Easy Cherry Pie Bars

These sweet-tart cherry pie bars are the perfect easy dessert for your next holiday gathering! The buttery shortbread crust pairs so well with the homemade cherry pie filling and this dessert will come together so quickly! 

For this easy recipe, we will be making a homemade cherry filling with Pinot Noir. My favorite is made by Rebellious and it shines through in every bite of this dessert. It is a soft and silky wine that has undernotes of dark cherry and allspice. For this filling, I used both tart cherries and dark cherries to compliment the flavor as well as allspice to help highlight this full-bodied California Pinot Noir. 

Unlike your typical red blend, there is an added splash of California Chardonnay in this blend that creates even more flavor and brightens the acidity. Rebellious is known for embracing the unexpected and that’s why they add this splash of white wine to their blends which truly allows the fruit flavors to become more aromatic. This recipe is basically cherry pie in bar form and it takes less time than making a real pie, and doesn’t include the hassle of making a homemade pie crust!

Ingredients for Cherry Pie Bars

• Pinot Noir: Using a high quality red wine is key for the flavor of this dessert! I used Rebellious‘ Pinot Noir this recipe. Its cherry and allspice notes complimented this dessert and gave the cherry filling a smoother flavor
• Vanilla and almond extract: For extra flavor and that classic shortbread taste!
• Large eggs: For the structure of the crust
• Cherries: The filling wouldn’t be complete without these! I use frozen tart and dark cherries but feel free to swap for fresh!
• Lemon: To balance the tartness from the cherry and add some brightness to the filling 
• Allspice: To compliment the spice notes of the Pinot Noir
• Flour: I used all purpose flour for the base of our shortbread crust
• Sugar: To add additional sweetness to the tart cherries
• Unsalted butter: This binds with the flour and sugar to create a melt-in-your-mouth crust 

How to make Cherry Pie Bars

1. Leave ingredients out to get to room temperature:
   • I left my eggs and butter out for an hour or two before making the bars to ensure they were at room temperature. This is important for a cohesive shortbread crust! 
2. Prepare the delicious cherry filling:
   • In a pan on medium heat, add your cherries, sugar, and lemon juice and stir until combined. Let it cook for a few minutes before adding in your Pinot Noir and allspice. Lower the heat and stir until the filling becomes thicker and most of the liquid is evaporated. Let sit off the heat while making the shortbread crust. 
3. Make the shortbread crust:
   • In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Then, add your extracts and mix until combined. Add one egg at a time, mixing until  smooth. Lastly, add in your flour and mix until a dough forms. 
4. Bake:
   • Use parchment paper to line a baking dish, and add in 3/4 of the crust and spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan. Add all of the cherry filling on top and then with the remaining dough, sprinkle it on top in patches. Bake for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F or until golden brown. 
5. Let cool, cut, and enjoy:
   • Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares with a sharp knife and enjoy!

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Use fresh cherries instead of frozen! Swapping store-bought pie filling will not work for this recipe! 
• Make a sweet almond glaze using powdered sugar, almond extract, and a dash of milk!
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
• This Pinot Noir also has notes of raspberry, so feel free to swap the cherries for them instead!

HOW TO STORE

You can make these cherry bars a couple days in advance then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days after! I doubt you will have any leftovers after the first day though, it’s that good! Please leave a five star rating below if you loved this recipe, and as always, poftă bună!