Description
🍒 These Christmas Cherry Bars are a festive, buttery dessert bursting with sweet cherry flavor and holiday cheer! Perfect for cookie trays, parties, or gifting — soft, rich, and drizzled with a simple glaze for that classic Christmas touch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk (for glaze)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Gradually add flour and salt; mix until combined.
- Spread 3 cups of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over the batter, avoiding the edges.
- Drop remaining batter by small spoonfuls over the cherries.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Cool completely in the pan.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract to make the glaze. Drizzle over cooled bars, then cut into squares or bars.
Notes
🎄 Tip: For extra holiday flavor, add a handful of white chocolate chips or crushed pistachios before baking. These bars also freeze beautifully — perfect for make-ahead Christmas treats!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Christmas Recipes, Holiday Baking
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: christmas cherry bars, cherry dessert, holiday cookie bars, festive baking, almond glaze, christmas dessert bars