These Cherry Almond Crumb Bars have a buttery oat-almond crust, fresh cherry filling, and vanilla icing glaze. They’re surprisingly easy to make and perfect for sharing.

Cherry almond crumb bars are an amazing dessert to make in the peak of stone fruit season.

A couple weeks ago I made my first cherry dessert of the season, a brownie black forest cake, and friends, the cherries have only gotten better as we get into late summer. These cherry bars have a buttery oat & almond crust, fresh cherry filling, and vanilla glaze on top. It’s like eating a hearty cherry pie in bar form. Sliced almonds in the crust and crumble also gives them a great texture and crunch.

Why do I love them? These bars are:

• So easy to make. You don’t need any fancy equipment—no mixer, food processor, or any of that. Just some mixing bowls and a baking pan. If you have a cherry pitter though, that certainly wouldn’t hurt. 😉
• Great for sharing—the beauty of these bars is that you can cut them however you’d like and take them to summer picnics, BBQs, etc.
• Buttery, hearty, and sweet

Ingredients & Equipment for Cherry Crumb Bars

Equipment

I baked my bars in an 8×8 square baking pan. You can also use an 8” round pan or pie dish as well for them. I would avoid using any larger of a pan though, as it’ll cause the bars to be too thin. For bigger batches, simply double the recipe!

You will also need two mixing bowls, a knife to cut the cherries, and a spatula.

Ingredients for the Crust & Topping

Yes, we use the same recipe for the crust and the topping so you only need to make it once!

• Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats: Make sure you are buying old fashioned or rolled oats, and not quick oats. Old fashioned oats are thicker and will give your bars a crunchier, heartier texture.
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Sliced almonds
• Vanilla extract
• Melted, unsalted butter

Ingredients for Cherry Filling & Icing

• Fresh cherries, pitted and chopped into halves or quarters
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest
• Cornstarch: this will thicken the juices that leak out of the cherries as they bake to ensure that your bars hold together.
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

How to Make the Bars

As I mentioned, making these cherry crumb bars is super easy. Here is a simple step by step:

1. Grease and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients for the oat crust and crumble together, then pour the melted butter over and fold until a dough forms.
3. Toss cherries with sugar and lemon zest
4. Press ¾ of the dough into the baking pan, add cherries, and then sprinkle with remaining dough.
5. Bake! Then whisk powdered sugar and milk together to make the icing drizzle that goes on top.

Modification Ideas

Want to make these bars even better? Here are some of my ideas, but feel free to do whatever your heart desires.

• Brown your butter before baking with it. This will add so much richness to the flavor of these bars. For instructions on how brown butter, feel free to reference my recipe for browned butter cinnamon rolls or these browned butter blondies.
• Add a splash of almond extract into the dough. If you’re a big fan of almond flavor and want to add even more, then try adding a little bit of extract in the dough.
• Drizzle them with melted white chocolate instead of icing.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover bars in an airtight container or zip-loc and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. They are best enjoyed, however, within the first day or two.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or rating to share your thoughts and help others on the internet find this recipe.

Or, take picture and share it with me on Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your delicious cherry almond crumb bars!