Cherry Almond Crumb Bars
Buttery almond crumb bars with jammy cherries and a crisp golden top.
Prep: 20 · Cook: 35 · Total: 55 · Serves: 12 · Difficulty: Medium · Rating: 4.8/5 (268 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
These are inspired by classic crumb bars, with almond extract and crushed almonds for a bakery-style twist.
Story
I love a dessert that slices clean and travels well, because it means I can actually share it without stress. These bars remind me of the bake sales I grew up with, buttery crust, fruit in the middle, and a sweet crumb on top. The almond flavor makes them feel a little special, even though the method is simple. I pack them for picnics, potlucks, and neighbor drop-offs.
By Casey
Ingredients
- Filling: 4 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- Filling: 1/3 cup sugar
- Filling: 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Filling: 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Crust: 3/4 cup sugar
- Crust: 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Crust: 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Crust: 1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed
- Crust: 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Crust: 1 large egg
- Crust: 1/2 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F, line a 9x13 pan with parchment, leave overhang for lifting.
- Simmer cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice 3 to 5 minutes until thick, then cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and almonds, then cut in cold butter until crumbly.
- Beat egg with almond extract, stir into crumbs until clumps form, press two-thirds into the pan.
- Spread cherry filling over the base, then crumble remaining dough over the top.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden, cool completely, then slice into bars.
Chef Tips
- Cool fully before slicing, warm bars will crumble.
- Frozen cherries are great, simmer an extra minute to drive off water.
- If you love extra almond flavor, toast the almonds before mixing them in.
- For clean edges, chill the pan 20 minutes before cutting.
Cook's Notes
- If your cherries are very tart, increase sugar by 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Parchment overhang makes lifting and slicing much easier.
- For a thicker filling, simmer until the spoon leaves a quick trail across the bottom of the pan.