Name: Oatmeal Cherry Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2.5 cups frozen cherries; 3 tablespoons water; 1/4 cup white sugar; 1 tablespoon corn starch; 1-3 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of 1/2 lemon); pinch salt; 3/4 cup whole wheat flour; 1 cup old fashioned oats; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup cold butter (cut into chunks)

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These oatmeal cherry bars are packed with fresh cherry flavor and a crumbly buttery oatmeal base and topping. Use frozen cherries to save money and eat them year round.

two cherry oatmeal bars stacked with more in background

How will these oatmeal cherry bars make your life easier?

This is such a fresh, delicious, and easy summer dessert. Use frozen cherries to save money and keep your super fresh local cherries for eating plain. If you need to use up other frozen berries, you can use whatever you have instead of the cherries. These cherry oatmeal bars are great as is, or served with ice cream or yogurt for a delicious dessert, snack, or even fun summer breakfast.

Not in the mood for these cherry bars? How about this single serving Skillet Peach Crisp, Peach Cobbler, or Oreo Blueberry Ice Cream?

What makes them so good?

Frozen cherries
Sugar
Cornstarch
Lemon juice
Salt
Whole wheat flour
Old fashioned oats
Dark brown sugar
Baking powder
Butter

How do I make them?

cooking cherries and cornstarch in a black pot

Add all cherry filling ingredients to small sauce pot (2.5 c pitted frozen cherries, 3 T water, 1/4 c white sugar, 1 T cornstarch, 1 T lemon juice, pinch of salt). Cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. This should take between 5-8 minuets. Break up cherries with a spoon or your rubber scraper if you desire smaller chunks of cherries. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Expert Tip: Use fresh pitted cherries if you have them. Add an additional tablespoon of water (or maybe more) if it gets too thick while cooking.

Expert Tip: Start with 1 T lemon juice. Add 1-2 additional tablespoons of lemon juice depending on how sweet your cherries are. If the filling is just a bit too tart, it’s perfect. The buttery, sweet crust cuts some of the tartness of the filling.

cutting butter into flour and oat mixture in a glass bowl

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While cherry filling is cooling, prepare oatmeal mixture. This will be used for the base and for the topping. Add 3/4 c whole wheat flour, 1 c old fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 c dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to large mixing bowl. Mix together. Add 1/2 cup chopped cold butter. Cut into flower/oat mixture with two knives or with a pastry cutter until butter is pea sized. (watch video to learn how to cut butter into flour mixture.

Expert Tip: Swap whole wheat flour for all purpose flour if that’s what you have. You can also use light or regular brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar. The dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than the others, and the flavor is great. But use what you have/can find.

Expert Tip: Use cold butter to get a slightly flaky crust.

spreading cherries in cherry oatmeal bars

Prepare bars by placing parchment paper in an 8x8 metal baking pan, then add 1/2 of the flour/oatmeal mixture into baking pan. Press down with a measuring cup or your clean hands to form a pressed crust with an even thickness. Pour cooled cherry mixture over base, spread over crust. Sprinkle remaining flour/oatmeal mixture to make crumbly topping. Do not press down topping.

cooked cherry oatmeal bars in parchment paper

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cherry filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Remove and cool before serving. Eat as is or serve with vanilla ice cream or yogurt. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-5 days.

Expert Tips

Use fresh pitted cherries if you have them. Add an additional tablespoon of water (or maybe more) if it gets too thick while cooking.
Start with 1 T lemon juice. Add 1-2 additional tablespoons of lemon juice depending on how sweet your cherries are. If the filling is just a bit too tart, it’s perfect. The buttery, sweet crust cuts some of the tartness of the filling.
Swap whole wheat flour for all purpose flour if that’s what you have. You can also use light or regular brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar. The dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than the others, and the flavor is great. But use what you have/can find.
Use cold butter to get a slightly flaky crust.

FAQ

What can I do with lots of cherries?

Make oatmeal bars like this easy cherry oatmeal bar recipe. You can also add them to other fruit recipes like this Summer Berry Salad, Skillet Peach Crumble, Peach Cobbler, or Blueberry Oreo Ice Cream.

What fillings can I put in oatmeal bars?

The oatmeal bar base and topping are great with lots of different fillings. Instead of cherries, you can use peaches, strawberries, strawberries & rhubarb, raspberries, or blackberries. You may need to adjust how much water and lemon juice you add it though.

uncut cherry oatmeal bars on parchment paper

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

(frozen cherries) add them to this Overnight Oatmeal recipe
(lemon juice) use some in this Pan Seared Salmon with Summer Salad or Pan Seared Pork Chops

Did you make these oatmeal cherry bars? Leave me a comment & rating to share how they turned out!

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