These cherry cobbler bars are simple and sweet, combining cherry pie filling with the warm, rich flavor of Musselman’s Apple Butter.
How about a fresh take on cherry cobbler? These bars work great cooled and cut into squares or warmed and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Before we dive in: what actually makes a cobbler a cobbler? Definitions vary. Some people say a cobbler has a single crust, others point to biscuit-like dough dropped on top to create a “cobblestone” appearance, and some emphasize a deep-dish approach. All of those interpretations have merit, and cobbler broadly lives in the pie family.
To keep things easy, this recipe uses canned cherry pie filling, which saves time without sacrificing flavor. The real secret here is a few spoonfuls of apple butter stirred into the filling for extra depth and warmth. Musselman’s Apple Butter adds complexity and rounds out the sweetness of the cherries — a small addition with big results.
The bars feature an oat-based crumble and bake in a shallow rimmed pan. Once cooled, cut them into bars for an easy handheld dessert; or warm them and top with ice cream for a classic cobbler experience. The combination of oats, white chocolate, cherry filling and apple butter is comforting and nostalgic, but with a slightly unexpected twist.
These bars are versatile and crowd-pleasing. Make them for potlucks, bake sales, picnics, or a cozy family dessert. They store well covered at room temperature for a day or two, and you can reheat individual bars briefly in the microwave for a warm serving.
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Apple Butter Cherry Cobbler Bars
20 mins
30 mins
50 mins
40 bars
Nikki Gladd
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
- ½ cup Musselman’s Apple Butter
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.
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Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl at medium speed for about two minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the oats and white chocolate chips. Press about two-thirds of the batter into a greased jelly roll pan in a thin, even layer; set aside.
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In another bowl, stir the cherry pie filling together with the apple butter until evenly mixed. Spread the filling over the base layer, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the filling and gently spread to cover as much as possible. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, or serve warm with ice cream.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Musselman’s Apple Butter. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I love.