Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars . . . these pretty little bars are loaded with juicy cherries. They are perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Raise your hand if you love sugar cookie bars. I sure do! You can whip them up in half the time of regular sugar cookies, and they taste just as good. I love serving them because I always get oohs and aahs.
These Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars are a new favorite at my house. They are similar to my popular sugar cookie bars, but with a cherry twist. Absolutely scrumptious!
Aren’t they pretty with those juicy cherries peeking out? Trust me, they taste as good as they look.
Adding pink and red sprinkles to the top of the cream cheese frosting makes these bars extra special for Valentine’s Day, but they are just as tasty without them.
These cherry sugar cookie bars are so simple. You start with a basic cookie dough, then add cherries and some almond extract. The almond extract is a perfect compliment to the cherries, and makes them extra yummy!
You will end up with a stiff dough, but just press firmly till it is evenly spread in the bottom of the pan. I like to get my hands wet so the dough doesn’t stick to them as easily.
These bars are actually pretty tasty as is, but spreading a creamy layer of cream cheese frosting on top makes them downright irresistible!
Oh mercy. I can eat way too many of these pretty little bars. Good thing I have lots of family and friends to share them with. 🙂
And for more recipes perfect for Valentine’s Day, check out these posts!
- Cherry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Heart Shaped Brownie Bites
- Strawberry Cookies with White Chocolate
MORE BROWNIES AND DESSERT BAR RECIPES:
- Zucchini Blondies
- Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars
- Oreo Rice Krispie Treats
- Caramel Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
- Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- Toffee Bars
- Peanut Butter Chip Bars
- Pumpkin Blondies
- Almond Toffee Bars
Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars
Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Bars:
- ¾ cup maraschino cherries finely chopped (about half of a 16oz jar)
- ¾ cup soft butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- dash of salt
- 2 ½ - 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- For bars: Drain cherries well. Chop and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir till combined. Fold in the cherries.
- Press dough into a well greased 9x13" pan. (I like to line mine with foil first.) Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or till very lightly brown on the edges.
- Cool bars completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting.
- Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla, almond extract, salt, and enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting. Spread on bars.
Nutrition
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ENJOY!
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I saw one of the comments was asking if bars could be frozen but there was no reply. Can they be frozen?
I haven’t frozen them, but I think it would definitely work to freeze them before they are frosted. If it were me, I’d freeze one plain, and one frosted, then see how they turned out after they thawed. That way if it doesn’t work, the whole batch wouldn’t be ruined. Good luck!
The cherry bars are wonderful! I halved the recipe and baked in a 9″ square pan. Everyone loved them.
Thanks for the tip Marie! Good to know they can be made is smaller batches when needed. 🙂
Hi, can i make these into cookies, or would the recipe change?
Cookies usually have more flour than cookie bars, but you could try it. I’d chill the dough first so they don’t spread too much.
Definitely drain the cherries well. I did not drain them very well, and the dough becomes slightly pink, which vitiates the perfect contrast between red and white. The combo as a whole is delicious, although the cream cheese frosting is a bit sweet for me…but that’s just my palate these days!!
Yes, they are definitely more pretty if you drain the cherries really well. Although my daughter doesn’t mind if they turn pink. Haha.
These look good! Can I use dried sweet cherries instead of maraschino!?
I think that would probably work, but you would need to add some additional liquid because the maraschino cherries add some moisture.
These are amazing and delicious! Do they have to be stored in the fridge? I wanted to make a batch and send them in an air sealed container as a gift, but maybe these aren’t meant to be shipped. Please let me know!
I store mine at room temperature. I think they would ship fine during the winter months, but in the summer the frosting would melt during shipping.
These are so soft and chewy. The icing just puts them over the top. Can’t wait to make again.
So glad you enjoyed them Nancy! The icing sure does make them extra yummy!
These are so soft and chewy. The icing just puts them over the top good. Will be be making these again.
Can these be frozen?
Delicious! Made half the recipe in an 8×8 pan and they came out perfectly. I also put them in the fridge to set the cream cheese frosting and make them easy to cut, and my hubby and I actually like them chilled best! I’ll be making these for the holidays using a few red and green sprinkles on top – yummy and festive!
Great recipe! I iced with a simple glaze instead of the cream cheese icing and added a sprinkling of finely chopped almonds. My family loved them. Will definitely be making these again in the future.
This is such a fabulous treat! I would love to give it a try!
I am loving these! Adding maraschino cherries is such a great idea and really puts these over the top.
I love making sugar cookie bars but I’ve never tried them with maraschino cherries. Sounds yummy and perfect for the holidays!
These are so perfect for Christmas! It’s so hard to find a red and white recipe that’s not peppermint. YUM!
These are so cute Kara! What beautiful treats, which of course make me think of homemade gifts!
What a great recipe! This looks perfect for holiday parties — and my kids would adore them!!