Cherry Almond Bars
Cherry Almond Bars are gooey, gooey, fruit bars that are festive and beautiful for any occasion. While these make a great treat for the holidays, certainly you can make them anytime of the year. These blondies have a shortbread crust topped with cherry preserves and lots of sliced almonds. This is a splendid dessert for company. If you’re a cherry lover these bar-type cookies are an absolute delight.
Follow Me On Instagram!
A few months ago I made up a salad that used cherry preserves in the salad dressing. I had those cherry preserves in the refrigerator so I was wondering what I could do to use them up. When I remade a batch of Apricot Almond Bars a few weeks ago, I realized that the same basic recipe would work well for cherries too. So I gave it a whirl. Yes, it was wonderful. Cherries and almonds always work well together.
Cherry Almond Bars are very gooey so I recommend freezing or refrigerating the bars before cutting. If you’re looking for a dream dessert for company, then this recipe needs to be on your list. Every bite will have you drooling. 🙂
I originally published this recipe in August 2016. This particular bar-type cookie is not the easiest to photograph and I wasn’t overly pleased with my pictures. I decided to remake the recipe (July 2023) for a photo feature that was being done for our neighborhood Lifestyle Magazine. I also added Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies since both cookies were going to be featured in a Christmas edition. After all the pictures were taken (by a photographer for the magazine), I dished up these jewels for neighbors and friends.
These Cherry Almond Bars are still some of my favorite cookies and really a wonderful dessert for tailgating parties, Christmas Cookie Exchanges, potlucks or any family gathering. If you enjoy cherries, swoon over every mouthful. Yum.
Cherry Almond Bars are festive treats that are especially terrific for the holidays.
If you enjoy cherries, you’ll love these fruit-filled bars.
Cherry Almond Bars are a great dessert for any occasion.
These little jewels will rock your world!
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the shortbread crust.
Melt butter. I usually microwave it so that it’s half-way between softened and melted. That makes it easier to work into the crust dough. Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods. Add powdered sugar.
Stir ingredients with a fork to combine.
Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Press crust ingredients firmly into prepared dish. Place in a 350 oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven.
I used these ingredients for the filling.
Meanwhile, as crust is baking prepare filling. Melt butter in a small to medium mixing bowl.
Add granulated sugar, egg, cherry preserves, and vanilla.
Whisk ingredients to combine.
Pour cherry filling into pre-baked crust.
Top with almonds.
Bake at 350 an additional 15-20 minutes until set. Cool completely. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight before cutting into bars.
Almonds make these bars nice and crunchy.
If you take a tray of Cherry Almond Bars to your office, they will be gobbled down immediately.
If you enjoy cherries, you’ll love these treats.
Well, you may not be able to finish off a stack this large, but these Cherry Almond Bars are sure delicious. 🙂
Here’s the recipe.
CHERRY ALMOND BARS
(Recipe inspired from my Apricot Almond Bars)
Cherry Almond Bars
Equipment
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 wooden spoon or fork
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened or melted
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8-10 oz. jar cherry preserves
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter softened or melted
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 to 1 cup almonds sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir flour, granulated sugar and butter.
- Spread into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 9x13” glass baking dish that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
- For topping, beat egg, granulated sugar, preserves, melted butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl with a whisk until smooth.
- Spread evenly over hot crust.
- Sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
- Cool.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- [b]CRUST:[/b][br]
- 1 ½ cups Gold Medal UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened or melted[br]
- [b]TOPPING:[/b][br]
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup sugar
- 8-10-oz. [url href=”http://www.smuckers.com/products/fruit-spreads/preserves/cherry-preserves” target=”_blank”]Smucker’s[/url] cherry preserves
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened or melted
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- ¾ to 1 cup sliced [url href=”https://fishernuts.com/” target=”_blank”]Fisher[/url] almonds
- In a mixing bowl, stir flour, sugar and butter.
- Spread into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 9×13” glass baking dish that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
- For topping, beat egg, sugar, preserves, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- Spread evenly over hot crust.
- Sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
- Cool.
Every bite of Cherry Almond Bars will have you drooling.
We love these scrumptious bars and think you will too.
Prepare to swoon over every bite of these luscious cherry cookies.
Indulge yourself with these festive and beautiful bar-type cookies for your next tailgating party or potluck!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Cherry Almond Bars
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 wooden spoon or fork
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened or melted
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8-10 oz. jar cherry preserves
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter softened or melted
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 to 1 cup almonds sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir flour, granulated sugar and butter.
- Spread into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 9×13” glass baking dish that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.
- For topping, beat egg, granulated sugar, preserves, melted butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl with a whisk until smooth.
- Spread evenly over hot crust.
- Sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
- Cool.
3 Comments
The 21 Best Ideas for Christmas Cherry Cookies – Best Diet and Healthy Recipes Ever | Recipes Collection
November 5, 2019 at 2:31 pm
[…] (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Best Christmas Cherry Cookies from Cherry Almond Bars Can t Stay Out of the Kitchen. Source Image: cantstayoutofthekitchen.com. Visit this site for details: cantstayoutofthekitchen.com […]
Rhonda
December 24, 2016 at 3:19 pm
You never specified amount of preserves so I used the 18 oz jar. Bars came out a liquid mess.
Teresa
December 24, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Rhonda, I am so sorry. When I converted over to a new blog program not all the recipes converted correctly. The amount should have been 8-10 ounces. I’ve corrected the recipe. Again, sorry yours didn’t turn out right.