Cherry Pie Bars Recipe (Gluten Free + Vegan) - Bananas about Life (2024)

These cherry pie bars are delicious and so easy to make. We all know homemade pie to be the best thing in the world but, they also can take hours to make. So here’s a fun and easier version of your favorite classic! In addition to being an easy and quick recipe, this dessert is also a little healthier made with only whole food ingredients. It’s gluten free and grain free with a base of almond flour. It’s also dairy free using coconut oil instead of butter or shortening. I love healthier desserts and these bars are no exception. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do!

Cherry Pie Bars

This recipe for cherry pie bars is paleo, vegan, grain free, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free.

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

I love making a whole range of grain-free and gluten-free desserts! If you’d like to check out some more allergen friendly recipes, here are a few great ones.

1. Healthy Apple Pie Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan).
2. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free + Dairy Free).
3. Double Chocolate Cookies (Gluten Free + Dairy Free).
4. Grain Free Snickerdoodle Cookies (Gluten Free + Dairy Free).

Cherry Pie Bars Ingredients:

Cherries: In this recipe, you can use either fresh or frozen cherries and they can be either sweet or tart cherries. See below for tips and the slight differences when used in these bars.

Coconut sugar or cane sugar: You’ll use this sugar in the cherry pie filling and optionally sprinkled on top of the bars. I like to use can sugar on top because it’s lighter in color and makes the bars look really pretty. But if you want to keep these bars refined sugar free, then coconut sugar works well!

Tapioca starch: This starch works to thicken the pie filling and add a little more structure to the crust.

Vanilla extract: A small amount is added this cherry pie filling and brings a lovely flavor.

Almond flour: This is the flour used in the crust and topping. Make sure to use blanched almond flour and NOT almond meal as that will change the texture of the crust.

Baking soda: This ingredient works to leaven the crust slightly.

Sea salt: A pinch of sea salt can be amazing to bring out the other flavors in this dessert.

Coconut oil: This oil has a delicious coconut flavor that works beautifully with these bars. But, you can also use refined for no coconut flavor or substitute melted butter instead.

Maple syrup: This liquid sweetener is used to bring some moisture and lightly sweeten the crust.

Cherry Pie Bars Recipe Tips:

Cherry Pie Filling

If you’re using fresh cherries, make sure they’re pitted and then you can add them straight to your pot with the sugar.

If you’re using frozen cherries, let them defrost in a bowl for a couple hours. When they’re defrosted, just dump off the liquid in the bottom of the bowl and then add the cherries to your pot and follow the remaining instructions.

Both tart cherries and sweet cherries can be used for these bars. If you use tart cherries, the bars will taste more like a classic cherry pie. Comparatively, sweet cherries will taste more sweet and mine became darker in color than the tart cherries after baking (I used frozen sweet cherries in the photos).

Crust and Topping

Make sure to stir the dry ingredients for the crust thoroughly before adding the wet ingredients. Almond flour can sometimes have a lot of clumps so it’s good to break those up first.

Make sure to soften your coconut oil very well or you can use melted butter or refined coconut oil instead.

Cherry Pie Bars Recipe (Gluten Free + Vegan)

Keyword: Cherry pie bars

Author: Adrianne from Bananasaboutlife.com

Yield: 9 bars

Ingredients:

Cherry Pie Filling:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries (both tart and sweet cherries work)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or use organic cane sugar)
• 1.5 Tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust:

• 3 cups almond flour (blanched)
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (softened)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

• extra coconut sugar or cane sugar for topping (optional)

Instructions:

Cherry Pie Filling Instructions:

1. If you’re using frozen cherries, let them defrost and then pour off the extra liquid. Add your cherries to a pot on medium heat along with the sugar and bring that to a boil. Allow that mixture to cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until the cherries turn darker in color.
2. Now, stir in your tapioca starch and cook for one more minute.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set this cherry pie filling aside while you prepare your crust.

Crust and Bars Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda and sea salt until there are no large clumps. Add in softened coconut oil and maple syrup and stir until a thick dough forms.
3. Set aside 3/4 cup of the dough for topping later and transfer the rest of the dough into your baking dish. Press dough into an even layer across the base of your baking dish and poke a few holes using a fork to ensure it bakes evenly.
4. Place that first layer of crust in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then remove in order to finish your bars.
5. Spread the cherry pie filling across the top of your first crust layer and use a spoon to spread evenly. Now, use your hands to sprinkle the remaining dough you set aside all over the top of the bars. Optionally, you can sprinkle some extra coconut sugar or cane sugar on the very top (I did 1 Tablespoon of cane sugar in the photos).
6. Place the bars in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden in color. Let the bars cool before slicing and serve alone or with ice cream!

More Vegan & Gluten Free Desserts

If you’re looking for even more vegan and gluten free dessert recipes, feel free to take a look at these ones.

• Healthy Oatmeal Fudge Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan).
• Strawberry Pie Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan).
• Cookies Stuffed with Homemade Nutella (Vegan + Gluten Free).
• Super Fudgy Flourless Brownies (Vegan + Gluten Free).

Thank You For Visiting

This post is a recipe for cherry pie bars that are gluten free, grain free and vegan. If you enjoy this post, please consider checking out some of my other healthy recipes. Also, if you make these bars, I’d love to hear how you like them! So leave a comment below and thank you for visiting my blog today!