I was standing in line at the corner store just trying to be still. I’m pretty sure I was a ticking time bomb and the slightest nudge would have been catastrophic.
I had just walked half a mile with my groceries from a place that sells groceries to a corner store for a small bottle of tequila (for a recipe, so what!?) and to say that I was hot would be an understatement. I was steaming. The back of my hands were sweating. I mean… the back of my hands!
The man in front of me was diligently swiping his payment card and pressing the appropriate buttons when a woman entered the store just audibly exasperated. She was hot, too. I’m not sure of the exact status of the back of her hands, but I’m guessing… sweaty. The man in front of me looked up from his task and said to me, “Remember May in August”.
More steam rose from my head.
I’m not sure what kind of pleading panic look my eyebrows betrayed but he also said, “It’s hot, but it’ll be ok”, and then walked out with his groceries.
So… I guess summer is coming. I should hydrate. I should also buy more tequila.
I want to honor summer by adding cherries to my kitchen, but it feels like it’s just a little too soon considering that a) cherries are still about a million dollars per pound, and b) I’m afraid that pitting super expensive cherries is just not worth the hand sweats. Also.. ew!
Here’s our ode to summer featuring frozen cherries. They come pre-pitted and the excess cherries can be used as an ice pack to beat the heat.
I’m afraid this isn’t going to be the last time we talk about the weather. It’s so real.
Let’s get at this quick!
Our butter is melting. I’m not even kidding.
We’re working all sorts of easy magic with these pie bars.
– We’re adding lemon to both the crust and the filling. Too easy.
– We’re making the crust work as both crust and topping.
and – Frozen Cherries… but we already talking about that sneak-attack.
If you’d rather use fresh cherries that’s great too!
Frozen cherries need a bit of tending to in terms of thawing, draining, and slicing.
Fresh cherries need love in terms of pitting and slicing.
This is a choose your own adventure situation.
Softened butter is worked into a flour and powdered sugar mixture.
Once the dough is crumbly (like a really soft pie dough before the buttermilk is added) we separate about 1/2 cup of the shaggy crust into a small bowl.
And we add some oats!
We have a crumbly, buttery oat topping. Just like that!
Oat topping is set aside and the rest of the crust is mixed more, creating a shaggy but well incorporated dough. No big patches of butter. It’s all mixed together.
The baking pan is lined and greased. This makes it muuuuch easier to remove the bars once they’re baked.
The dough is distributed across the pan. It’s chunky. That’s right.
We flour our fingers just a bit, and press the dough across the bottom of the pan.
The crust goes away to bake and the simple, creamy filling is whisked together.
We’re combining lemon, sugar, and eggs. Flour, too. Yogurt for extra creaminess.
Cherries are thawed and sliced.
Sure… it’s a little messy.
Our crust is baked and golden brown. The filling is ready. The topping is ready to show off.
The cherries are placed over the baked crust.
I like to do this by hand to get the cherries without the thawed cherry juice. You know?
On goes the creamy lemon filling!
On goes the oat topping!
Baked up just right!
The bars are generously studded with fruit, with just a bit of gooeyness from the lemon filling.
The oat topping adds a bit of bite, and these crisp golden edges are absolutely the best!
Let’s think of these bars as lemon bars with loads of sweet cherries! Just like lemon bars, I like these best served cold from the fridge.
Helps with the heat. For real, though…
Cherry Pie Bars
makes 1 9×9-inch pan
For the Crust:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
For the Filling:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups frozen cherries, thawed, drained, and cut in half
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan, line with parchment paper (so that it over hangs slightly from the pan) and grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
To make the crust, in a medium bowl combine butter, powdered sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest. Use your fingers (which could get messy) or a wooden spoon to work the mixture into a shaggy dough. Big bits of butter will remain and the flour won’t be entirely incorporated That’s perfect. Separate 1/2 cup of the shaggy dough and place it in a small bowl and add the oats. Work the oats into the mixture to create a crumble. Set aside.
With the remaining dough, continue to stir with the spoon until it forms a homogenous ball of soft dough. Place the dough in large chunks in the prepared pan. Add a bit of flour to your fingers and press the dough across the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Bake the dough for 12 to 15 minutes until browned around the edges. While the crust bakes, assemble the filling.
To make the filling, in a medium bowl (I used the same bowl I made the crust in) whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt. Whisk until smooth and well incorporated.
Carefully place drained cherry halves across the baked crust. I did this one by one to ensure that I was getting just cherry and not a bunch of juice. This won’t be a problem if you’re using fresh cherries but frozen cherries must be thawed and well-drained. Place cherries across the surface of the baked crust and slowly pour the lemon filling over the cherries. Sprinkle the oat topping over the filling.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set through. Give the pan a light shake and if the mixture is still very wavy in the center allow it to make for a few minutes long. A little jiggle is ok.
Cool to room temperature and chill for an hour before slicing. I prefer these bars served chilled, but room temperature is also nice. Store the bars, well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Susan Jensen
These are the best! Made 3 times using raspberries 1, blueberries 2 and mixed berries 3. Have yet to make with cherries. Excellent recipe, unique and delicious! Thank you Joy!!
Maria
I made these for a pie/cobbler bake off with friends and won 2nd place. Everyone raved about them – thank you! Will definitely continue to make in the future!
Lila
I made these this weekend but my husband doesn’t like lemon so I replaced it with amaretto. Then I reserved the liquid from the frozen cherries (that I picked, pitted and froze from our cherry tree) and made a amaretto/cherry juice/powdered sugar glaze to drizzle on top of the bars. They were yummy!
Carol
could you double this in a 9 X 13 pan and maybe cook a few minutes longer?
joythebaker
I haven’t doubled this recipe, but I believe you can and you’d increase the baking time by another 15 minutes. But keep an eye on things in the oven. Happy baking!
Quinn
Joy….OH MY these were so amazing. I took them to a meeting and everyone gave me so many compliments. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Daria
please tell me how many grams in 1 cup of your?
Kathy
Having a bake sale for our feral Cat Program in Western Iowa! I have sour cherries in the freezer that were given to me by a neighbor. Im hoping they will work with this recipe…looks like there is enough sweetness to make them yummy… I love the bite of the sour cherries!
Jin
Just wanted to say thank you for the only original and interesting twist on cherry baked goods :) Waiting impatiently for this right now.
Emily
I got a bag of beautiful cherries in last week’s CSA bin, so I put on my cherry pitting apron and made these bars! Delicious, even if I screwed up the crust the first time around (I incorporated the oats into all of the dough, really working them in, before I realized my error….).
Christina C
These are delicious! I know what you’re saying about the heat.. I’m in Orlando, Florida, and it reached a heat index of 110 degrees today! It’s not even truly summer here yet! That being said, I have found that the intense heat and humidity affects my baked goods. With a wetter recipe like this one, I always have to bake it for almost double the suggested time to get it even anywhere near done. I ended up cooking these Cherry Pie Bars for 45 minutes to get the center to a slight jiggle (they were definitely still more jiggly than I think you probably intended though!). I’m curious to see how the humidity in NOLA will affect your baking as well. Have you tried any of your older recipes and found that you had to adjust them to cope with the extra water in the air? I’d appreciate your insight!
xoxo Baking in Florida
Emily L
I made this yesterday night to bring to a dinner tonight and it was delicious! Everyone raved about it! I made it with blueberries and added a tad more lemon zest (bc lemon is awesome!) It wasn’t too sweet but the shortbread crust still made seem decadent! Thanks for the great recipe!
Jenn
Just wanted to let you and you readers know that if you substitute King Aurthur gluten free all purpose flour mix for the regular all purpose flour, this is a super tasty gluten free treat! I made this recipe for preschool teacher appreciation brunch in Nannyville and they were a big hit :)
Misha
Just made them this morning. Turned out awesome! Thank you. I did feel like I could have cut down on the butter, down to 1 stick perhaps. Mine were a bit on the greasy side.
Amy
Do you think this would work with blueberries? I have tonnes of frozen blueberries I need to use up.
Rok Jurca (ROKCO)
wow lovely!
Bibi
Joy, what contraption do you use to zest your lemons? I have never seen it but in every picture of a zested lemon on your blog and there are quite few I notice the very dstinct pattern it leaves.Tell.Me.Please.
Jake at Dapper and Dreamy
Hi Joy,
Do you think these could be made with raspberries or blackberries? Also, if you were to use sour cherries, how would you adjust the filling?
Love your blog, love your cookbook! One problem with the cookbook… The chocolate peanut butter ice cream… It’s addictive. Sometimes, when I am really lazy, I just buy really good chocolate ice cream at the store and swirl your peanut butter ribbon in that!
Thanks for your delightful work!
Jake
Kelly
These sound amazing, yum!
Melissa Karras
Frozen cherries are my lifeline. I always have a bag in the freezer!
Coxy
These look great. Good job!
A. Sparkle
Oh my! Okay, I need a sunny day, and big porch (including porch swing), nice cool breezes, and these cherry pie bars….. And maybe a glass of sweet tea or lemonade to accompany. Oh yes.. Good times!
Angel Luis
Gorgeous pictures. I definitely have to try these bars!
Jena
Amazing sounding recipe, I love cherry anything! As for the heat, I live in Dubai where the summer is far hotter for far longer- we’re talkin’ temps of over 100°F for more than 5 months of the year. Ick! Only way to cope is to lounge in air-conditioned comfort whilst sipping plenty of bourbon cocktails with extra ice, which I know is an idea you can get on board with!
Joy
These bars are one of the most delicious-looking treats I’ve ever seen. Seriously. What a great idea!
And I know what you mean about the back of your hand sweating. I think I’ve only had that happen once to me and it freaked me out.
Little Observationist
Oh yum! Your blog is always really dangerous when I’m hungry!!
Raquel @ My California Roots
You have totally inspired me! One of my favorite things to do it take an awesome recipe and try to make it vegan… this one will be tough, but we’ll see if I can do it! Thanks for the inspiration!
bec {daisy and the fox}
These sound absolutely delicious! (and so totally nourish that i know i could clear half of this in one sitting :P )
thanks for the recipe!
Daisy and the Fox
http://www.daisyandthefox.wordpress.com
Talia
Would this work with frozen blueberries?
joythebaker
i think so! just rinse and drain the frozen blueberries before adding to the crust.
sweethelengrace
Tell me about the heat! I can’t stand it! But, at least it’s starting to cool down a bit this week in good ol’ Southern California (let’s hope it stays that way). These bars look simply delicious. I can’t wait to try this recipe out at home.
-Helen Grace
http://www.sweethelengrace.com
Bonnie-Jean
I grew up in the tropics of Northern Australia and would still always rather be hot than cold! I remember the first time I visited my husband’s family down south (sorry think opposite in Australia – north = hot; south = cold). Anyway, I found it so strange that they left their butter on the kitchen bench and not in the fridge and could also leave the milk out for more than 5 minutes and it would be fine! Just remember to take it slow Joy – humidity slows the world down in a wonderful way!
shinee
Ahh, not a fan of 100+ degree weathers! I’ve experienced sauna-like humid hot weather in Las Vegas and roasting dry summer in Phoenix! I think I will take snowy cold weather over hot weather. Is that weird? Haha
Great recipe by the way!
Angelina
Does anyone have a good dairy free, soy free idea to replace the yogurt? I usually skip recipes that ask for greek yogurt, but I want to make these!
Sarah | The Cyclist's Wife
Love this recipe because I don’t know how to pit cherries……..a post on how to pit cherries would be cool like that too. And just so you don’t feel too hot, it’s been really hot here in CA (Northern) too, so I’m guessing its just the added humidity that’s got you steamed. But you also have a man that walks down your street every morning singing perfectly, so there’s that. :)
Jamie
Those look so yummy!!! What a perfect treat for this time of year!!! I love all of the pictures! You made me realize I’ve got to start taking the time to take more pictures! :)
Ellen Richard
Hmmm…I wonder how rhubarb would behave in these beautiful bars?
joythebaker
my initial instincts think that rhubarb might release too much juice in these bars.
Suzanne
Welcome to the south! I would suggest you invest in a nice folding fan.They conveniently fit in your purse.
Melanie
Oh these look delicious! I can almost taste them.
Also, frozen grapes and drained Greek yogurt frozen in your ice cream maker (it’s breakfast ice cream!!) are perfect breakfasts for super hot days.
Christina
Looks delish!
http://www.glamgypsy.bigcartel.com
Deborah
I think these would be fabulous with blueberries too…..I still have a ton of frozen blueberries from a u-pick farm and I’m going to make these with a bag of those babies. Thanks for the yum factor.
crosscountrycajun
Summer in New Orleans is survived by lots of ice cold beverages – adult and otherwise and lots of frizz products for your hair. Heading to Houma (just south of New Orleans) this weekend and I am planning on using both to tame the heat. These cherry bars look amazing – I make your blackberry pie bars all the time with blueberries and they are by far one of the most requested baked goods from my friends!
joythebaker
lots of icy treats, to be sure! these bars are very similar to the blackberry pie bars! i’m so glad you make that old old recipe!
Daphne S
Oh, I agree that the weather is SO real. I just moved to Tucson this year (I’m a California transplant, too). I don’t understand this summer weather…where is the 75 degrees and perfect ocean wind like we’re used to?!
I made lemon bars a few nights ago, my first time baking since the weather started heating up. I totally know what you mean when you said the butter was melting!
Magda
Oh Joy. I know you tried to express how hard it is, but I’m sitting in my living room in Ireland, it’s 55F/13C and I’m dreaming of sweating. I remember it was hard, standing in a tram in full sun, sweat just pouring down. I think we can talk about weather more often. I will tell you cooling stories of wind, rain and chilly weather, just let me know. Oh and I will drink mulled wine thinking of hot New Orleans
joythebaker
let’s definitely swap weather stories!
Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen
I hear you. Last summer when we were in New Orleans in June, it was the hottest and sweatiest I’ve ever been. That’s saying something since I live in Florida.
Megan
There is nothing in CA that can prepare you for the air-pressed-out-of-your-body heat/humidity of a Gulf Coast summer. Welcome!
Alicia
The humidity here is the worst… But it’s going to get so much worse, sorry!! I hope it doesn’t scare you away, but I’ll be melting along with you. Delicious treats help.
Meredith
This looks incredibly delicious and quite a treat for spring!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
What a beautiful bar :) Note to self: never visit New Orleans in the summer.
sundiegoeats
Hmm. I need to buy frozen cherries more often.
Taylor
Oh, yummy!! I would also love to do this with some yummy blueberries!
xoxo
Taylor
Lauren
How would you adapt this to use tart frozen cherries?
Somebody from Somewhere
This looks delicious!
http://somebodyfromsomewhere.blogspot.com/
Heather
Cherry pie is absolute favorite and being today is my birthday, I am going to try to make these this evening! If you’re hot now, just wait. You will sweat in places you didn’t even know you had. Befriend people with pools and eat a lot of Hansen’s snowballs.
CakePants
These look fantastic!! I’m really hoping to get some good cherries in Michigan this summer – last year it was kind of a meager crop. That heat sounds like no fun! When I first moved from lovely, arid CA to the east coast, I had no idea that even my calves could sweat if the humidity was high enough. Good luck staying cool!
Sarah Christine
Whenever it gets that hot (August in New York is BRUTAL) I reread Chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby. It somehow helps me imagine the heat as glamorous and dramatic and not just sticky and awful. Totally weird but I hope it helps :)
Denise in Austin
A favorite author of mine once wrote that New Orleans was “like a swamp dog in heat . . . .” and every May I would think of those words as the humidity rose to be in full bloom. The humidity only gets worse as the summer gets hotter. It was hell on my curly hair all the years I lived in NOLA. But cherries can fix anything and these bars sound yummy. Stay cool Joy :)
Heidi Vix
It’s amazing how our bodies adjust. The first several weeks seems awful, but then it becomes the new norm. Showering after EVERY time you go outside and slowly getting used to the temp difference. I recall thinking one day was warm, but not bad. It turned out to be 101F. It’s hard in the beginning, but you body adjusts.
Also, these look awesome! Fruit bars are my go-to dessert, But I’ve never tried a creamy filling. I can’t wait to try them.
Abigail
Cherries are almost in season here!!!!!
shelly
i used to live in houston and later south florida. i feel your sweaty pain.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Any kind of pie bar totally has my attention! These look great!
Rebecca
It’s a trade off in the deep South — your skin will be gorgeous from years of humidity and your hair…not so much.
Dariana
You’re brave for turning on an oven in makes-your-hands-sweat weather.
I live in New Hampshire. We’re still in that early phase of spring where fresh local produce hasn’t grown yet and the trees are bright green. However, this appears to be our May reward for 5-6 months of 1-3 feet of snow.
syd
Lovely; our family has been pining for cherries these past couple of months. FQ is one of the hottest places in the summer in NOLA. I lived in the CBD, and at least we got the breezes generated from the mid- and high-rises. For some reason the coastal breezes do not make it to the Quarter. You’ll become very cognizant of which side of the street has shade. Also, might I suggest that you get one of those fold-out grocery carts – like an upside down quad chair on wheels. Even though the sidewalks are far from smooth it’ll help make the errands a bit more tolerable in the heat.
Kat
Humidity is a killer. I transplanted from the west to the east nearly 14 years ago and I STILL complain about the heat and humidity from June – September. Also….get thee good curly hair products stat! You will need them!
Grace
Pie in bar form?! Love it! Makes it more socially acceptable to eat an entire pie yourself! ;)
http://sometimesgracefully.com
Sinead
These look so delicious, I love the addition of oats!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Ohh girl I hear you on this! I’m an ultra sweaty person so I know how it feels when weird parts of you are sweating, gross, right?! More tequila and more cherry bars.
Leigh Ann Chatagnier
Louisiana heat is a beast of it’s own and as long as you have peace about sweat becoming a daily part of life, it’s a little easier…in the mean time those cherry pie bars and a little extra tequila seem like the perfect way to cope… :)
DessertForTwo
Yeah, I wasn’t going to mention the weather to ya. I figured you’d figure it out on your own. It’s just a way of life. Take a deep breath, and then accept the heat. And don’t forget the cardinal rule of living in the South: never ever never complain about the humidity out loud. Just don’t. It’s okay to mention hair frizz, but acknowledging the humidity just makes everyone else miserable, too. Best of luck :)
Katie Brigstock
These look amazing! I love your photos of all the processes! I can’t have cherries in the house as I eat them all within about 2 minutes of putting them into the bowl! Katie x
http://www.katieskitchenjournal.com/
Rachel
Is there an option to print this one?
joythebaker
there sure is! should be all fixed up now! sorry for the snafoo.
Mallory
ugh…the heat of summer…I always know it is hot when my shins start sweating…shins! It is not pretty, but oh so real. The cherry pie bars look so darn good right now!
joythebaker
shins!?!? oh man… i’m in for it.
Adrienne K
Yum cherries. From your Instagram I thought these were the blackberry pie bars. Double yum. But I don’t love oatmeal in my topping. I just don’t. Hope that doesn’t make me a bad person.
Amy
This’ll make your (hot) mouth water. I still have two carefully-guarded-with-lock-and-key quarts of frozen pie cherries in my freezer, from last year’s cherry harvest. Now these are sour cherries. I’d share them with you, Joy the Baker, if you lived in my neighborhood. Which I’ve found wishing mightily that you did. We’d have fun, and maybe you’d share these lovelies with me over a cup of creamy ICED coffee. :)
joythebaker
you have last summer’s cherries tucked away in your freezer!? what a treasure. seriously.
Marie
ohhh that new orleans heat. i was there last year on memorial day weekend and we decided to walk to surrey’s (have you been there?! so good!) in the garden district from the middle of the french quarter and thought we were going to melt/die/both. these cherry pie bars will definitely help with the heat – they look so good!
myfussyeaterblog
These look amazing. Will have to try them!
Laura @ Raise Your Garden
I just love square food! These look divine =) And the topping, scrumptious!!!
And frozen cherries are yummy, I pit them in summer and freeze them for a healthy snack.
Jessica (bakecetera)
remember the tequila in august… …. …
these cherry pie bars look AMAZING.
joythebaker
exactly…
Marisa Franca
I feel your sweat {er pain} . We who are not used to the Southern humidity can really wilt quickly. I don’t know if you ever get used to it. I guess that means EARLY morning walks and shopping. Your cherry bars look scrumptious. Can’t wait to try them.
Sally
Could be just great for beating the heat here in Dubai too. Love the lemoniness of these cherry bars.
Ellen
Oh, excellence! I always keep those cherries on hand.
LoveYourEgo
Oh this is exactly what I was craving for when my way too creamy and heavy cake was finally done this weekend. In that moment I knew I wanted something light with fruits :D
http://love-your-ego.blogspot.de
Natalia (basmatilime.blogspot.com)
It’s funny because last night, as I was reading your Let it be Sunday post and I saw your picture in a summer dress I wondered about the weather in New Orleans… I checked it on my phone and I couldn’t believe it… 27 degrees???? (Celsius that is….in Fahrenheit 80..I think) and it was 8 pm!!!! and it’s May!!!!! It made me fear what comes ahead, because here in Barcelona the moment we reach July we reach humid heat and that is not nice on my fuzzy hair… I’ll definitely remember May in August…
joythebaker
i love that you checked on my rather… amazing.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Joy these look incredible! So many great, diverse textures and I love cherries, so I know I’d love these. Or maybe with peaches, nectarines, or really any fruit – mmm, pinned!
joythebaker
nectarines would be so great!
Tessa
Wauw, first comment!! Love this! I am totally going to make it
Hannah
They look delicious – I’m hoping cherries are in season in Australia! Great post.
Hannah xx
http://hannahbeths.wordpress.com/