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Fruit Squares | Cherry Family Favorite

This is my family’s cherry fruit squares recipe. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is so delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.  I grew up loving and eating this tasty dessert.

A bite taken out of my cherry squares with the pan in the background and a fork on the plate

When I was growing up, dessert after dinner was a given. I wonder if people still have after dinner dessert regularly.

This is such a great dessert to eat because it’s fairly light and it’s very scrumptious. We have made this family recipe with all types of canned fruit but cherry is my favorite.

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Helpful tips

  • Take the butter out at least a half hour before starting the recipe. I usually unwrap the butter and place it in the stand mixer bowl. I also cut the butter into pats so it softens faster.
  • Whenever I grease a pan, I put a sandwich baggie over my hand and dip it into the greasing agent. I smear it around the pan and throw the baggie away after I’m finished. This way your hand stays clean.
  • You can use all purpose white flour instead of spelt. They are interchangeable.
  • My recipe card comes with a slider on it so if you want to double the recipe, move the slider to the right position.
  • You can double the recipe if you make it in a 9″ x 13″ pan. If you do, you will need to bake it longer. Check after 55 minutes but it could go as long as 60 minutes.
a white plate with a cherry dessert on it and a fork
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make cherry fruit squares

Pre-step

Take out the butter at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and liberally grease an 8 x 8 pan.

Step one

Gather the batter ingredients – butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt.

Butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt on a greyish table

Step two

Get out your stand mixer and place the room temperature butter into it along with the sugar.

Turn the mixer on medium and cream the two ingredients together.

Step three

Add vanilla, salt and the eggs and mix until they are incorporated.

Step four

Gather the rest of the ingredients – cherry pie filling and flour.

Cherry filling and flour for my with the greased pan in the background

Step five

Divide the batter in half. Add half in the greased pan and press it down in the bottom of the pan with either your hand or rubber spatula.

Batter in the bottom of the greased pan with an open can of cherry filling and the mixing bowl in the background

Step six

Spread a little more than half of the can of cherry filling on top of that layer of batter. You can use the whole can but I find the amount I use perfect.

Cherry filling spread in a layer of batter in the pan with the can and mixing bowl in the background

Step seven

Take a spoon and scoop some batter and add it to the cherry filling in the pan. Do this until all the batter is used up.

Batter dropped on top of the cherry filling along with the mixing bowl and cherries in the background

No need to spread that layer. It will spread as it bakes.

Step eight

Bake it for 45 minutes. (Now, if you double this recipe like my family does, you will bake it between 55 – 60 minutes.)

The cherry dessert straight out of the oven cooling on a trivet

Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into nine squares. You can wait longer but it’s super tasty warm.

I lift a piece of cherry square and get ready to plate it.

A hand holding a spatula with a piece of the cherry dessert held over the pan

Look at all that cherry goodness! Yum.

A white plate with the cherry dessert on it and the pan in the background

YUM. So nice and fruity. The cake part is a perfect complement to the cherry. My family use all purpose flour and you can too, but I prefer my spelt.

I hope you enjoyed this cherry fruit squares recipe!

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

A hand holding a spatula with a piece of the cherry dessert held over the pan - square

My Family’s Cherry Fruit Squares

This fruity cake is so delicious that you’ll want it once a week. You can use any pie filling. They are all good!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Keyword: fruit squares
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 9 squares
Calories: 304kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 can cherry filling I used a little over 1/2 a can

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • In a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix until incorporated
  • Add vanilla, salt and one egg at a time and mix until both eggs are incorporated
  • Add flour and mix until combined
  • Divide dough in half and press half in greased pan
  • Spread cherry filling on batter layer
  • Plop tablespoons of batter on top of the fruit layer
  • Bake for 40 – 45 minutes
  • Let cake cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares
  • Serve warm or cold
  • Eat a forkful
  • Sigh
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Helpful tips
  • Take the butter out at least a half hour before starting the recipe. I usually unwrap the butter and place it in the stand mixer bowl. I also cut the butter into pats so it softens faster.
  • Whenever I grease a pan, I put a sandwich baggie over my hand and dip it into the greasing agent. I smear it around the pan and throw the baggie away after I’m finished. This way your hand stays clean.
  • You can use all purpose white flour instead of spelt. They are interchangeable.
  • My recipe card comes with a slider on it so if you want to double the recipe, move the slider to the right position.
  • You can double the recipe if you make it in a 9″ x 13″ pan. If you do, you will need to bake it longer. Check after 55 minutes but it could go as long as 60 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 70mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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14 Comments

  1. Cherry is one of my absolute favorite fruits for the summer, either fresh or baked. I’m pinning this for later. Thanks for sharing!

  2. I love cherries and I am so glad that cherry season is here! This recipe looks amazing and I have to try it ASAP! Thank you for sharing!

  3. These are such cute, yummy looking little bars! I love cherry anything. My family’s dessert is a funny raspberry jell-o, whipped cream, and Nilla wafer concoction and I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about it yet! Thanks for sharing!

    1. I’ll have to keep my eye out for your family dessert, Amy. My sister and her kids would love it. Especially with the Nilla wafers!

  4. I love dessert~ In fact sometimes I just have dessert for dinner! haha 🙂 One time for Easter, my in-laws had dessert before their meal and that was quite the day…a whole turkey left untouched, but all 8 pies demolished. This recipe looks right up my alley for taking to my family 🙂 They love cherry desserts!

    1. Thank you Joyce. That’s fun! Sometimes my hubby and I have dessert instead of a meal too and I love that your family does too!

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