Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars

Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars

I have a confession to make; I don’t love canned cherries.

I know, kind of weird right? I love fresh cherries but I have come around to the fact that I don’t love canned ones.

But I had canned some last year that were gifted to us and so I had to use them. This paired with the need for a quick and easy dessert that could be taken to a cookout culminated these bars.

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The benefits of these Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars are that they require way less fuss than a pie, have all the great flavors of pie, and you can eat them with your hands! Which is always a bonus if you are taking them to a cookout.

And man, are these good!

You know how I said I don’t love canned cherries? I love canned cherries in these Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars! I may or may not have eaten 3…or 4 squares of them…

These bars start with a quick and easy buttery shortbread that then ferments for about 6 hours to increase it’s digestibility. While the shortbread is fermenting the cherry pie filling is made. When it’s all ready to put together, it gets pressed into a pan, spread, topped and baked! Easy peasy.

These bars are great cold, room temp or warm. We served ours cold, which makes for easier slicing, and ate them with our fingers. But if you want to fancy them up a little you could also eat them warm with some ice cream or whipped cream!

Do you have to ferment this recipe?

No, but it does reduce the phytic acid and make the bars easier to digest plus it’s a great way to use up some starter.

Need to make a starter??? Check out this post! And check out the resources page for more sourdough information!

We try to ferment as many of our grains as possible for these reasons. It’s not just because I’m a weirdo who likes to put sourdough starter in everything 😉

Now go make some buttery, perfectly lightly sweet, easier to digest, Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars!

Ingredients

For the Shortbread

• 150g Sourdough Starter (can be unfed, discard)
• 400g Flour
• 170g Cane Sugar
• 6g Baking Powder
• 3g Sea Salt
• 283g Cold Butter (cut into cubes)
• 1 Large Egg Yolk, room temp (about 36g)

For the Cherry Filling

• 4 cups Pitted Cherries
• ½ cup Maple Syrup
• 4tbps Tapioca Starch
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions

Prepare the Shortbread

1. In a large bowl place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt then whisk together.
2. Next add the sourdough starter and cold butter. Cut in with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture looks like sand with a few larger pieces of butter.
3. Add the egg yolk and whisk it into the rest of the mixture. It should now hold together if you squeeze some in your hand.
4. Now cover and leave to ferment at room temp for about six hours. Or you can skip this step and go straight to making the whole thing.

Prepare the Filling

1. Place the cherries and Maple Syrup in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat.
2. Mix the water and tapioca in a small bowl until the tapioca is dissolved in the water.
3. When the cherries are cooked and soft, slowly pour the tapioca water into the pan while whisking.
4. After the tapioca water is added continue to cook until thickened. Remove from pan and cool.

Assemble It

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F.
2. Line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease that parchment paper.
3. Place the shortbread mixture in to the prepared pan but keep two cups of it for topping with.
4. Using a small piece of parchment paper, press the shortbread mixture into the pan firmly and evenly.
5. Add the prepared cherry pie filling and spread evenly over the shortbread crust.
6. Crumble the remaining shortbread mixture over the top of the cherries.
7. Bake for approximately 45-55 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
8. Cool in the pan for an hour then carefully remove to a cooling rack, for firmer bars and easier slicing transfer to the fridge to cool even further.
9. Slice and enjoy!

We enjoyed these so much that I’m thinking up all sorts of other versions! Keep an eye out for them 😉

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Sourdough Cherry Pie Bars

Easy, buttery Cherry Pie Bars with the added benefits of sourdough!

Servings 15

Ingredients

Shortbread

• 150 g Sourdough Starter can be unfed, discard
• 400 g Flour
• 170 g Cane Sugar
• 6 g Baking Powder
• 3 g Sea Salt
• 283 g Cold Butter cut into cubes
• 1 Large Egg Yolk room temp (about 36g)

Filling

• 4 cups Pitted Cherries
• ½ cup Maple Syrup
• 4 tbps Tapioca Starch
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions

Prepare the Shortbread

1. In a large bowl place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt then whisk together.
2. Next add the sourdough starter and cold butter. Cut in with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture looks like sand with a few larger pieces of butter.
3. Add the egg yolk and whisk it into the rest of the mixture. It should now hold together if you squeeze some in your hand.
4. Now cover and leave to ferment at room temp for about six hours. Or you can skip this step and go straight to making the whole thing.

Prepare the Filling

1. Place the cherries and Maple Syrup in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat.
2. Mix the water and tapioca in a small bowl until the tapioca is dissolved in the water.
3. When the cherries are cooked and soft, slowly pour the tapioca water into the pan while whisking.
4. After the tapioca water is added continue to cook until thickened. Remove from pan and cool.

Assemble It

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F.
2. Line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease that parchment paper.
3. Place the shortbread mixture in to the prepared pan but keep two cups of it for topping with.
4. Using a small piece of parchment paper, press the shortbread mixture into the pan firmly and evenly.
5. Add the prepared cherry pie filling and spread evenly over the shortbread crust.
6. Crumble the remaining shortbread mixture over the top of the cherries.
7. Bake for approximately 45-55 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
8. Cool in the pan for an hour then carefully remove to a cooling rack, for firmer bars and easier slicing transfer to the fridge to cool even further.
9. Slice and enjoy!

Be sure to pin this recipe! And follow me to see more recipe inspiration!

Do you like cherries? What fruit would you use in these bars? What makes the perfect cookout food for you?? Let me know in the comments!