Name: Christmas Cherry Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened); 2 cups sugar; 4 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; 1 can cherry pie filling (21 ounces); 1 cup powdered sugar (for optional glaze); 2 tbsp milk (for optional glaze); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for optional glaze)

Christmas Cherry Bars – Buttery batter bars with cherry filling and topped with a glaze, Christmas Cherry Bars make a lovely holiday dessert! Ideal for holiday get-togethers, tho, these bars are the best of both worlds, a bar cookie texture and a cherry pie flavor that are a seasonal hit with the entire family!

Why You’re Going to Love These Christmas Cherry Bars:

Festive Look: The brilliant red cherry filling and optional glaze make these bars an excellent contribution to holiday festivities.

Simply Made: With basic ingredients and easy steps, these bars come together with very little fuss.

Very Good Layers: The buttery crust, juicy cherry filling and sweet glaze all combine for a rich flavor burst that’s difficult to resist.

Fun to Share: This 9×13 inch batch makes lots of bars, so great for a crowd.

Make-Ahead Friendly: These bars can be baked ahead of time, and the glaze added just before serving, which will save time during the holidays.

Key Ingredients:

Butter

The butter should be softened at room temperature before creaming. So a light, fluffy batter is achievable.

Make sure to use unsalted butter so you can control the salt level. If using salted butter, then reduce the added salt to around ½ teaspoon.

Sugar

This recipe uses classic granulated sugar, which adds just enough sweetness while also aiding in structure of the batter. You want to stay away from using powdered sugar in the batter — it’s a great add-in for frostings, but in this case, it can mess with the texture and make things either too soft or dense.

Optional Topping: If you want to add a little festivity to the top, especially for the holidays, dust some coarse sugar on top of the glaze. That not only gives the finished product a glittering beauty, but also a gratifying crunch in each bite.

Eggs

Temperature: For ease of mixing, eggs should be brought to room temperature before adding to the batter; cold eggs make for lumpy, incohesive dough.

Adding Eggs One By One: Adding eggs one at a time keeps the batter loose and helps it maintain a lighter texture without becoming heavy.

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All-Purpose Flour

Measured Correctly: Using the spoon-and-level method for measuring flour will prevent you from adding too much flour, which will make the bars dense.

Alternative Flours: For a fluffy texture, you can replace ½ cup of all-purpose flour with cake flour.

Cherry Pie Filling

Use Good Filling: The cherry pie filling is the star here, so go for a good brand with whole cherries and less additional sugar.

Homemade Alternative: If you feel ambitious, you can use fresh or frozen cherries to make your own cherry pie filling for a more natural flavor.

Optional Glaze

Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar melts right in to form a smooth glaze. (If you have any lumps, be sure to sift it.)

Milk: You may want to add more, but just enough to get the right texture, like pourable but not too thin.

Vanilla Extract: A small amount of vanilla rounds out the flavor of the glaze, and pairs nicely with the cherry filling.

For the full ingredients list with quantities and instructions see the recipe card below

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare

Heat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get the bars ready to bake.

Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan to avoid sticking and a problem with removing after baking.

Step 2: Make the Batter

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, whisking well after adding each one. Then, add vanilla extract for flavor.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients

Mix and Add Flour and Salt: In a different bowl, mix the flour and the salt.

Mix on Low: With the mixer still running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Don’t overmix to keep the bars light.

Step 4: Assemble the Layers

First layer: Using an offset spatula, spread three cups of the batter evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spread Cherry Filling: Spoon and spread cherry pie filling over the top of the batter layer.

Drop More of the Batter Using a Spoon: Use a spoon to add more of the batter on top of or over the cherry filling, so it forms a textured top layer.

Step 5: Baking

Bake: Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden on the top. A toothpick stuck in the middle of it should come out clean.

Step 6: Cooling

Cool the Bars: Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before glazing.

Step 7: The Glaze

Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. It should have the consistency of pourable glaze, just not watery.

Drizzle: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars, in a decorative pattern if you’d like.

Step 8: Finish and Serve

Set the Glaze: Wait for the glaze to set before cutting so it doesn’t drip everywhere.

Cut Up the Fun: Cut the dessert into bars and have at it!

Serving Suggestions:

These are a perfect Christmas Cherry Bar in that they are sweet and buttery and full of holiday flavor all on their own. But if you are looking to provide a bit of extra holiday magic, there are a few cozy serving ideas that can elevate them.

What’s one of our favorite ways to eat them? Slightly heat a bar and top it with a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream melts just enough over the warm, soft bar to form a dreamy contrast — emphasizing the tart cherry filling and the rich, buttery crust. It’s a humble upgrade that seems luxurious, great for a cold night by the fire. It’s a tried-and-true pairing that works every time.

Add a Little Holiday Sparkle: You can always do a light dusting of powdered sugar, like they’re getting a little snowfall on top, or you can go all in with colorful holiday sprinkles to make them look as celebratory as they taste.

Festive Drink Pairings: These bars are perfect for cozying up, and best served with a mug of warm spiced cider, rich hot chocolate or your favorite holiday coffee blend. It’s the sort of treat that makes a cozy afternoon or evening fireside feel a little extra special.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips:

These bars are great to make ahead, which is especially useful at this time of year, when the holidays can be so hectic.

Storage: Store the bars, covered in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

Freezing: This bars freeze great! Put them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before serving.

Make-Ahead: Make the bars a day ahead and glaze them just before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Variations to Try:

These Christmas Cherry Bars have a holiday twist with these twist:

Mixed Berry Bars: Substitute the cherry pie filling with blueberry, raspberry or mixed berry pie filling.

Coconut Cherry Bars: Add ½ cup of shredded coconut to the batter for a tropical touch.

Chocolate Cherry Bars Yield: 24 barsTip: For a variation, after the bars cool, melt more chocolate and drizzle over the top instead of the vanilla glaze, or stir 1 cup chocolate chips into the batter.

Nutty Cherry Bars: Mix in chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts for a little crunch, and flavor.

Conclusion:

So festive and flavorful this Christmas Cherry Bars. Simple to make and full of seasonal appeal, they should become a family favorite. Wishing you a joyous holiday season baking, sharing and devouring these buttery cherry-filled delights with your family and friends!