Cherry Streusel Bars with Frozen Cherries
These cherry streusel bars bake up with a buttery shortbread crust, a soft cherry layer made with frozen cherries and cherry preserves, and a crunchy streusel topping. With just 30 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven, they travel beautifully and are perfect for holidays, bake sales, or sharing. The combination of frozen cherries plus preserves beats any canned pie filling.
Servings 24
Calories 209kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ⅔ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons butter chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces
FILLING
- 2 cups frozen cherries slightly thawed (16 oz)
- ¾ cups 10 ounce cherry preserves
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
STREUSEL
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup slivered almonds chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º, line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
- CRUST: In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt and process to combine. Add butter and pulse until butter is in small pieces, about 15 pulses. Transfer ¼ cup to a medium bowl to use for streusel. Place the rest in the bottom of the prepared pan and press into an even layer using the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.
- FILLING: Add all ingredients to the food processor and pulse until combined but still a little chunky. Set aside.
- STREUSEL: Add oats, almonds and brown sugar to the reserved flour mixture. Add butter and use fingers to combine and forms into small clumps. Set aside.
- Add cherry mixture to baked crust, it can still be hot. Then sprinkle streusel over the top, don’t press it in. Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is golden brown, 24-28 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack. When cool, remove from pan and cut into 24 bars.
