Sitting in my blog post drafts, is an amazing 100 % homemade recipe for Apple Pie Bars. I’ve been meaning to post it here for, oh, over a year and still will, but decided to go with this short cut recipe instead.
Where does the time fly?? 😉
Anyhow, when I got a last minute text wondering if I could bring dessert to our large family gathering which was about to take place in a few hours, I knew that something short, sweet and large enough to feed our gang were all requirements needed to be taken into consideration.
Don’t forget that ingredients all needed to be on hand too (and thus, 1/2 apple, 1/2 Cherry – yes, I love when great accidents happen like that.)
I just don’t like making pie crust, so when you give me an option like this, I’m all for it. (It’s also why I always do a Streusel topping on my Apple Pies when I do make them. It’s also what I use for my “other” Apple Pie Bar option that’s never been posted. :))
What I love about this recipe is that there is really a lot of variety. You can basically add any pie filling or extract to give the flavor base that you want and if you are in a crazy time pinch, you could probably even use store bought sugar cookie dough instead of whipping up the homemade crust. (But this crust is SOOO good and does come together very quickly.)
Yes, the best of both worlds, Apple or Cherry.
Since Cherry Pie filling is sweet enough, I didn’t add any extra sweetener. If you happen to use an all natural, no sugar added one, you’ll want to sprinkle sugar on top like I did with the apples. The Apple Pie filling I had wasn’t very sweet, so not only did I add in thin slices of fresh apples (see them peeking through?), I also sprinkled that side with sugar. It gave it more of that apple pie feel.
And you thought I was the only animated one in my family. My nieces and my mom show what a few moments of conversation is like when we’re together. Love them. 🙂
Enjoy, my friends!!!
This just may become one of your new favorites.
Scroll below to pin my sweet puppy being so patient. 🙂
Browse more Simple Holiday Recipes.
Cherry Pie Bars
Ingredients
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp almond extract
3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
2 cans (21 ounce) cherry pie filling
Glaze
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 Tbsp milk (if you want it more drizzle-y, add additional milk after mixing)
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar together.
Add eggs, beating after each addition. Mix in the extracts, then add flour and salt, mixing until it’s combined well.
Spread 3 cups of the batter in a greased jelly roll pan. Dough is quite sticky, so spreading with fingers works best. Spread pie filling on top of dough. Drop remaining dough by tablespoonfuls on top of cherry (or apple) pie topping and slightly spread/mix in dough a bit.
Baked at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Keep your eye on this. Cool.
Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over bars.
This makes a huge batch, so if serving the following day, do not add glaze until right before serving because the bars become soggy.
