Cherry Cheesecake Bars: A Perfect Blend of Cookie, Cherries, and Cheesecake

These cherry cheesecake bars are an amazing blend of cookie, cherries and cheesecake in every bite! With a shortbread base, smooth cheesecake, cherry pie filling, and a crunchy topping, they’re truly an exceptional dessert that is so simple to make!

Cherry Cheesecake BarsPhoto byThyme of Season

These are amazing! Imagine cherry pie combined with creamy cheesecake, all topped off with a crunchy crumble. It's packed with flavor, texture, and just about everything you could want in a cherry treat!

These cherry bars are made with store-bough cherry pie filling and it really worked great. You can find cherry pie filling at your grocery store or Trader Joe's and Target—both have great options.

This dessert is perfect for baking it in advance. You can keep them in the fridge, but they taste amazing even at room temperature! It's a great dessert to make and take with you to an event or party. And since it calls for cherry pie filling you can make this recipe anytime of the year not just during cherry season.

Now let's get to it...

Ingredients you will need:

For the Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted

For the Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 21 ounce can cherry pie filling

How to make cherry cheesecake bars:

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Use a 9x13 inch baking dish and spray with nonstick spray.

Step 2: In a big bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the melted butter and stir until you get a dough that feels like shortbread. You can use your hands to combine everything. Take half of that dough and press it into the bottom of the baking dish, saving the other half for later to sprinkle on top.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, either using your electric mixer or a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla and almond extract. Beat it all together until it’s nice and creamy. Then, just pour the mixture over the crust.

Step 4: Spread the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer and lightly push it out to the edges.

Step 5: Crumble the remaining dough and sprinkle it over the cherry filling. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until the bars are firm and not wobbly.

Step 6: Let them cool completely before cutting into squares! Enjoy!