These Cherry Oat Bars combine a slice of cherry pie and cobbler into the most delicious bar—and you don’t need a fork to eat it.
These Copycat Starbucks Michigan, Cherry Oat Bars, were the first cherry dessert I loved.
While I love almost every treat at Starbucks, I never tried their Michigan Cherry Oat Bars because I was never too keen on cherries.
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Then, my son Cannon wanted one, and I thought this was the perfect chance for me to try the only item I had not tried at Starbucks. So we ordered it, and I convinced him I needed to try it first to ensure I knew whether he would like it.
Then came that “moment,” many of us can relate to. To lie or not to lie. To lie and tell my son it was horrible, and he would hate it, only to inhale it myself, probably in one or two bites because it is that dang good. Or the truth and tell him it is good and hope that he shares it with me.
I waffled, then took one more little nibble, he glared, I stared and then he said, “mom you’re tricking me”. He could read my mind, so I handed it over, and that was it. He took one bite and exclaimed yum! A few moments later, he handed me the last bite, and I declined to tell him I wanted him to have it, so he did.
I will always cherish simple, sweet moments like these. So, of course, I had to come up with a copycat cherry oat bar recipe. The result? I am happy to report that they are even better than the original.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Quick oats
- Rolled oats
- Brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Room temperature butter
- Fresh cherries with stems removed and seeded
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice
How to Make your own Cherry Filling
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Copycat Starbucks Michigan Cherry Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup room temperature butter
- 1 cup cherry filling see below
Cherry Filling
- 3 cups fresh cherries stems and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare Cherry Filling by adding cherries to a small saucepan, stir in sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, once it starts to boil cook for 10 minutes. It should have started to thicken, if not cook for a few more minutes. Once thickened remove from heat and let it sit at room temp until cool. Pour into a bowl and cover, refrigerate until ready to use.
- *I typically will make this a day or two before and set in the fridge until I am ready to make the bars.
- For thin bars, prepare a 9×13 pan; this will have a thicker bottom crust. Spray with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper.For thicker bars, prepare a 9×9 pan; this will have a thicker bottom crust. Spray with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper.Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Add all of the dry bar ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix together using your hands.
- Add butter, using a pastry blender or your hands work the mixture into crumbs/pea-sized pieces. It will become a soft and crumbly mixture.
- Add 2/3 of the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and firmly pat down. Then top with cooled cherry filling. Add evenly the remaining crumb mixture on top of the cherries. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a light golden brown.
- Let bars completely cool. Cut bars into 9-12 serving and serve.
- Store at room temperature or my favorite in the fridge.
Video
These sound great. Thank you.
Should the third ingredient be butter instead of oats? Looks good will try it.
Thanks for the recipe. These look great. I love cherries.
I’m confused. Do you add 1 can of cherry pie filling to crumb mixture and then top with homemade cherries?
You don’t use any can filling just the cherry mixture you make nothing goes on top except the remaining crumb mixture
Not sure if this was edited or not..but the recipe says Add 2/3 of the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and firmly pat down. Then top with cooled cherry filling. Add evenly the remaining crumb mixture on top of the cherries.
You’re not using a can of cherry filling..you’re using 1 cup of the cherry filling..and then she gives you the recipe. I wouldnt use canned cherry filling at all..even out of season, way too sweet and ‘gummy’ if anything i’d use frozen cherry’s in place of fresh and then follow San’s recipe.
San…thank you thank you thank f or posting this..i live for these bars..my wallet does not..really neither does my waistline. They were ‘temporarily out’ at all the starbucks near me a few weeks ago..and i thought the world had ended!
Thank you for the clarification on the cherry filling and for making the suggestion of using frozen cherries.
Very helpful!!!
The recipe doesn’t say anything about a can of cherry pie filling.
Just to verify… I made the blueberry bars last month as a test since I couldn’t get fresh cherries (until yesterday). The filling was not as thick as it should have been so, in comparing the amount of cornstarch, the blueberry ones call for 4 teaspoons but the cherry recipe here is using 4 tablespoons. Please confirm: teaspoons or tablespoons? Thanks for posting this recipe!
Tablespoons ☺️
Can you substitute the cherry filling for plain old peanut butter?
I love that idea!!! Come back and let me know how it goes.
I used fresh cherries from the tree in my backyard and these turned out amazing!! They’re exactly like Starbucks! My husband and I loved them.
Maybe instead of two kinds of oats this should be 1/2 cup butter? Instructions say to crumble butter, but butter isn’t on list of ingredients? Typo?
It is two kinds of oats. There is butter listed – it’s a 3/4 cup.
☺️ San
These just came out of the oven and I can’t wait to eat them! I had to make two attempts in making the cherry filling because when I added the cornstarch to the mixture, the cornstarch clumped up really bad and I couldn’t whisk it into the mixture… I ended up tossing it into the trash. My second attempt, I mixed the cornstarch with the lemon juice into a paste first and then added it to the cherries/sugar in the hot pot. It easily dissolved into the cherry filling that allowed it to thicken up properly!
Butter is not listed in the PRINT version
I’m confused. The cherry oat bars from Starbucks have a butter crumble topping with no oats in it. Are you sure the crust and the crumble topping are the same recipe?
Thank you for this recipe. My son loves these bars, and I think they are seasonal. It is now September 7, 2016, and everything is all pumpkin and caramel at Starbucks! Do you think it would be OK to use a can of sour cherries (not cherry pie filling) and sweeten it? Or would it be better to go with the frozen cherries? Either way, I am very glad to have found this copycat recipe. My son (who is over 21!) was really disappointed when he couldn’t find them at Starbucks today.
I don’t think you need to make it sweeter. With that said I haven’t tried it either way, so when you do comeback and let me know. Also if you use frozen cherries drain them first to take out that extra liquid. ❤️ I didn’t know they were seasonal either. Thanks for letting me know.
Can I substitute frozen pitted sweet cherries if fresh cherries are out of season?
I have not tried this, if you do let me know how it turns out.
I am so addicted to Starbucks Michigan Cherry Oat Bars. I purchase one everyday with my ice coffee. Unfortunately, I have gained weight and am now on an eating plan. My dietitian tells me I have to let go of my FAVORITE morning treat. I am so happy to find this recipe, Hopefully she will approve of it. I will definitely make my favorite cherry oat bar soon! Yahoo! …so happy!
Are these made withnsweet cherries, like bing cherries or with the sour pie cherries?
Hi there, thank you for such a lovely recipe. Should the butter be salted or unsalted? Thank you.
Oh wow, these are trouble… I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one!
It’s definitely hard! Enjoy!
I love just about anything from Starbucks so I can’t wait to try these!!
I hope you enjoy them!
I can’t believe I have never had one before!! I can’t wait to try it!
Enjoy!
I can see why you’d want to keep them all to yourself!! They look fantastic!
They’re addictive for sure. Thank you!
I love when I can enjoy something at home rather than going out and getting it!
Definitely convenient! Enjoy!
there wasn’t enough liquid in the cherry mixture to boil so i kept adding water…. Looks like I’m the only one?
The juice from the cherries should add enough liquid for it to be the right consistency. It should just be enough to bubble and thicken. Maybe try with another batch of cherries, or try frozen ones. Hope this helps!
Such a great combo! Every ingredient works perfectly together !! I have been advised to include oats in my diet due to my medical condition and this recipe is a combo of Simple, quick and healthy. Thanks for sharing
I’ve made these about five times this cherry season and everyone who has tried them has loved them and asked for the recipe.
Thank-you for a great recipe.
This looks like so much fun!
They definitely are! Enjoy!
Topping was super dry and very very crumbly , not sure what I did wrong as followed the recipe to a t.
What should I add more butter or tablespoon soon of water ?
Could not eat as a bar, had to be on a plate .
Cherry mixture was good,
Hi Paula, I’m sorry to hear it turned out crumbly! You can add another tablespoon of butter at a time until you feel like it is too dry next time. Also, be sure to measure the flour by lightly spooning it into the measuring cup and not packing. If it’s packed, it will be too much and may make your baked goods dry. I hope this helps!
I have always loved these, now I can make them at home!
I hope you enjoy!
These Cherry Oat Bars would disappear in our house!
Enjoy!
Taste so much like the original — they taste fantastic! So glad I can make them at home now
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed them!
My kid can’t even stop eating these!! So good and delish!
So glad to hear they love them! Thank you!
I can’t wait to try these!! They look SO GOOD!!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy!
Absolutely amazing!! I am so excited to try these!
Thank you, enjoy!
These look so delicious and scrumptious! My son is going to love these! So excited to make these!
Thank you! I hope you and your son enjoy!
This is my favorite pastry to order from Starbucks! Excited that I can now make this from home; looks amazing!
I hope you enjoy it!
Hi I tried this recipe twice. The first time the crust was not so golden but the bars were delicious neveetheless. So the 2nd time I baked the bottom crust alone for 15mins first, then added the cherry filling and top crust and baked again. But this time the although the bars look golden brown they are extremely crumbly. What holds your bars together after cooling and cutting ?
It seems like the 2nd time around the bottom crust may have dried out from the first bake making it crumbly. The bars won’t turn a very deep golden brown, more of a light/pale color.
My husband just bought cherries this week – I know what we’ll be enjoying this weekend! So. Good!
These cherry bars are the right treat for our often picnics. I am sure my family will love them!
We just made it again and it was a huge hit!! A favorite at my house!
I love this! Will surely try this soon!
These are so much like the Starbucks ones! So delicious.
These cherry oat bars are an absolute favorite here! Such a delicious and yummy treat. We can’t wait to make these again!
Delicious! Made with King Arthur gluten free flour, turned out great!
While searching online, I came across your website. The first thing that attracted me was the name. What a thoughtful name – dash of sanity. Will follow your recipes and surely try them outs. Thanks.
I love cherries, the texture of the oats is perfect.
Do you think these could be frozen?
These should freeze very well. Just let them cool completely, cut, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. They should keep for about 3 months this way. When you want to eat them, just thaw at room temperature and enjoy!
Thank you so much for sharing I cannot wait to try this out!
I super love this! I can’t wait to try this at home. Thanks for this
These Cherry Oat Bars are look so distinctive!! Would love to try it!
This is my favorite treat. My family will be happy to make it at home!
These bars are such a delicious and heavenly dessert! Definitely satisfies our sweet tooth and one of our favorites! Will be making these again very soon!
I’m not a fan of cherries, or at least I didn’t think I was until I made these. Now my husband wants to plant a cherry tree in our backyard!
The bars were very dry and crumbly. I followed the recipe exactly except used half the sugar. I added some maple syrup for added moisture and sweetness. I used a very nice layer of cherries that I had cooked down so there was juice from those as well. Being a Michigan girl, I can tell you these are more like a crisp to be eaten with ice cream than a bar to stand alon.
Sorry, you had issues with the bar holding up. But really you didn’t follow the recipe, because you used 1/2 the sugar. Unless you follow the recipe exactly your star rating and comment are not true.
Second time making these and they are amazing!!!
When I made this recipe, I put th15oz canned cherry filling in with the 3 cups of pitted cherries. In a separate small bowl the half cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of corn starch mixed that together then added the lemon juice and mixed that well. Then added that to the cherries. The cherries did thicken. And why the 2 different oats. I made my with just one oats. The quick ones.