Cherry Bars are super easy to make and are bursting with fruity flavor. You can make the cherry squares with fresh or frozen cherries, or a can of cherry pie filling!
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a 20cm square / 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Note: I use a cherry pitter to take the stones out of cherries. It’s an inexpensive gadget that makes it super quick to pit them. If you don’t have one, you can use a paperclip to hook them out, a metal straw to push them out or a piping nozel will work too.
Add the cherries to a pan over a medium/low heat. Stir the cornstarch into 1 teaspoon of the orange juice to make a slurry and stir into the cherries along with the remaining orange juice. Heat for 5 minutes or until thick. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the melted coconut oil and almond extract and rub it together gently to make a crumbly dough.
Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, into an even layer.
Spread the cherries onto the base, then cover with the remaining flour mixture and sprinkle the almonds onto the top.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the topping begins to turn golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.