These oatmeal cherry chocolate chip bars have a buttery oat crust, a layer of cherry pie filling, and a golden crumble with mini chocolate chips. They look a little fancy once you cut into them, and you can make them in a 9-by-13-inch pan with a can of cherry pie filling.

Pumpkin is everywhere right now. I love it, but there's something about that bright layer of cherries and the little bits of chocolate on top that makes me want to bring these instead. They're the kind of thing you can make for somebody's birthday or cut into squares and take along when you're getting together with friends.

Three oatmeal cherry chocolate chip bars on a white plate with gold and gray stars

The cherry bars Roxana made for her nephew's birthday

Roxana of The Red Eye Baker first shared these bars here in 2015. Her mom had given her some homemade sour cherry filling, and she had a nephew's birthday coming up. She was off cake duty that year, so she took an oatmeal bar recipe she already made and tried it with the cherries. When school started, her daughter asked for those same bars in her lunch. That's how a birthday bake became a repeat request. You can find more of Roxana's recipes on JavaCupcake.

A buttery oat crust, tart cherries, and chocolate on top

The oat mixture does double duty. Press most of it into the pan for a base that holds together when you pick up a square. Save a cup to scatter over the cherries. That part stays loose, so it bakes up with golden clumps and little pockets of chocolate. The sour cherries give you a tart bite between the two buttery oat layers.

When I priced out the canned-filling version, the ingredients that actually went into the pan came to about $8.30, or 35 to 46 cents a bar if you cut 18 to 24 squares. Starting with an empty pantry was closer to $22 for full packages, with oats, flour, and other staples left over. Prices vary by store, but I like what you get for the cost of a pan. It feels like you brought dessert for a celebration.

What makes these cherry oatmeal bars work

Quick oats or old-fashioned oats. Both work in the original recipe. Old-fashioned oats give the crumble more visible flakes, while quick oats give it a finer texture.
Melted butter and packed brown sugar. Melted butter coats the dry ingredients with a few stirs, and brown sugar gives the oats a little molasses flavor. The mixture should look crumbly and evenly moistened.
Cherry pie filling. One 21-ounce can is the easy option. If you already have homemade sour cherry filling, use 2½ cups. If you're making it from scratch, here's my homemade cherry pie filling recipe.
Mini chocolate chips. Stir them into the cup of oat mixture you save for the topping. The smaller chips spread through the crumble so even a small square gets some chocolate.

Bowl of dry ingredients beside melted butter, cherry pie filling, and an empty baking pan

How to make oatmeal cherry chocolate chip bars

Mix the oats and bake the crust first

Stir the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together, then stir in the melted butter. Scoop out 1 cup for the topping. Press the rest evenly into a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch pan, all the way into the corners. The flat bottom of a measuring cup helps even it out. Bake the base at 350°F for 15 minutes so it has a chance to set before the filling goes on.

Spread the cherries and scatter the crumble

While the crust bakes, stir the mini chocolate chips into the reserved oat mixture. Spread the cherry filling across the baked crust, then scatter the topping over it. A few patches of cherry showing through are fine. Bake for another 15 to 18 minutes. Look for golden oat crumble and cherry filling bubbling up between the crumbs.

Spreading cherry pie filling over the baked oat crust with a spoon

Let the pan cool before you slice it

Give the bars time to cool completely in the pan. The filling firms up as it cools, which helps keep the layers together when you lift out a square. Cut 18 for bigger dessert portions or 24 if you're putting them on a tray to share.

Baked cherry oatmeal bars in the pan with several squares removed and a spatula ready to serve

For dessert, put a square on a plate and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I like letting it soften just enough to melt into the crumble.

Oatmeal cherry chocolate chip bar topped with vanilla ice cream on a gold-and-gray star plate

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars for another layered dessert you can cut into squares.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread if you're bringing something to share over coffee.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies for a soft, warmly spiced addition to a dessert tray.

If you make these, tell me which cherry filling you used. The full measurements and printable recipe are below.

18-24 bars