These Cherry Bing Bars, quickly became a holiday favorite. They are full of delicious flavor with just the right amount of cherry. They are so easy to make, and every one will love these.
These cherry bing bars are the perfect fruity flavors and chocolate combination. The cherry pie filling and pie crust combination of a cherry pie has always been one of my favorite desserts. These cherry bing bars bring the cherry flavor and the crunch combination that I love in a cherry pie, but in a delicious bar form! The combination of cherry, chocolate mixture, and peanut butter has always been a family favorite so I knew I needed to learn how to make these for my friends and family.
I had never really tried making these myself, until I read the recipe and decided these Cherry Bing Bars actually looked pretty easy.
Sure enough, they were so easy, and so delicious. They have just the right amount of cherry and chocolate. This has now become a family tradition at our house.
Whenever I ask my kids what holiday dessert they want to start with in December, they almost always ask for these bars. I think the combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and cherry is the perfect mix that pleases everyone in the family!
One of the best ways to impress your friends and family will be with this easy bake dessert. It seems like a difficult dessert to muster up upon first taste and impression but it really is so easy. When the Christmas ads start playing and the kids want to enjoy the joys of christmas time, this is one of the first treats I make. The cherry pie bars are one of the best things that we have to look forward to throughout the year. Everytime I make these bars I think about the first time that I tried this treat, and the inspirational story that came with it.
The first time that I had these cherry bing bars was when I was around ten years old at one of my best friends’ family holiday parties. I remember they were displayed on a 3-tiered dish meant for cupcakes. These bars were bright red on the bottom, with a delicious brown topping, and a bright red cherry individually placed on each slice. I looked around the room at all of the treats and I knew that it would be the best one. I made my way over to the table and reached to grab one of the delicious little treats. As I reached over to grab one, my friend’s grandma stopped me.
“Come on!” I thought, although I smiled at her and waited for her to speak. She went on to tell me the family history of cherry bing bars. She told me that her family was originally from South Dakota where this treat is most popular. When she was young she tried these bars for the first time and she learned how to make them quickly. Her mom let her try out this recipe and was very impressed by how quickly she had learned how to make them. Her mom suggested that she share this treat with the family to see what they thought of these yummy bars.
She made them for her family and everyone was extremely impressed. She was only 8 years old at the time and she had created a new Christmas tradition (one that would continue for years to come).
She explained that while these bars are a simple recipe, they flared her love for baking and she continued on to make a career for herself from her love of baking. She went from making cherry bing bars, to creating her own pastries, cookies, and cakes! She would create batches of these delights and then sell them at whatever fairs, festivals, and bake-shops she could find. She continued to bake, sell, and improve. Every year her family thought she would grow sick of baking and move onto something else, but she never did.
Once my friend’s grandma was 16 years old she had earned enough money from her freelance baking business to open up her very own shop. She named this shop, “Cherry Bing’s Bakery” after her original baking inspiration. She went on to run this shop for 50 years before passing the reins to her daughter who still continued to run the shop to that very day.
She explained that the Cherry Bing Bars had been a massive inspiration for her and that she thought of her incredible life every time she looked at the bars. When someone in her family would ask her to teach them how to bake, she always taught them how to make Cherry Bing Bars, very first. She explained that these bars are easy but the delicious and unique flavor creates an excellent pairing to create an early love for baking. She taught all ten of her grandchildren how to make these bars, along with many of her other recipes.
She additionally let me know that she continued to make Cherry Bing Bars every single year with her children and her grandchildren. Every year they would switch it up, some years they would add almond extract in addition to peanut butter, and other years they would do cashews or almonds instead of peanuts and peanut butter altogether. This tradition was something extremely special to her, and she was thrilled to be able to share this with the people who she loved the very most.
Once my friend’s grandma was done explaining this heart-warming story I understood why she stopped me. She wanted to share her inspirational story with another young girl who might have a spark of baking passion inside her. Luckily for me, this was extremely true! I didn’t learn how to make Cherry Bing Bars until recently but the passion for baking was always within me, and that story certainly helped me discover that passion. Once I was finished listening to her story she encouraged me to take my first bite. Wow! These bars were incredible and I understood the passion behind her story even more in that moment. The display of the bars, the taste of the bars, and the ease of the recipe, all combined into the perfect holiday dessert!
I have no idea if her business is still open today but I will never forget the inspiring story. It is very inspiring to hear where individuals find their passion and it is very cool to have that passion tied to a specific recipe.So after hearing this story, it goes without saying, it’s just not Christmas without these Cherry Bing Bars!
The story behind these Cherry Bing Bars
In honor of our cookbook,12 Days of Christmas with Six Sisters’ Stuff, we hosted a recipe contest to find YOUR favorite holiday recipes.
After a lot of baking, cooking and sampling we have chosen 12 of our reader’s favorite recipes. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Today we are featuring Cherry Bing Bars submitted by Robin Plante.
This is one of Robin’s favorite Christmas goodies. She found it crazy that you could never find cherry chips other than the holidays.
Robin and her sister would get so excited when they would see them in the cupboard. That meant mom was going to be making Cherry Bing Bars soon.
They didn’t last long at her house. This is a delicious dessert, all the way from South Dakota. These are so easy to make and our family loved them too.
Related Recipe: You’ll love our delicious Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds! And they make your house smell amazing!
What could I use in place of the peanut butter and peanuts?
I am a huge peanut butter fan. I am the person that goes at it with a spoon.
However, I have recently found a love for almond butter. It is so delicious, and has the best texture – thick and creamy, with an amazing almond flavor.
If you don’t like peanuts, you could also switch out the peanuts for almonds as well.
I’ve also tried making this with cashew butter and almond butter and it was also very yummy. You could also replace the peanuts with cashews, and it will still be a holiday hit. Everyone will love it.
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How to make Cherry Bing Bars:
Just a few simple ingredients come together to make these amazing Cherry Bing Bars.
If you have a hard time finding the Cherry Chips, you can always find them on HERE.
- Start by combining the sugar, evaporated milk, marshmallows, and margarine in a pan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Leave it at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes and stir the entire time.
- Remove from heat and add cherry chips and vanilla.
- Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been lightly sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Let cool and set up. You can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Add in the peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Stir together well.
- Spread the chocolate layer over the set up cherry layer very carefully. Chill in the fridge until set.
- When they are set up, slice and serve.
Watch all of our favorite holiday recipes:
Did you know we have a Youtube Channel? We created it, with specifically, YOU in mind. We love making simple and delicious recipes, and decided we wanted to actually show you how to make them.
Each recipe is tried and true, so you know even your pickiest eaters will love it.
We take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make our recipes, so they turn out perfectly every time.
Looking for more holiday treats? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Trail Mix
- Christmas Tree Cupcake Topper
- Cake Mix Cookies
- Santa Cookies
- Christmas Tree Brownies
Serves: 30
Cherry Bing Bars Recipe
4 from 1 vote
This Cherry Bing Bar recipe is a simple chocolate and cherry dessert that is rich and creamy!
Prep Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
PrintPin
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 12 large marshmallows
- ½ cup margarine
- 10 ounces cherry chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 11.5 ounces milk chocolate chips
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup salted peanuts chopped
Instructions
Combine sugar, milk, marshmallows and margarine in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Boil for 5 minutes at a rolling boil and stir the entire time.
Remove from heat and add cherry chips and vanilla.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch lightly greased pan and let cool and set up. (Speed up the process by placing in the fridge.)
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and add peanut butter and chopped peanuts.
Mix together well and spread over the cherry mixture and chill in fridge until set.
Notes
WHAT COULD I USE IN PLACE OF THE PEANUT BUTTER AND PEANUTS?
I am a huge peanut butter fan. I am the person that goes at it with a spoon.
However, I have recently found a love for almond butter. It is so delicious, and has the best texture – thick and creamy, with an amazing almond flavor.
If you don’t like peanuts, you could also switch out the peanuts for almonds as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 199 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 9 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Cholesterol: 3 mg · Sodium: 132 mg · Potassium: 98 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 24 g · Vitamin A: 158 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 24 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Equipment
sauce pan
9×13" Baking Pan
Mixing Bowl
Recipe Details
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Join The Discussion
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Julia says:
OH MY!!! These look absolutely heavenly!!!! What inspired you to make these? Post it in your Besty List http://www.thebesty.com/sixsistersstuff
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Cindy says:
These sound really yummy, kinda reminds me of a Cherry Mash candy!! Can't wait to try!!!
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Janet says:
These look good! I guess you could use butter instead of margarine? I am off to find cherry chips. Any idea where to look? Thanks for the recipe. Pinned :)
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michelle mallett says:
Same question here where can I get cherry chips? Also how many pieces does this make?
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robin says:
They usually have either an 'end cap' by the other baking chips or they will be right in with the normal baking chips. At least that is where they have always been for me when I make them every year! :-)
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Cyd says:
You can order them on line. Wal Mart sells Log House Cherry Baking Chips in a 10 ounce bag. If you have a kitchen/cooking store in your area, they sell all flavors of chips. A lot of the stores sell them during the holidays. Amazon also sells Cherry Baking Chips, but they are cheaper if you can find them in the grocery store. Hope this helps!!
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Cyd says:
You put it in a 9 x 13 inch pan. You can cut them in any size you want. They are creamy and rich, so smaller bars are fine too. When cutting them in the pan we did about 5 across and 6 down, giving us 30 bars!
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Cyd says:
We made the recipe exactly as it was sent to us in our 12 Days of Christmas Recipe Contest. Not all of the stores have the holiday baking chips out yet. You can also order them online if you have a hard time finding them. I used Orson Gygi cherry chips. You can order them at gygi.com. They have amazing baking supplies.
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robin says:
Thanks - -- I can't wait to get a copy of your cookbook!!!
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Jen says:
Can you use other chips (like not cherry) for this recipe too? I don't like cherry flavors but I'm curious if some other sort of berry chip (I'm not sure what kind because I don't know what kinds are available, never even knew there were cherry chips before today!) would work! What do you think? :)
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Cyd says:
I'm sure any flavor of chip will work. You don't see many fruit flavored chips. Sometimes they sell them at specialty baking stores. You can buy raspberry, strawberry and blueberry baking chips on amazon.
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Tracie says:
I couldn't find the cherry chips anywhere local so I'm trying vanilla chips using cherry candy and baking flavoring I found @ Michaels along with red food coloring. Fingers crossed!
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Kim johnson says:
im getting ready to make these, but was wondering what size marshmallows you mean. The small ones or the ones you would roast over a fire?
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Cyd says:
The big regular sized ones you roast over a fire! :)
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Carol Evans says:
These Cherry Bing Bars looks really yummy, but unfortunately we have a peanut allergy in our household. Has anyone tried these without the peanuts & peanut butter? If so, did you substitute something else instead or just leave them out? Thanks!
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Heather says:
If you love these bars, you need to make a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, to Palmer Candy Company! These bars taste almost as good as Bing candy bars made only by Palmer Candy Co.
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Anne Cassidy says:
I've been making these at Christmas time for over 30 years. I send them to my 5 brothers every year, but finding the cherry chips is a challenge for me. At times my sisters have found them where they live and mailed them to me. Once, when even they couldn't locate any, and my youngest brother heard he would be without his favorite Christmas treat, he ordered a case online and split them between his 3 sisters!
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Alanna says:
To save time, I have found that substituting crunchy peanut butter for the creamy works wonderfully! (Then I omit the chopped peanuts)
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Janet Schofield says:
Six sisters, can the tuff that has to boil form5 min. Be done in the microwave? Thanks
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Cyd says:
I would definitely do it over the stove top. It boils steady for 5 minutes and you need to stir it the entire time.
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Gwen Patton says:
It actually is cherry mash, I make them alot.
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Gwen Patton says:
Wal-Mart is where I found..
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Gwen Patton says:
I used butter. Perfect.
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Sabrina B says:
Had never heard of cherry chips before, this was linked at the bottom of a recent post so in taking a look was pleased to discover these, how interesting, thank you for sharing this!
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Cynthia says:
I would like to use the marchino cherry juice in the recipe called Bing Bars. Would you be able to tell me IF and how much juice would replace the cherry chips?
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Cyd says:
Cherry juice is a totally different consistency than melted cherry chips. I don't think this would work. We have only made these as directed on the recipe.
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Hopeful says:
Our cherry portion didn't set up. What did we do wrong? Anyone else have this problem?
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Deanna says:
I would guess it is because you didn't boil it long enough, have to get to candy temp to set. Like when you make fudge.
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Connie Boyd says:
I have made these for the holidays for many years. The last few years, it has been difficult to impossible to remove both layers from the pan at the same time. The layers separate. Any suggestions on what I need to do? Thanks!
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Cyd says:
Hi Connie. I'm not sure what is causing your layers to separate. I have not had that problem. You are stirring the mixture constantly as it boils for 5 minutes over medium heat?
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Emily says:
Our chocolate layer turned out much too thin, not near enough mixture to cover the cherry layer ?
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Christa says:
I couldn’t find cherry chips at Walmart this year. On Amazon they want $15/bag, which is insane. If you live in the Midwest, I finally found some at HyVee on an end cap. Didn’t look at Fareway, but that was the next place on my list.
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Monica says:
Frustrated. I followed the recipe exactly, boiled the mixture the precise amount of time, coated my aluminum foil plenty and it was a disaster. The bottom never set up, it separated from the chocolate, and it all stuck to the foil. When I scooped it off the foil, though, it tasted delicious as I was throwing it away. Open to any suggestions!
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Dot McQuade says:
Could you use marshmellow creme in place of marshmellows?
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Fran says:
What makes my Cherry layer and chocolate layer separate? I let the cherry layer cool before I poured the chocolate on and they both set up beautifully, but as soon as I cut them, they fell apart? This has happened the last couple of years. I didn't have this trouble other years and I followed your recipe completely.
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LJ says:
I haven't tried to make these yet, but I remember my ex's step mom used to make them and she said if the humidity is high do not make them or they won't set up just like divinity.....hope this helps!
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Barb Elgersma says:
Good idea
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Cyd says:
We have not used marshmallow creme in place of the marshmallows, but this is what I found when I googled it for you. According to Kraft-General Foods Inc., a 7-ounce jar of marshmallow creme may be used in place of 4 cups of miniature marshmallows or 40 large marshmallows when making Rice Krispies treats.So this recipes calls for 12 big marshmallows which would equal about 1/4 of the marshmallow creme container. Hope this helps. Keep us posted!!
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Angela S. Hinkeldey says:
Have a question..when I go to cut into my bars after they've been in the fridge the chocolate and cherry layer separate why is this?
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Kelli says:
Fareway has cherry chips
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Gloria Roberts says:
Have you ever tried putting chopped maraschino cherries in the bottom layer?
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Marilyn Winter says:
Can you freeze these so you can make them ahead of time.
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Cyd says:
Yes, Cherry Bing bars freeze well!
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Ellen Robison says:
I am so excited to find this recipe! My mother in law made these for years, but since her passing none of her family have been able to successfully make cherry mash...until now! Thank you!
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Cyd says:
Hi Ellen. Here is another recipe that is similar to the Cherry Bing Bars. They are both delicious and very similar. The Cherry Chocolate Nut Bars have cherry frosting in them. YUM! https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/cherry-chocolate-nut-bars/
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Brenda Rasmus says:
What can be substituted for peanut butter? I love your recipes and you tube channel
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Dodi says:
I actually have a recipe for using cherries instead of the chips. I'm trying to find it back at the moment
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Holly says:
Any reason you couldn't use semi-sweet instead of milk chocolate chips?
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Momma Cyd says:
If you are a semi sweet chocolate lover you could absolutely use semi sweet chocolate chips in this recipe.
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Debbie Tortorice says:
Yes, you are right. The second time I made these, the 2 layers separated. Any idea why? The mash was yummy, but wonder if it’s sort of sticky consistency is the problem?? Even though it seems fine. I just don’t know if I did something wrong and cooking the mash maybe that’s why the layers are separating.?? Sounds like you have a lot of experience with this.
About The Author:
Momma Cyd
Cyd is the mom of the six sisters and joined the team early on to help out. She shares the best of the best recipes from her kitchen, as well as responds to all the questions and comments on every post.
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