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    Home » Recipe Index » Desserts

    Small Batch Cherry Oatmeal Bars

    April 14, 2023 Updated April 26, 2024 By Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD Desserts, Entertaining, Summer Recipes

    Jump to Recipe
    oatmeal cherry bars on parchment paper with text overlay
    stacked cherry oatmeal bars with text overlay

    These small batch cherry oatmeal 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

    [This recipe was originally posted in August 2020. It has been updated with new cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    Table of contents

    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage/Reheating Tips
    • Substitutions/Tips
    • FAQ
    • Other good summer dessert recipes
    • How to repurpose
    • What to do with leftover ingredients

    These cherry oatmeal bars are similar to Starbucks Michigan cherry bars. They're a fresh, delicious, and easy summer dessert, especially since they take about 15 minutes to prep, and 30 to bake. Use frozen cherries to save money.

    If you need to use up other frozen berries, you can use whatever you have instead of the cherries.

    These oatmeal cherry bars are great as is, or served with ice cream or yogurt for a delicious dessert, snack, or even fun summer breakfast.

    Single serving desserts are great, but getting a couple servings out of a dessert is great too.

    Ingredients

    Scroll down to the cherry oatmeal bars recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

    ingredients for cherry oatmeal bars
    • Cherries: Frozen cherries are easy, less expensive, and available year round. You can use fresh cherries too. I like using cherries vs cherry pie filling because they are more tart and fresh tasting.
    • Water: It helps create a nice thick filling when cooking the cherries and other ingredients down.
    • White Sugar: This combo adds nice sweet flavor without competing with the cherry filling, it's also necessary to get a nice, thick filling.
    • Corn Starch: Thickens your cherry filling. It's necessary for a gooey cherry filling in your oatmeal cherry bars.
    • Lemon Juice: Adds some nice tartness to the cherry filling, makes it taste light and refreshing.
    • Salt: Brings out the flavors in the crust, topping, and filling.
    • Whole Wheat Flour: I like the slight nutty flavor of whole wheat flour in these bars. But you can use all purpose flour if you have it.
    • Old Fashioned/Rolled Oats: adds nice texture and flavor to both the crust and topping in these cherry oatmeal crumble bars.
    • Dark Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar has a bit more molasses than light brown sugar does. It adds a nice deep flavor to the crust/topping
    • Baking Powder: Just a sprinkle helps your crust rise a bit to be flaky and not too dense.
    • Cold Butter: key to a flaky crust and crumbly topping for your oatmeal cherry bars.

    Instructions

    Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

    cooking cherries and cornstarch in a black pot

    1. Make cherry filling. The first step to make these cherry oatmeal bars is the cherry filling. Cook cherry filling ingredients in pot, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens (5-8 minutes). Refrigerate to cool.

    cutting butter into flour and oat mixture in a glass bowl

    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    3. Prepare Oatmeal Mixture. This will be used for the base and for the topping. Mix together whole wheat flour, old fashioned rolled oats, dark brown sugar, baking powder and salt to large mixing bowl.

    4. Cut cold butter chunks into oatmeal mixture.

    spreading cherries in cherry oatmeal bars

    5. Assemble oatmeal cherry bars. Press ½ of flour/oatmeal mixture into parchment lined 8x8 metal baking pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture over base. Spread out. Sprinkle remaining oat topping.

    cooked cherry oatmeal bars in parchment paper

    4. Bake cherry oatmeal bars 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.

    Storage/Reheating Tips

    Store in airtight container on counter for up to about 7 days. Or until bars start to smell funny. They should last longer in the fridge. Or freeze individual cherry oatmeal bars for a couple months.

    Substitutions/Tips

    • Swap frozen cherries for fresh pitted cherries in these cherry oatmeal bars 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.
    • Swap light or regular brown sugar for 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.
    • Other great add-ins: Chopped nuts, mixed berries (but you might need to adjust water, lemon, etc in filling).

    FAQ

    What can I do with lots of cherries?

    Make oatmeal bars like these easy cherry oatmeal bars 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?

    You can use peaches, strawberries, strawberries & rhubarb, raspberries, or blackberries instead of making oatmeal cherry bars. Adjust cornstarch, sugar as needed.

    Is it wrong to bake your oatmeal for making oatmeal bars?

    Oats can be eaten raw, baked, or cooked over the stove. They're great in lots of different dishes like oatmeal, overnight oats, smoothies, and cherry oatmeal bars.

    uncut cherry oatmeal bars on parchment paper

    Other good summer dessert recipes

    • Oven S'Mores
    • Single Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie
    • Chocolate Covered Popcorn
    • Small Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
    • Butterscotch Milkshake

    How to repurpose

    Crumble or chop up small and serve leftover cherry oatmeal bars over yogurt or vanilla ice cream.

    What to do with leftover ingredients

    When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

    • Frozen cherries: add them to this Overnight Oatmeal recipe
    • Lemon juice: use some in this Single Serve Lemonade or Pan Seared Pork Chops

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

    cherry oatmeal bar on a cream plate

    Small Batch Cherry Oatmeal Bars

    These small batch cherry oatmeal 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.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 9 bars
    Author: Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Small sauce pot
    • Rubber scraper
    • Large mixing bowl
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Two knives or pastry cutter
    • 8x8 pan
    • Parchment Paper

    Ingredients

    Cherry Filling

    • 2.5 cups frozen cherries or fresh
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • ¼ cup white sugar
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1-3 tablespoons lemon juice about the juice of ½ lemon
    • pinch salt

    Oatmeal Base & Topping

    • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 cup old fashioned oats
    • ½ cup dark brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup cold butter cut into chunks

    Instructions

    • Add all cherry filling ingredients to small sauce pot (2.5 c frozen cherries, 3 T water, ¼ c white sugar, 1 T corn starch, 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.
      Add 1-2 T more lemon juice depending on how sweet the filling is. Place in refrigerator to cool.
    • 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 ¾ c whole wheat flour, 1 c old fashioned rolled oats, ½ c dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt to large mixing bowl. Mix together.
    • Add ½ 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.
    • Place parchment paper in an 8x8 metal baking pan.
    • Press about ½ of flour/oatmeal mixture into baking pan 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.
    • 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.

    Notes

    • 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.
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    Want time saving tips to make recipes like this cherry oatmeal bars delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Cooking for One Time Saving Tips.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

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    About Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian who has been cooking for one for over 10 years. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colleen Mumford says

      January 26, 2025 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      Well thanks. Thanks a lot. 😊 These are ridiculously good! So good, I am having trouble NOT eating them! Great recipe! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says

        January 27, 2025 at 10:34 am

        haha! great to hear, enjoy

        Reply
    2. Audrey Drake says

      March 22, 2023 at 3:13 pm

      Made cherry squares today Turned out really good. I used cherry pie filling, but. Next time I going to use my homemade cherry filllng. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 23, 2023 at 4:52 pm

        great idea! love how versatile this recipe can be. let me know how it turns out

        Reply
    3. Jen says

      August 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars
      I had about 5 cups of fresh tart cherries so I doubled the recipe. Added some chopped pecans in with the top part of oatmeal mixture. Turned out great! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 17, 2022 at 11:03 am

        oh great addition of pecans! glad it turned out well. I bet it's so good with fresh tart cherries.

        Reply
    4. Anita says

      August 05, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so good I bet it will be perfect for breakfast. I'm going to try with some frozen blueberries since that's what I have in my freezer right now. 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        great idea! that'd be so good

        Reply
    5. Marlynn says

      August 05, 2020 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      These bars are the most delicious way to enjoy the season's ripest cherries! No leftovers - they were gobbled up!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        ya they don't last long

        Reply
    6. Tawnie Kroll says

      August 05, 2020 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      I am all about cherries right now and these were so good! They didn't last 2 days in my house! YUM

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:46 pm

        ya they don't last long at all! thanks!

        Reply
    7. Jacque Hastert says

      August 05, 2020 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      I love how you can use fresh or frozen cherries in this dessert! Since it has oatmeal listed as an ingredient, that means they are acceptable for breakfast, right?

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:47 pm

        always!

        Reply
    8. Lizet Bowen says

      August 05, 2020 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for a dessert for this weekend, and I just found it!! we love cherries. Can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        August 06, 2020 at 8:47 pm

        yay! enjoy

        Reply
    5 from 7 votes

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