Fresh cherries, oats, and pecans make this bar an essential summer treat. These fresh cherry pecan bars can be a served with a picnic at the lake or with a scoop of ice cream at a BBQ. The juices from the fresh cherries blend into every bite and pair nicely with the hearty pecan oat crust. These bars are easy to make and easier to eat. I dare you to eat just one!
Three Simple Layers
This recipe is so simple to make! First, start by making the cherry filling. The hardest part is pitting all the cherries, but a cherry pitter makes quick work of it. After pitting, I like to cut the cherries in half to make sure I didn’t miss any pits, and the halved cherries also fill up the pan better. I use tapioca pearls as the thickener for the cherry juices—they do a great job without adding any flavor, and all you need to do is mix them in.
Next, mix up the oat-pecan mixture and press about half into the pan. Spread the cherry mixture evenly over the crust. Then, loosely crumble the remaining oat-pecan mixture over the top. Now it’s ready to bake. These bars taste best once they are fully cooled, allowing the warm cherry juices to absorb into the crust.
Fresh Cherry Pecan Bars
Equipment
- Cherry Pitter
- Square baking dish
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 1 lb cherrys, pitted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon minute tapioca
Crust/Crumb Topping
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 12 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Chop cherries in half, ensuring there are no stray pits.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, almond extract, lemon juice, and tapioca. Let sit while you make the crust.
Crust/Crumb Topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to extend past the sides for easy lifting.
- Mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking powder.
- Add melted butter and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
- Stir in chopped pecans.
- Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside the remaining half.
- Pour cherry mixture over the crust.
- Sprinkle the remaining oat-pecan mixture on top of the cherries. Do not press down; this is a loose crumb topping.
Bake
- Bake for 37-40 minutes or until the cherry juices are slightly bubbly and the oat mixture is turning a golden brown.
- Cool completely before serving to allow the cherry juices to settle into the crust.
- Once cool, cut into 12 squares and enjoy on their own or with ice cream. The bars will keep for several days in the fridge and are, in my opinion, even better the next day.
Notes
- You can use frozen cherries; do not thaw before using. Fresh cherries are the star of these bars.
- Swap the pecans for walnuts or slivered almonds if preferred.
