Cherry Almond Oat Squares
Cherry Almond Oat Squares feature a classic flavour pairing in an irresistibly delicious bake with chewy oats and a white chocolate topping. So easy to make with an all-in-one method similar to flapjacks, but with a lighter, non-sticky texture.
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Who doesn’t love the combination of cherries and almonds? Here in Britain, it’s probably best represented by cherry Bakewell tart. This is a shortcrust pastry case with a layer of jam in the bottom, topped with almond sponge, and finished with icing and half a glacé cherry. Individual ones are known as cherry Bakewells and tons of them are mass produced. Both are derived from Bakewell Pudding; a warm dessert of puff pastry, raspberry jam, and almond filling. It’s named after the Derbyshire Peak District town where it was first made.
But I’ve discovered a new and oh-so-easy way to enjoy the rich flavour of homemade cherry Bakewell. There’s just one problem with my outrageously delicious Cherry Almond Oat Squares though. Trying to eat just one!
CHERRY ALMOND OAT SQUARES
The inspiration for this recipe came from my Carrot Cake Oat Bars. Based on rolled or porridge oats and melted butter, they’re similar to flapjacks, but are less sticky and, with a little self-raising flour included, a touch more cake-like. So, while wanting to keep the simplicity of the flapjack mix-it-all-in method (basically stir the wet ingredients into the dry and bake), I decided to take it further in the lighter direction by also adding an egg. And the result was outstanding.
Not quite a flapjack, a biscuit, or a cake, but some special combination of all three, my Cherry Almond Oat Squares are honestly the nicest sweet bake I’ve made this year. The oats in the rich, buttery squares bring chewy wholesomeness. Together, crunchy almonds and almond extract give bags of marzipan-like flavour. Then there’s a generous amount of juicy glacé cherries in every bite.
To make them extra special, I finish the baked and cooled squares with a delicate layer of melted white chocolate, more nuts, and half a cherry on each one. But you could certainly leave off the chocolate topping and still enjoy these wonderful, flavourful bites. Or even swap in a simple almond icing drizzle.
Either way, you’re going to have a truly fantastic bake that everyone who likes cherry and almond will absolutely love!
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY ALMOND OAT SQUARES
You’ll find a recipe card at the end with ingredient amounts and full instructions. But I recommend you first read the whole of this post for extra tips plus images to guide you.
For accuracy when baking, I always recommend you use digital scales (affiliate link) and metric measurements. This is the way I create and test my recipes, so can’t vouch for the results if you attempt to convert them e.g. to American cups. You’ll also need a square baking tin with a base approximately 20 x 20 cm (affiliate link). To make removal easier, you should line the tin with baking paper and brush with melted butter.
MAKE & BAKE THE BASE
You start by simply stirring together all the dry ingredients: quartered or roughly chopped glacé cherries, rolled or porridge oats, caster sugar, self-raising flour, flaked almonds, and a pinch of salt. If you don’t have flaked almonds then chopped is fine. You can also replace the self-raising flour with plain/all-purpose plus a teaspoon of baking powder. As the cherries are sticky, pieces can clump together so I run my fingers through the mixture to separate and give them all a light coating of flour.
Next, you add a teaspoon of almond extract to the remaining melted butter. Stir this into the dry mixture, followed by a beaten egg. Now give it all a really good stir, ensuring the cherries are nicely distributed. Transfer the mixture to your lined and buttered tin. Spread it evenly, gently pressing down until smooth.
It now goes into an oven preheated to the temperature shown in the recipe card. Approximately 23 – 25 minutes is all it needs to set and become golden brown. A clue to when it’s done is that the edges should be very slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin. If in doubt, switch off the oven but leave the bake in for 2 – 3 minutes more.
THE TOPPING
The warm, almondy aroma you’ll experience when you take the Cherry Almond Oat Squares out of the oven is incredible. But we have a couple more things to make them even better.
First, while the bake is still hot and in its tin, take a knife and cut into 16 squares. Cutting now instead of when it’s cold means the squares are much less likely to crumble. You could cut into 8 bars if preferred. But the finished item with its topping is pretty rich, so a sixteenth will probably be enough for most people. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out using the baking paper. Transfer the whole thing to a cooling rack and leave until cold before adding the topping.
Unlike my Triple Chocolate Tiffin which have a really thick chocolate layer, I decided on a thinner, more delicate one for this recipe. Together with white rather than milk or dark chocolate, I think this enhances rather than detracts from the oats, almonds, and cherries. Of course you could swap in other chocolate if you prefer, or reduce the amount and drizzle it. If you don’t want any chocolate then leave off: they’ll still be good. Alternatively, you could replace with a drizzle of simple icing; I’ve given details in the recipe card notes.
For the full chocolate topping, you’ll need 100 grams of white chocolate broken into squares. I melt it in my microwave in 10 second blasts until nearly all the chocolate has melted. When there’s just a few small pieces left, I vigorously stir until they’re melted too. You can also melt it on top of the stove and I’ve given instructions in the recipe card. Peel away the sides of the baking paper and pour the chocolate over the cooled squares.
Working quickly before it sets, spread the chocolate over the whole top. While the chocolate is still wet, place half a glacé cherry in the middle of each square, pressing down lightly. Now sprinkle the tops with chopped almonds (or flaked almonds if that’s what you have) and set aside until the chocolate has firmed up.
SERVING & STORING CHERRY ALMOND OAT SQUARES
Once the chocolate has set take a sharp knife and cut through the lines you made earlier, separating the bake into 16 Cherry Almond Oat Squares. I challenge you to now NOT immediately bite into one!
I had a feeling these were going to be good. But I wasn’t prepared for just how good. Not just that perfect pairing of cherries and almonds which, after all, is a classic for good reason. It’s the texture of chewy oats with nuggets of nutty crunchiness plus moist cherries that’s so satisfying. And much nicer than a straight flapjack which can be dense and overly-sticky.
Stored in an airtight container, the oat squares should be fine for at least 5 days. In warm weather you can store in the fridge or even freeze. But do bring back to room temperature for the very best eating experience.
Definitely my favourite sweet bake so far this year, if you like cherries and almonds I think you’ll love these easy treats too.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Cherry Almond Oat Squares
The classic pairing of cherries and almonds in an irresistibly delicious bake with chewy oats and a white chocolate topping. So easy to make with an all-in-one method similar to flapjacks, but with a lighter, non-sticky texture.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe using metric measurements and digital scales.
Ingredients
- 150 g butter
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 med-large egg (beaten)
Dry ingredients
- 200 g glacé cherries (quartered or roughly chopped)
- 180 g rolled or porridge oats
- 150 g caster sugar
- 100 g self-raising flour (or plain/all-purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
- 60 g flaked almonds (can be replaced with chopped almonds)
- 1 pinch salt
For the topping (see Recipe Notes for alternatives)
- 100 g white chocolate
- 8 glacé cherries (cut in half to give 16 pieces)
- 1 - 2 tbsp chopped almonds (can be replaced with flaked almonds)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180°C /160°C Fan /Gas 4 / 350°F with a shelf in the middle position.
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Take a baking tin with an approximately 20cm square base and line it with baking paper so it comes above the sides of the tin: this will make the bake easier to remove later.
Melt the butter and use some of it to grease the paper using a pastry brush.
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Put ALL the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together.
Tip: if the cherries stick together, run your hands through the mixture to separate them and ensure all have a coating of flour.
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Add the teaspoon of almond extract to the remaining melted butter, tip into the mixing bowl, and stir thoroughly.
Add the beaten egg and stir again until everything is thoroughly mixed.
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and spread it evenly, smoothing the top and ensuring it goes right into the corners.
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Put in the preheated oven and bake for 23 - 25 minutes until set, golden brown, and the edges are slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin.
Tip: if in doubt, turn off the oven and leave for a further 2 - 3 minutes.
-
Remove the tin from the oven and cut the bake into 16 squares while hot and still in the tin.
Set aside for 10 minutes then, using the baking paper as 'handles' lift out of the tin and leave on a cooling rack until cold.
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Add the topping
Peel away the sides of the baking paper.
Break the white chocolate into pieces and put in a microwave-safe bowl.
Melt on full power in 10 second bursts, stirring between each one, until just a few small pieces of un-melted chocolate remain. Stir vigorously until completely smooth.
Alternative: on top of the stove. Melt in a heatproof bowl above a pan of gently simmering water. Stir constantly and make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the melted chocolate all over the cold oat squares and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly in a thin layer: work quickly before the chocolate sets.
While the chocolate is still wet, place a halved glacé cherry in the centre of each square and press down lightly.
Sprinkle the top of each square with chopped almonds and set aside until the chocolate has firmed (can be stored covered in the fridge in warm weather).
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Use a sharp knife to cut through the chocolate layer and separate into 16 Cherry Almond Oat Squares to serve.
Should keep for at least 5 days. Can be stored in the fridge or frozen if necessary, but best brought back to room temperature before eating.
Recipe Notes
Topping alternatives
- Replace the white chocolate with dark or milk
- Reduce the chocolate by half and drizzle over rather than adding a complete layer
- Replace with a drizzle of icing: sift 75 g of icing sugar, add 1 tbsp of milk or water plus half teaspoon of almond extract. Use a small whisk to combine, adding more liquid a drop at a time until you have a pouring consistency. Drizzle over the cooled oat squares and continue with the recipe.
- Cherry Almond Oat Squares will still be good with no topping at all.
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