Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars – a red velvet cookie crust, a sweet cheese layer, cherry pie filling, vanilla pudding, and a whipped topping make these bars the perfect holiday treat. Or better yet, enjoy them all year ’round.
It’s almost Valentine’s Day!
Do you have big plans?
We don’t. After we were married a few years we just decided to stop. There are things we do for each other all year long, so we don’t feel the need to spend the money on that one holiday. Besides, if I want a box of chocolates, I’ll go buy them myself. 😉
SAVE THIS DREAM BAR RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
For these bars, I wanted a red velvet crust because well, Valentine’s Day. I used a cake mix without adding the water to make it more of a thicker cookie base. I’d thought about using the red velvet Oreos, but didn’t think they’d give me the color for the crust I was going for.
Since I used the cake mix, I had to use a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. I usually make my Dream Bar recipes in an 8 X 8 dish, but not everything will fit in the pan because the cake mix expands so much. If you want to cut the recipe in half, my suggestion would be to use one package of the Red Velvet Oreos. Then, proceed with the crust as directed in this recipe.
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Save this to your favorite Pinterest Dessert board!
While browsing Pinterest, these lush desserts caught my eye-
Pistachio Lush from The Midnight Baker
Butterscotch Lush from Spicy Southern Kitchen
No-Bake Samoa Lush from Beyond Frosting
For these Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars, I used this baking dish, spatula, and cake mix.
Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars
Ingredients
- 1 16.5- ounce package Red Velvet cake mix do not follow ingredient directions on package
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 2 3.4- ounce packages instant vanilla pudding
- 3 cups milk
- 10 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 21- ounce can cherry pie filling
- 2 8- ounce containers Cool Whip Dairy Whip can also be used as a substitute
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by spraying it lightly with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the canola oil and cake mix and mix together until thoroughly combined with no lumps.
- Press batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until set in the middle.
- Transfer baking dish to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding mix and milk. Place into refrigerator to set.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and combine.
- Fold in two cups of the Cool Whip.
To Assemble
- Place dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled cookie crust and spread evenly.
- Place the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese and spread.
- Add the vanilla pudding.
- Cover with remaining Cool Whip.
- Place into refrigerator to set for at least two hours.
- Before serving, decorate with red colored sugar and holiday sprinkles.
Notes
If you like these Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars, you’ll really enjoy…
Strawberry Cheesecake Dream Bars
Chocolate Mint Dream Bars
Banana Pudding Dream Bars
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dream Bars
and the one that started it all…
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars
I shared these Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars over at Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate Meal Plan Monday #49. Take a look at the other great recipes people have shared.
Comments & Reviews
These really do look dreamy!
ps – i just stumbled on your blog again for the first time in AGES after I was reading some old posts/comments on my blog. So glad to have found your site again and will definitely be catching up. hope to see you around in good taste again soon!
Maris!! Hey, girl!! Thanks so much for your kind words. Funny how we get sidetracked over the years, but so glad we’ve reconnected. I look forward to “seeing” you again! 😉
Lynn I like your website
Thanks so much, Melody! I’m so glad you found me!
Recipe freezes when come to print…for many others , not just me
So many fun recipes! I think I will try the mint one. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Thanks so much, Amy. I hope you enjoy them!
at the end in notes, you say to double the red velvet recipe, why would you tell us that after the directions, or is that not necessary
Kathleen, that note at the end of the recipe is to double the recipe for the Stabilized Whipped Cream if you’ll be using that in place of Cool Whip. It’s not to double the red velvet cake mix. The Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe will only be enough for an 8 X 8-inch pan, not the 13 X 9 size used for the red velvet bars.
These are Wonderful! Made them for my husband’s work today. Everyone thought they were DELICIOUS!
DEFINITELY A KEEPER! THANKS
Just in the process of making this but the 9 by 13 pan is not big enough I have the cookie mix on the bottom the cream cheese and Dream Whip mix next the pie filling next and I have no room for the putting in the extra whip cream what am I going to do now I followed the directions exactly
I just made this! The 9*13 pan was too small and had to flip the cake onto a cookie sheet! When I baked the cake (following the instructions) it came out more cake-like than brownie-like. I had to frost the sides of the dream bars with the cool whip to keep the chilled cherries from dripping. Before cutting and serving I’m refrigerating hoping they will firm.