Cherry Cobbler Bars
Published 7/6/2019 • Updated 6/30/2024
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These cherry cobbler bars are made with fresh cherries and a delicious almond flour crust for a healthier twist. Have no fear; cherry season is here!
These cherry cobbler bars are the perfect combination of a cherry pie and a cherry crumble. They are made with fresh cherries and healthier pantry staples, so you can get your cherry dessert fix while feeling good about the ingredients in this recipe. TBH, I loved eating these cherry cobbler bars for breakfast topped with vanilla Greek yogurt. Dreamy.
Can’t get enough dessert bars? These strawberry oatmeal bars or these healthy lemon bars are some of the most popular bars on FFF!
Featured Comment
“Delicious and soooo much fun to make! I used black cherries since I am making this out of season.” – Lynnann
What You Need for Cherry Cobbler Bars
- Tapioca flour: Don’t be intimidated by this fancy-sounding ingredient! Tapioca flour is a thickening agent, and it’s what keeps your cherry filling from being too runny. It absorbs the juices from the cherries and creates a nice, thick consistency.
- Almond Flour & Rolled Oats: These are the stars of the crust! Almond flour gives a nutty flavor and keeps things gluten-free, while oats add a bit of heartiness and texture.
- Maple Syrup: We love using maple syrup as a healthier alternative to white sugar for this recipe, but you can use any type of sweetener you prefer.
- Almond Extract: If you ask me, cherries should always be paired with almond extract. The combination is out of this world! We used about a teaspoon of almond extract in the crust of these bars, and I’m so glad we did. The crust is crunchy and almondy, and the naturally sweetened cherry filling tastes like cherry heaven.
- Fresh Cherries: These cherry cobbler bars are made with FRESH cherries. No canned or jarred maraschino cherries in this recipe! And why would you?! Fresh cherries are accessible when they’re in season and are OH so delicious.
- Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese, Orange Juice: This citrusy, creamy, sweet glaze is the ultimate topper for these bars, adding the perfect refreshing touch.
Can I use frozen cherries instead?
You can use frozen cherries in place of fresh. Just make sure to thaw them first!
Can I swap the almond flour for all-purpose flour?
Unfortunately, we wouldn’t suggest swapping the flour for AP flour. You can make your own almond flour by grinding raw almonds.
How to Make Cherry Cobbler Bars
Prep the Pan and Crust
- Get your oven warmed up to 350°F (175°C) – that’ll be the perfect temperature for baking these bars. While it preheats, grab an 8×8 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. This will make cleanup a breeze later!
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oats, milk, coconut oil (make sure it’s softened but not melted!), maple syrup, almond extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Using your hands or a spoon, mix everything together until it forms a crumbly dough.
- Press about 2/3 of the crumble mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. This will be the base for all that delicious cherry goodness.
- Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes – we’re just pre-baking the crust a bit to get it nice and firm.
Simmer the Cherries
- While the crust bakes, it’s time to tackle the cherries! In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the pitted cherries (fresh is best!), lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to break up some of the cherries.
- Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Patience is key here! Simmering allows the cherries to soften and release their juices, creating a delicious and flavorful filling. Don’t be tempted to skip this step – it makes all the difference.
- After 20 minutes, when the filling has become nice and liquidy with cherry chunks, add the tapioca flour.
- Stir it in well until there are no clumps and the filling thickens up – this will help prevent your bars from being too runny.
Do I have to simmer the cherries?
You may think that having two steps to cooking these cherries is too much, but it is SO necessary. Cherries have high water content, and if you don’t boil them a little bit before you bake the bars, you will end up with a mushy crust!
Assemble and Bake
- Take your pre-baked crust out of the oven and pour the cherry filling evenly over the top.
- Now, grab the remaining crumble mixture and sprinkle it generously over the cherry filling. This will create that lovely crumbly topping that adds both texture and flavor to the bars.
- Pop the pan back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
The Finishing Touches
While your cobbler bars bake, you can whip up a quick and easy drizzle to add a touch of extra sweetness and creaminess. In a small bowl, simply mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, and orange juice until smooth. If you don’t have orange juice, a splash of milk or vanilla extract would work, too.
Chill, Slice, and Enjoy!
- Once the baking time is up, take the bars out of the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack.This will allow the filling to set. For the best results (and the most delicious texture), resist the urge to dig in right away!
- Cover the pan and chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or even overnight. This allows the flavors to meld and the filling to firm up completely. Then, slice, grab a fork, and enjoy your homemade cherry cobbler bar perfection!
Storing the Cherry Cobbler Bars
Let the cherry cobbler bars cool completely before storing them in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can also cool these bars and place them in a freezer safe bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months in the freezer!
Cherry Cobbler Bars
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble Topping
- 3 cups superfine almond flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup softened coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Cherry Filling
- 3 cups quartered pitted, fresh cherries
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
Drizzle
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon orange juice
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Next, create your crust and crumble. Mix all crumble ingredients together. You’re going to want to make sure that the coconut oil is slightly melted, but not liquid. You do this so the dough is more of a crumble, but can still be pressed together into a crust.
- Then, take 2/3 of the mixture and press it evenly onto the bottom of your pan. Set the rest of the crust/crumble mixture aside. This is what you will use for the crumble topping.
- Bake crust at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove crust and set aside.
- Next, place all ingredients for the cherry filling (except for the tapioca flour) into a medium saucepan. Turn heat to medium/high and bring the filling to a boil, stirring often and breaking up the cherries. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes (don’t skimp on this! It’s important to break down the cherries or your bars will be too wet.). Continue stirring.
- Once the filling has cooked for 20 minutes and has become liquidy with cherry chunks, add in 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour and stir until there are no more clumps and the cherry filling has thickened.
- Pour filling on top of the crust and spread out evenly. Then, sprinkle the rest of the crumble mixture over the top of the cherry filling.
- Bake for another 20 minutes at 350ºF.
- While bars are baking mix everything together for the drizzle into a small bowl and transfer to a Ziploc bag or a pastry bag. If you are using a Ziploc bag, snip the tip of the bag. The smaller the hole, the smaller the drizzle. Set aside,
- Let cool for 20 minutes before drizzling the cherry cobbler bars with drizzle. Place into the fridge for at least 2 hours (or for best results, overnight) to let the filling set. Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Delicious and soooo much fun to make! I used black cherries since I am making this out of season.
Great idea!
Hello. I love the pictures! I would like to ask if I can substitute all-purpose flour for the sophisticated flours listed in the recipe? Thank you in advance!
Hi Stela! Unfortunately, we wouldn’t suggest swapping the flour for AP flour. You can make your own almond flour by grinding raw almonds. Here’s a great tutorial: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-almond-flour/
If there are no fresh cherries available, would you do the recipe the same with the canned cherry pie filling?
Hmmmmm. I’m not sure I would recommend that! I’d do frozen cherries or another fruit!
There’s no carb content listed for these?
Gah!! These look SO good! I need more cherry desserts in my life.