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Cherry Crumble Squares

From-scratch cherry crumble squares made with tart cherries and a buttery oat topping. Easy to bake, freezer-friendly, and finished with a cream cheese almond drizzle that really sets them off.
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Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Total Time:3 hours
Servings: 16 squares

Ingredients

For the Crust and Topping

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or your preferece: spelt, gluten-free, etc)
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cherry Filling

  • 3 cups tart cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract

Optional Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 3-4 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Instructions

Prep the pan

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch (or 9-inch) square pan with parchment paper. Leave some overhang over the sides for easy lifting. Set aside.

Make the crust and topping

  1. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla. Mix until everything is moistened and crumbly with no dry flour left—like damp sand.
  2. Press about two-thirds of the mixture (roughly 2 cups) into the bottom of your prepared pan. Use your hands, a wooden spoon to firmly press it into an even layer.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes, then set on a wire rack to cool down while you make the filling.

Cook the cherry filling

  1. Add the cherries and white sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the cherries cook down for a few minutes, stirring here and there, until they start to soften and release their juices.
  2. In a small bowl, stir the arrowroot with a spoonful or two of the hot cherry juice to create a slurry. Pour this back into the pan and stir to combine.
  3. Let it come to a low boil, then cook for another 5 minutes or so until it thickens up. Remove from the heat and mix in the almond extract.

Assemble the bars

  1. Pour the cherry filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Stir the 2 tablespoons of oats into the reserved crumble topping, then sprinkle it over the cherry layer. Lightly press the topping down so it sets as it bakes.

Bake and cool

  1. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick poked into the center comes out mostly clean (a few sticky cherry bits are fine!). Mine takes about 45 min.
  2. Leave the bars in the pan to cool before removing them. To speed it up, you can pop the pan in the fridge after an hour

Cut into Squares

  1. Lift the bars out with the parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares using a bench scraper or sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts for neat edges.

Making the Icing

  1. With a stand or hand mixer, mix together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk, and almond extract until smooth and well combined. If needed, add a splash more milk to thin. Drizzle over the cooled bars.