Cherry Crumble Bars Recipe
If you are looking for a sweet and easy treat, you will adore this Cherry Crumble Bars Recipe. It is simple, delicious, and bursting with fruity goodness. Anyone can learn how to make Cherry Crumble Bars Recipe at home without any hassle.
Equipment
- 8x8-inch square metal or glass baking pan
- Parchment paper for lining the pan
- Large glass mixing bowl
- Medium saucepan for cooking cherries
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Pastry cutter or fork for mixing butter
- Sharp knife for cutting finished bars
Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen sweet cherries – 3 cups, pitted and chopped
- Granulated sugar – 2 tablespoons
- Cornstarch – 1 tablespoon
- Fresh lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
- Rolled old-fashioned oats – 1 cup
- All-purpose flour – 1 cup
- Light brown sugar – 1/2 cup, packed
- Ground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon
- Fine baking powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Sea salt – 1/4 teaspoon
- Unsalted butter – 1/2 cup, cold and cut into small cubes
- Pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Prepare Cherry Filling
- Combine chopped cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for five minutes until cherries soften and liquid thickens into a glossy glaze. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly while preparing dry crust ingredients.
Mix Oat Crust and Crumble
- Whisk rolled oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add cold butter cubes into flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or fork to work butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. The mixture should feel like moist sand with small butter bits throughout.
Press Bottom Crust Layer
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave extra paper over hanging edges for easy removal later. Press two-thirds of oat crumble firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Use bottom of a flat measuring cup to press dough into an even solid layer for sturdy base.
Layer Cherry Filling and Topping
- Spread thickened cherry filling evenly over pressed bottom oat crust layer. Leave a tiny border around pan edges so fruit does not stick. Sprinkle remaining one-third oat crumble evenly over top of cherry layer. Do not press top crumble layer down into fruit. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper leaving long handles on sides. This makes lifting cool baked bars out of pan smooth and simple.
- Use canned cherry pie filling if you run low on time during busy weekdays.
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans into top crumble mixture for extra crunch.
- Swap cherries for fresh blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches to try new fruity flavors.
- Make sure butter is cold when mixing crust so your crumble topping bakes up light and crisp.
- Allow bars to cool completely before slicing so fruit filling sets firmly without crumbling apart.
- Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
- Keep container inside refrigerator for up to five days to maintain maximum freshness and chewy texture.
- Reheat individual bars in microwave for ten seconds to restore warm freshly baked aroma and soft feel.