Chocolate Cherry Bars Recipe

Two chocolate cherry bars stacked on top of each other.

4.55 from 11 votes

Chocolate Cherry Bars combine the best of both worlds—decadent chocolate and tangy cherries on a buttery crust, taking this dessert to a whole new level.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: North American

Servings:

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Linda

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust

3/4 c. unsalted butter melted
2/3 c. sugar
Caviar from half of a vanilla bean
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt

For the Filling

1 c. unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. bourbon or try almond extract
Caviar from half of a vanilla bean
4 c. cherries halved and pitted
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces roughly chopped (all I had were chocolate chips, but it would have been much prettier with hunks of baking chocolate!)
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper come up the sides.
Take the 3/4 cup melted butter and mix it with 2/3 cup white sugar and the vanilla bean caviar in a medium bowl. Add the flour and salt, and mix with a spatula until combined. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan and press it into shape using your fingers.
Bake the shortbread crust for 17-19 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Keep the oven on.
Meanwhile, toss the cherries with a heaping spoonful of all-purpose flour.
Dice the remaining cup of butter and place it in a small heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. The butter will foam, turn clear, and then turn a golden-brown color. Remove from heat and pour into a glass liquid measuring cup. (Don’t be like me and pour it into a drinking glass without a handle, then burn yourself trying to pick it up.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a regular bowl and hand mixer), use the whisk attachment to combine the sugar, eggs, and salt. Add half of the flour, then the bourbon, the rest of the flour, and the vanilla bean caviar.
Once smooth, slowly pour in the browned butter with the mixer running to incorporate it into the mixture.
Arrange your cherries and chocolate on top of the cooled shortbread crust. Pour the filling mixture evenly over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the top has turned golden-brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for fifteen minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan and place them on a rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool, use a serrated knife (a bread knife works great) to cut into bars. Store bars in the fridge if you don’t consume them all within 24 hours.

Notes

If cherries are not in season, then just find frozen cherries, thaw them, drain them, and then pat dry, and then use them for this delicious recipe.

Store your Cherry Garcia Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to keep them longer, they freeze well—just wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition