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–+ servings
4.64 from 11 votes

Amarena Cherry Ricotta Bars

Inspired by a trip to Florence, Italy, my Amarena Cherry Ricotta Bars are perfectly moist with a graham cracker crust, and studded with Amarena cherries.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 9 squares
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust:

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp almond milk
  • 1 Tbsp sugar

For the filling:

  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste, (or additional tsp vanilla extract)
  • 1 tsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ tsp lime zest, freshly grated
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¾ cup flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 25 Amarena cherries, cut each cherry in half

Instructions

Make the crust

  • Add the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, almond milk, and sugar to a small mixing bowl. With a spatula, mix everything together. Set the spatula aside, and use your fingers to finish mixing everything together.
  • Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom of an oiled 8x8 inch glass baking dish.

Add the cherries

  • Now arrange your sliced Amarena cherries on top of the crust.
  • I like to get as many cherries in these bars as possible, so I arrange the cherries in rows very close together. Set aside.

Make the filling

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, vanilla paste, lime juice, and zest.
  • Now add the egg and milk. Whisk until incorporated.
  • Next, add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until everything is smooth and incorporated.

Compile the bars

  • Pour the filling evenly over the crust and cherries. Try not to displace the cherries, but don’t worry too much—the cherries will stay pretty stationary on their own.

Bake the bars

  • Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the top and edges are golden brown. The middle will be mostly set, but there will still be a slight bit of jiggle.

Cool the bars

  • Like cheesecake, these bars won’t acquire their final texture and taste until they've cooled completely. Let the bars cool to room temperature for 2 hours before slicing.

Serve and enjoy!

  • Serve these bars as a holiday or year-round treat.
  • Store these Amarena Cherry Ricotta Bars in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to 3 days.

Notes

It's critical that these bars cool completely before slicing.  Let them cool for 2 hours on the countertop before slicing.