An oat-filled crust and sweet-tart jam filling made with fresh cherries make these sour cherry bars a perfect summer dessert! Enjoy them on their own or top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a pie-like treat.
Add the cherries and sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; once boiling, continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cherries have broken down and the mixture is very jammy.
3 cups pitted sour cherries, ¾ cup granulated sugar
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Allow to cool while you prepare the crust or cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week before using.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Make the bars:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, oats, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is crumbly.
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Press ⅔ of the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the cherry filling evenly over the crust, then top with the remaining crust mixture. For larger crumbles on the top, press some of the mixture into your hands before adding it to the top of the bars.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack before using the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
If you are using frozen sour cherries, you do not need to thaw them (although you may) before cooking the filling—just keep in mind that it will take longer for the mixture to come to a boil if they are frozen.If your cherries are very sour, you may want to add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar to the filling. I recommend tasting the filling when it is close to being done and adding more sugar then if needed.