Are you a fan of Starbucks Michigan cherry oat bars? If so, you might like to try this cherry pie bars Starbucks copycat recipe. These mouth-watering oatmeal bars with cherry filling are so good. These bars use frozen cherries.
In a saucepan combine all of the filling ingredients. Mix well.
Heat the filling on medium high heat. As the cherries thaw, use a spatula to break them up by pressing them into the bottom or side of the pan. Stir the filling to make sure the bottom does not burn. Once the filling is hot and has nice thick consistency, remove from heat and set aside.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
In a bowl mix together all of the bar’s dry ingredients, except for the oats.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes, add into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Using a pastry cutter, or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it becomes a sandy shaggy texture.
Add in the egg and vanilla, continue to mix with your hands or a pastry cutter until it is fully combined.
Spoon approximately ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of your greased 9x13 pan.
Gently press the mixture down into the bottom of the pan to create an even, flat, compressed layer of the bar.
Add the oats to the bowl with the remaining bar mixture and mix thoroughly.
Pour the cherry filling over the top of the compressed layer in the 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the cherry layer.
Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Remove from the oven when finished cooking. Let bars cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
These bars can be served warm or room temp. Eat as-is or a-la-mode!
Notes
The tops of these bars are very crumbly, but overall the bars are sturdy and can be served as cut bars. They can also be served plated, warmed, a-la-mode!