Cherry Pie Sugar Cookie Bars
These Cherry Pie Sugar Cookie bars have a soft, buttery dough layered with sweet cherry pie filling and topped with a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle. They’re one of the easiest Christmas desserts to make ahead for parties or cookie trays.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cherry Pie Layer
- 2 1/2 cups cherry pie filling store-bought or homemade
Topping
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly add to the wet ingredients until a dough forms.
- Press about two-thirds of the sugar cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the cherry pie filling and discard. This helps prevent the bars from becoming too goopy. You want mostly cherries rather than syrup for the best texture and flavor.
- Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the cookie dough base.
- Drop small spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the top, leaving small gaps so the cherries peek through.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together, then sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Bake for 35–50 minutes, or until the cookie dough is set and golden brown. The middle may look slightly soft but will firm up as it cools.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.