All Things Sweet | Baking | Cookies, Squares And Bars

Cherry Chews

ByMaureen Published OnNovember 16, 2013October 18, 2026 Updated onOctober 18, 2026

Passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and now to me, these Cherry Chews have been a Christmas baking tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. With cherries, coconut, nuts, and a sweet pink icing, they were always the treat.I looked forward to when my mom started her holiday baking. I’ve passed the recipe on to my girls, and now I am sharing it with. you!

Cherry Chews with pink frosting cut into squares, with two squares on a plate in the foreground, and more on a cooling rack behind.

This vintage holiday treats have brown sugar and oat crust, topped with a chewy coconut, cherry, and pecan filling with a hint of almond, and finished with a sweet pink icing. They have just the right combination of chewy sweetness and nutty crunch.

I love this recipe because it requires no electric mixer to prepare. In fact, I primarily use just one big bowl to make them. It makes a big 9 x 13 pan, and can be cut into bite size squares as big or as small as you like.

How To Make Classic Cherry Chews

Be sure to see the full printable recipe card with ingredient list below

Butter, brown sugar, and oats being mixed together with clean hands in a mixing bowl to make a crust for Cherry Chew bars.

Brown sugar, flour, butter and oats that have been rubbed together to make a crumbly mixture for Cherry Chews crust.

In a large mixing bowl, add brown sugar, oats, flour and baking soda. Rub together with clean hands or pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Press into parchment lined 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

Maraschino cherries being strained and juice reserved in a small bowl.

Brown sugar and almond extracted whisked into beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Drain cherries, reserving juice, pat them dry with paper towel and cut each in half. In the same bowl used to mix crust ingredients, beat eggs, whisk in brown sugar and almond extract. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture and stir to combine well. Fold in the coconut, drained cherries and chopped pecans.

Filling for Cherry Chews being spread onto the baked crust with a rubber spatula.

Cherry chill filling mixture and chopped pecans spread over prepared crust before baking.

Spread over baked crust with a spatula, spreading to fully cover crust, return to oven and bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Maraschino cherry juice added to icing sugar and soft butter before mixing.

In a large bowl sift 1 cup of confectioners sugar. Add softened butter and 2 tablespoons of reserved cherry juice, and 1/8 teaspoon almond extract. Stir until smooth and desired consistency is reached, adding more cherry juice if required. I usually end up using 4 to 5 tablespoons. This will give a light coating of frosting for the squares. For a thicker layer of icing the ingredients can be doubled as I often do, however it is meant to be more like a thick glaze than a heavy layer of frosting. It should be similar to the icing on cinnamon buns.

Three cherry chews squares on a plate with more cooling on a rack in the background.

Storage Suggestions

These Cherry Chews freeze well, for up to a month. Simply cool completely cut, and place in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper. For short term storage, up to 4 days, store them covered in the refrigerator.

There you have it. One of my earliest memories of Christmas courtesy of a vintage cherry chews passed down through the generations, and a recipe that will sure become one of your family favourites too!

More Holiday Baking Recipes

Old Fashioned Cherry Nut Bread

Cherry Bakewell Tarts

Cherry Chews

Maureen Reynolds

Cherry Chews are a vintage Christmas treat passed down through generations of our family. They feature a brown sugar and oat crust topped with a chewy cherry, coconut and pecan filling, a hint of almond, and sweet pink icing. Easy to make without an electric mixer, they’re baked in a 9 x 13 pan and cut into squares for sharing during the holidays.

4.42 from 82 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Course Baking

Cuisine Dessert

Servings squares

Equipment

9 by 13 inch cake pan
2 mixing bowls

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter

Filling

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup well drained maraschino cherries, halved reserve juice
½ cup chopped pecans

Frosting

1 ½ tablespoons soft butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
2-5 tablespoons reserved cherry juice start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed
⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 9 by 13 cake pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.

For Crust

Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or rub in using clean hands until mixture is crumbly. Press into greased 9 by 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

For Filling

In a large bowl beat eggs, whisk in brown sugar and almond extract until smooth. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt, stir to fully incorporate. Fold in coconut, halved cherries and chopped pecans.
Spread mixture over prepared crust using an offset spatula. Bake at 350℉ for 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing frosting.

For frosting

Combine icing sugar, 2 tablespoons reserved cherry juice, butter and almond extract, stir until smooth. Add additional cherry juice or confectioners sugar to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cooled filling. Icing should be a smooth consistency that is somewhat thin, as it is more of a thick glaze then an actual frosting.

Notes

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or for longer storage freeze in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers, for up to a month for best flavour.

Tried this recipe?Please consider !

https://www.redcottagechronicles.com/baking/cherry-chews/

Maureen

4.42 from 82 votes (81 ratings without comment)