Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on sides for easy removal once bars have set.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, whisking until evenly distributed so the butter incorporates smoothly.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and work into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Stir vanilla extract into the crumb mixture, tossing gently to distribute moisture without overworking the dough.
- Reserve one cup of crumb mixture for topping, then press remaining mixture firmly into prepared pan to form a compact base layer.
- Spread cherry pie filling evenly over crust layer, leaving a small border at edges to prevent overflow during baking.
- Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over cherry layer without pressing down, allowing loose pieces to create rustic streusel texture.
- Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes until topping turns golden brown and filling bubbles around the edges.
- Cool completely in pan for at least 2 hours to allow filling to set properly before cutting into squares.
- Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang, cut into 24 squares, and dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
Let bars cool completely before cutting or the filling will be too runny for clean slices. Cold butter creates those flaky layers, while room temperature butter makes greasy bars. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.