Cherry Pie Crumb Bars

This post was sponsored by Northwest Cherry Growers and contains affiliate links.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw the day when my Northwest Cherries arrived. 20 pounds of these delicious things showed up on my doorstep and I asked my followers one question – what on Earth should I make with all of these cherries?

I was given a lot of great ideas like cherry danishes, put them on a salad, and create a cherry compote for an ice cream topping. But the idea that was most offered was a cherry pie. Honestly, I’m not one for cherry pie. I tend to like desserts that are easy to grab and go or that I can nibble on throughout the day and not have to fully commit to eating at one sitting.

These cherry pie crumb bars are the perfect marriage of both ideas! They have all the same flavor and cherry goodness of a cherry pie (but without that thick syrup), and are easy to eat on the go or if you want just a little something.

What I like most about these bars is that they’re not overly sweet (like sometimes cherry pie is). They make a great Summer snack or dessert and I bet you can’t eat just one!

Buttery crumb topping is layered with fresh cherries to create a not overly sweet that is perfect for any Summer dessert!

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (cooled to room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh cherries (pitted, each sliced in half)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a square 8" baking pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides and bottom of lined pan. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cherries, cornstarch and lemon juice.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir with a fork until the mixture resembles crumbs.
Reserve 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture and press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of prepared pan.
Place the cherries on top of the crust.
Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over cherries. Sprinkle sugar over crumb topping.
Bake bars for 23 to 25 minutes OR until the top is golden. Cool completely before cutting.