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cherry oat bars

Homemade Cherry Oat Bars

Delicious Homemade Cherry Oat Bars recipe with step-by-step instructions.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 14 bars
Calories: 3300
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the filling
  • 5 cups cherries (I prefer Northwest Cherries, pitted and halved)
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 7 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the base and topping
  • 1 1/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (gives the topping a much better texture)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 7/8 cup butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method
 

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the pitted and halved cherries, water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens and the cherries soften slightly. The filling should coat the back of a spoon when ready. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature—this prevents the filling from melting your oat crust when assembled. I always squeeze fresh lemon juice rather than using bottled for brighter acidity that really makes the cherries sing.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, quick oats, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. This texture is essential—those butter bits create pockets that give you a better, more tender crumb. I like to chill the butter and cube it small because it helps achieve that perfect sandy texture without overworking the mixture.
  3. Press about two-thirds of the oat mixture from Step 2 firmly and evenly into the prepared pan to create a solid base layer. Spread the cooled cherry filling from Step 1 in an even layer over the crust, leaving a small border around the edges. Crumble the remaining one-third of the oat mixture over the cherries, pressing gently so it adheres slightly but remains somewhat loose for texture. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles slightly at the edges.
  4. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting. This cooling time allows the filling to set properly and makes cutting cleaner bars much easier. Once fully cooled, cut into squares and serve.