With just 4 ingredients, Chocolate Cherry Bars are super simple to make!
Let me just say that this is hands down my favorite recipe so far in this baking project. Not only are these Chocolate Cherry Bars delicious, they are super easy to make too. It’s a win win situation! Chocolate Cherry Bars was 1 of 2 winners at the 25th Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1974. Recipe on Pillsbury.com by Francis I. Jerzak of Porter, Minnesota.
Here’s all you need to prepare the bars. Only 4 ingredients. Sweet!
For the bars, simply mix together the 4 ingredients and bake. The icing is also just 4 ingredients (sugar, milk, butter, and chocolate chips) which you melt in a pan on the stove.
Frost the bars and try not to eat the whole pan!
These Chocolate Cherry Bars are so moist with a lovely cherry flavor. Who doesn’t love chocolate and cherries together! This one is a winner indeed!
Chocolate Cherry Bars
Ingredients
- Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury®
- For the cake
- 1 18.25-oz. pkg. Pillsburyâ„¢ Moist Supremeâ„¢ Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 1 21-oz. can cherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 eggs beaten
- For the Frosting
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons margarine or butter
- 1 6-oz. pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch baking pan or 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, combine all cake bar ingredients; stir until well blended. Pour into greased and floured pan.
- Bake at 350°F. until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For 15x10x1-inch pan, bake 20 to 30 minutes; for 13x9-inch pan, bake 25 to 35 minutes.
- In small saucepan, combine sugar, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour and spread over warm bars. Cool 1 1/4 hours or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.
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Jessica
My mom has been making this for years and years, she calls it “coal miners cake”
martha chamberlain
so easy and so good !
Angie
can these be made just as well as cupcakes?
J K
What are “cake bars?” I don’t understand this ingredient. Thanks!
Jolene
The way it looks is confusing. I think “cake bars” should be underlined and the 4 ingredients under it are the ingredients of cake bars. Then the “frosting” ingredients are listed next.
Lise Ode
It’s like a sheet cake, cut into squares. I don’t think it would work as cupcakes.
Amy
I typically make this recipe as a layer cake, but it can totally be baked in cupcake tins or anything else you want, even a bundt pan. I add about a cup of glaze and sometimes, raspberry jam between the layers. I’ve also made the chocolate frosting recipe on the side of the Hershey’s Cocoa container and put that between the layers. I have even done all of the above AND spread the Hershey’s chocolate frosting on the top layer and topped that with the chocolate glaze. This is the only cake requested at my house for birthdays and it’s a treat every time!
Roxann
Have made this several times. Once I didn’t even make the frosting, just had the cake. It’s really, really good.
Mom Loves Baking
I’ll have try that, Roxann! 🙂
Mandie
Made 3 different batches of these for neighbor Christmas gifts. Delicious!
Be sure and use the Lucky Brand pie filling though. I used another pie filling on the first batch and the bars didn’t taste as rich as when I used the Lucky cherry filling on the subsequent batches.
I also think they get better on the second and third day after baking them. They get more gooey and good!
Mark Outzen
I WANTED to like these – I really did – but was disappointed. They WERE easy, and they WERE good, but they were NOT bars! This is more like a chocolate-cherry CAKE that you would eat with a fork. I think of bars as finger food, and these weren’t..
KRISTA
I have made these a number of times but I’m running into an issue where I don’t have cherry pie filling. Does anybody know if blueberry would suffice? [email protected]
Kristy
I was so excited to make these. Planned ro have this as my fourth of July dessert. TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED!! Absolutely not bars & no taste as a cake. Texture was not good! 1st the directions aren’t clear as to whether you make the cake as directed then add the pie filing or just add the pie filing to the cake mix. Now i have nothing to take to my picnic so I’ll not be going as i dont go empty handed anywhere. So upset & disappointed.