White Chocolate Cherry Bars
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Sure it’s Cinco de Mayo today, but everyone needs dessert, too. These White Chocolate Cherry Pie Shortbread Bars are the perfect way to celebrate! Check out the new video to see how easy these are to make.
Cherry Pie Shortbread Bars
These have a gooey center, are chock full of cherries and both white and dark chocolate are in these, too. Don’t you just want to sink you teeth into one? Now wouldn’t this be something to serve your guests or to bring to any party or outdoor picnic? I mean it screams party celebration!
OK, lets get something straight. I love desserts and this is one of those that I had to try 3 different versions of before it was to my liking. A few neighbors and another friend love me for recipe testing purposes. This one kicks you know what in the flavor department. The other versions I was using chocolate. One had dark chocolate filling the other a semi-sweet chocolate. The final one that that I decided on was made with a white chocolate filling. Mind you all three were pretty darn good, but this one, wow!
The shortbread crust was perfection, with just the most delicate snap to it. Buttery and crunchy in bite after bite. It never got soggy, and that’s what I was looking for to start with. And let’s talk about the filling, how can one go wrong with a sweetened condensed milk base, right? I was in heaven and after one, YES, one taste test of this version, I stopped and promptly packed them up to deliver to a friend, after saving one for Dave to taste of course, I’m not cruel.
I’m starting cherries all over every market I go to it seems. I needed to do something with them and decided on making a shortbread bar and this one took it over the top. Pitting them is always a crazy affair, so don’t by any means wear white in the kitchen!  The first 2 versions used fresh cherries, but got lost in the chocolate filling flavor wise. The white chocolate was another story and after I realized I had used up all my fresh cherries, decided to check out a cherry pie filling. I spooned out most of the cherries and discarded the excess sauce. This was just right.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 13×9″ baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter until creamy and then add the brown sugar, flour and salt. Mix until crumbly. Press three quarters of the crumb mixture into prepared baking pan. Set remaining crumbs aside for topping later. Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk in small sauce pan and the white chocolate chips. Whisk over low heat until chocolate has melted and is smooth.
Remove crust from oven and pour white chocolate mixture over warm crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Use a spoon and pick out the cherries, avoiding too much of the sauce, and drop the cherry pie filling over crumb mixture and top with the mini chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow these Cherry Pie Shortbread Bars to cool before cutting.
If you like bar cookies try my Chocolate Caramel Butter Bars or these Slab Pecan Pie Bars. Enjoy!
This recipe post first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking in June 2015. I have updated the copy and a new video.
Subscribe to my Newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for all my latest recipes and videos.
White Chocolate Cherry Pie Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter , softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 can (20 oz) can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 13x9" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter until creamy and then add the brown sugar, flour and salt. Mix until crumbly.
- Press three quarters of the crumb mixture into prepared baking pan. Set remaining crumbs aside for topping later. Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk in small sauce pan and the white chocolate chips. Whisk over low heat until chocolate has melted and is smooth.
- Remove crust from oven and pour white chocolate mixture over warm crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Use a spoon and pick out the cherries, avoiding too much of the sauce, and drop the cherry pie filling over crumb mixture and top with the mini chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.
Video
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Would tart cherries (without the sauce) work ok in this recipe?
If you try it let me know how they turn out!
Shortbread bars are one of my favorite things EVER! That tender pastry crust with creamy toppings – and no soggy crust, does it get any better? Love the video update too! Way to go! (Now I’m eyen’ those pecan slab bars 😮 !!
Oh my thanks Traci! Now I’m craving those pecan slab bars myself. 😉