These Chocolate Cherry Bars are one of those recipes that feels like a shortcut to something homemade and impressive. They use a Devil’s Food cake mix as the base, a can of cherry pie filling for bright fruit pockets, and a quick stovetop chocolate icing that sets glossy and firm. The result is a tray of bars with a tender, chocolaty crumb and a shiny, chocolate-cherry crown.
I make these when I want dessert that travels well and looks like work went into it, even when it didn’t. They slice clean once the icing firms, and the almond extract gives a little lift to the cherry notes without being perfumy. If you know how to turn on your oven and stir a saucepan, you can nail this.
Below you’ll find the ingredients at a glance, the exact step-by-step method, troubleshooting tips, and notes on storage and substitutions. Read through once, preheat the oven, and let’s get these bars in the pan.
Ingredients at a Glance
- 15.25 ounces Devil’s Food cake mix — the chocolate base; provides structure and most of the flavor.
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling — adds moisture and fruit pockets; drain a little if your filling is unusually syrupy.
- 1 teaspoon almond extract — small but important: heightens the cherry flavor and rounds the chocolate.
- 2 eggs beaten — bind and enrich the batter; room temperature eggs mix in more evenly.
- 2 cups sugar — used in the icing to create a shiny, set glaze.
- 8 Tablespoons butter — gives the icing richness and helps it set; unsalted is easiest to control.
- ½ cup milk — thins the icing so it pours and spreads; whole milk makes the richest finish.
- 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips — melted into the hot icing for a smooth chocolate finish that firms up.
Chocolate Cherry Bars in Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan; set pan aside.
- If your eggs are not already beaten, beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 15.25 ounces Devil’s Food cake mix, 21 ounces cherry pie filling, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and the 2 beaten eggs. Mix with a stand mixer or electric mixer on medium until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and no dry cake mix remains, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 20–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, prepare the icing: in a saucepan combine 2 cups sugar, 8 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup milk. Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from heat, add 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, and stir until the chips are completely melted and the icing is smooth.
- Immediately spread the warm icing evenly over the hot bars. Let the bars cool completely and the icing harden before cutting and serving.
What Makes This Recipe Special
There are a few reasons I keep coming back to this recipe. First, the texture: the cake mix base produces a tender, almost brownie-like crumb without fuss. Second, the cherry pie filling is an instant shortcut to fruit flavor and moisture. You get bright fruit against deep chocolate with almost no chopping or measuring beyond the core ingredients.
The stovetop icing is another highlight. It’s cooked sugar and butter that gets melted together and finished with chocolate, so it firms up into a glossy, slightly crisp layer that contrasts nicely with the soft bar beneath. The almond extract is subtle, but it ties cherry and chocolate together in a way vanilla alone doesn’t.
Allergy-Friendly Substitutes
If you need to adjust for allergies, here are straightforward swaps that keep the method intact.
- For dairy: use plant-based butter and a non-dairy milk (oat or full-fat coconut milk work best). The icing may set a touch softer but will still firm.
- For eggs: use a commercial egg replacer or two mashed ripe bananas as a binder alternative. Texture will change slightly; the bars will be denser with banana.
- For gluten-free: use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix in place of the Devil’s Food cake mix. Make sure the pie filling is certified gluten-free as well.
Cook’s Kit
- 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan (or comparable rimmed baking sheet)
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
- Mixing bowls (large and small)
- Spatula and a wooden spoon
- Small saucepan for the icing
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Toothpick for testing doneness
- Offset spatula or straight-edge spatula to spread the icing
Common Errors (and Fixes)
These are the things my readers and I stumble on most often, and how to fix them fast.
- Problem: Bars are underbaked in the center after 20 minutes. Fix: Keep them in the oven and check every 3–4 minutes. Pan sizes and oven temperatures vary; a clean toothpick in the center is your goal.
- Problem: Icing is grainy or separates. Fix: Make sure the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture reaches a full boil for the full minute while stirring constantly. If the chocolate chips are added before the mixture cools slightly, they should melt smoothly; if they seize, keep the pan off heat and stir until smooth.
- Problem: Icing won’t set. Fix: The icing sets best on hot bars; if the pan is cool when you pour, it may not spread and set correctly. Also, check that you boiled the sugar mixture the full minute—underboiled sugar can prevent firming.
- Problem: Slices tear or crumble. Fix: Wait until the icing hardens fully and use a sharp knife warmed briefly under hot water and wiped dry between cuts for cleaner edges.
In-Season Swaps
While this recipe relies on canned cherry pie filling for convenience, you can make it feel seasonal with small swaps.
- Summer: Fold in 1–2 cups fresh pitted cherries (tossed with a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of cornstarch) in place of or in addition to some of the pie filling. Fresh cherries have less syrup, so you may want to keep most of the pie filling for moisture.
- Fall/Winter: Add a pinch (1/4–1/2 teaspoon) of ground cinnamon or a tiny bit more almond extract (start with 1/4 teaspoon) to the batter for a warming note.
- Holiday: Scatter chopped toasted almonds or pecans on the warm icing just before it sets for crunch and a festive touch.
Method to the Madness
Batter
The batter is intentionally simple: dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs, and almond extract. The cake mix absorbs moisture and binds with the eggs to create a quick, even batter. Mix only until no dry powder remains. Overmixing isn’t a big concern here because there’s no flour added beyond the mix, but scraping the bowl ensures even pockets of cherry throughout.
Baking
A jelly roll pan keeps the bars thin and quick to bake. That 20–30 minute window exists because ovens vary and pan materials affect bake time. Start checking at 20 minutes, then every few minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. If the edges brown much faster than the center, tent the pan loosely with foil for the remaining minutes.
Icing
Make the icing while the bars are hot from the oven. That temperature differential helps the icing spread thin and firm into a shiny shell. Bring the sugar, butter, and milk to a full boil, stir for exactly one minute, then remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until smooth. Spread immediately — once it starts to cool the glaze will thicken quickly.
Meal Prep & Storage Notes
These bars store and travel well, which is why they are my go-to dessert for potlucks.
- Room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The icing will remain firm but slightly more tender than refrigerated bars.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Chilled bars slice cleaner. Bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for best texture.
- Freezer: You can freeze cut bars in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then sit at room temperature before serving.
Troubleshooting Q&A
Q: My batter seemed too thick — is that normal?
A: Yes. The cake mix absorbs moisture from the pie filling, so the batter will be thicker than a typical cake batter. It should be spreadable; if it’s impossibly stiff, check that your pie filling isn’t cooled and gelatinized—warm it slightly before mixing.
Q: The toothpick still had gooey cherry filling on it — are the bars ruined?
A: Not necessarily. The filling pockets can puff and remain moist. If the surrounding cake tests clean, they’re done. If the batter itself is uncooked, they need more time in the oven.
Q: The icing is shiny but soft. What did I do wrong?
A: Most likely the sugar mixture didn’t reach a full boil for the full minute, or the bars were cool when you poured the icing. Reheat the icing gently and pour again, or chill the pan to speed firming.
Q: Can I make these in a smaller or deeper pan?
A: You can, but adjust baking time. A smaller, deeper pan will take longer; check with a toothpick. You risk a different texture because thickness affects crumb and moisture balance.
Final Bite
These Chocolate Cherry Bars are proof that a few pantry staples and a short stove-top moment can deliver dessert that looks and tastes like more work. The combination of Devil’s Food cake mix, cherry pie filling, and a shiny chocolate icing is simple and reliably delicious. Follow the steps in order, respect the boil on the icing, and give the bars time to cool and set before serving. They cut clean, travel well, and always disappear fast.
If you try them, slice a small corner for yourself first. Warm a cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk and take that moment: you made dessert with almost no fuss and maximum charm.
Chocolate Cherry Bars
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 15.25 ouncesDevils Food cake mix
- 21 ouncescherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoonalmond extract
- 2 eggsbeaten
- 2 cupssugar
- 8 Tablespoonsbutter
- 1/2 cupmilk
- 1 1/4 cupssemi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 15" x 10" jelly roll pan; set pan aside.
- If your eggs are not already beaten, beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 15.25 ounces Devil's Food cake mix, 21 ounces cherry pie filling, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and the 2 beaten eggs. Mix with a stand mixer or electric mixer on medium until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and no dry cake mix remains, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 20–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, prepare the icing: in a saucepan combine 2 cups sugar, 8 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup milk. Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from heat, add 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, and stir until the chips are completely melted and the icing is smooth.
- Immediately spread the warm icing evenly over the hot bars. Let the bars cool completely and the icing harden before cutting and serving.
Equipment
- Jelly Roll Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- stand mixer or electric mixer
- Saucepan
- Spatula
Notes
These don’t typically last too long in our house, but if you happen to have leftovers you can store them for a few days! Make sure the bars are completely cooled to room temperature, then cover the tightly with the pan cover or wrap them in plastic wrap or foil.
Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.
