Easy Tasty Cherry Crumble Bars (Printable version)

Buttery, crumbly bars layered with juicy cherries and golden oat topping—perfect for a quick dessert or afternoon treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust and Crumble

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
03 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
04 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
05 - 1 tsp baking powder
06 - ½ tsp salt
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Cherry Filling

09 - 3 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries, halved
10 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tbsp cornstarch
12 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
13 - ½ tsp almond extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until evenly blended.
03 - Pour melted butter and vanilla extract over dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until mixture becomes crumbly and fully moistened throughout.
04 - Measure out and reserve 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a solid crust base.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract. Toss gently until cherries are evenly coated.
06 - Spread cherry mixture evenly over the pressed crust. Sprinkle reserved crumble topping uniformly across the cherry layer.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and the cherry filling bubbles actively around the edges.
08 - Let bars cool completely in the pan. Using the parchment overhang, lift the entire slab out and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into 12 bars and serve.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The crust and topping come from one ridiculously simple mixture, saving you a step and a bowl
  • Frozen cherries work beautifully here, meaning you can make these year-round without hunting down perfect fresh fruit
02 -
  • Warm bars fall apart, so patience during cooling is not optional, it is essential for clean cuts
  • The filling needs to bubble visibly to ensure the cornstarch has fully activated and thickened
03 -
  • Room temperature butter melts more evenly, but melted butter works perfectly fine here if you forgot to set it out
  • If using frozen cherries, do not thaw them first or you will end up with too much liquid in the filling

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