefly before cutting for clean edges
  • The filling continues to thicken as it cools, so don't worry if it looks a bit loose when you first pull it from the oven
  • If using frozen cherries, you might need an extra 2 to 3 minutes of baking time
03 -
  • Work quickly when incorporating the butter to keep it cold, which creates the flakiest crumble texture
  • Use kitchen shears to halve the cherries instead of a knife, much faster and less messy

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