Cherry Ripe Bars

Cherry Ripe Bars are a combination of one of the most classic flavors.

This easy Cherry Ripe Bars recipe is within everyone’s capabilities and you’ll loved the impressive and delicious results!

Why you’ll love this recipe

In Australia you’ll find an amazing chocolate bar called Cherry Ripe made by Cadbury. It was first produced in 1924 and is now the oldest chocolate bar sold in Australia. These candy bars are a wonderful combination of coconut and cherries coated in dark chocolate and have proved to be one of the most popular chocolate bars in the country.

Based on the delicious chocolate bar, these Cherry Ripe Bars are one of my favorites. The base is crisp with a chewy, sweet filling but it is the chocolate topping that gilds the lily! These three layers combine into one yummy, sweet mouthful!

For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients

The base is so simple because it’s really just a crumb crust. You’ll need:

• Chocolate Flavored Cookies – I like cocoa cookies but use your favorite cookie even plain sweet cookies will be fine – something like graham crackers or shortbread would also work.
• Butter – Salted is fine in this case because it offsets a bit of the sweetness.
• Sugar – Use white granulated sugar to avoid grittiness in the base.
• Unsweetened Cocoa – For a super chocolate flavor.
• Self Rising Flour – This flour already has baking powder in it. If you can’t find it, use 1 cup of all purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Filling

• Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut – Be sure not to use the sweetened variety; it’s way too sweet!
• Condensed Milk – Full fat, not skim please.
• Glace or Candied Cherries – read more about this ingredient below.

Obviously this recipe is called a Cherry Ripe Bars that means there must be chocolate and there must be cherries. I know that glace or candied cherries get a bad rap at times. However this combination of sweetened condensed milk, coconut and glace or candied cherries together with chocolate is so good.

Be sure to find good glace or candied cherries. One thing I have noticed lately is that glace cherries are no longer as bright red or as sweet as they once were which is probably a good thing. Because of this change I added a little pink food coloring to the filling.

If you can’t find glace or candied cherries there is no substitute that I know of. Why not try my Raspberry Streusel bars instead.

Instructions

When a bar has three different layers you would think it is complicated and difficult, but not so with these Cherry Ripe Bars. Concentrate on preparing one layer at a time because each layer is quite simple.

Make the base

1. You will firstly need to crush chocolate flavored cookies to prepare the base. Any cocoa cookie would be fine maybe even chocolate covered cookies.
2. Sift the flour and cocoa. Sometimes I also sift the sugar if I think it is a bit lumpy.
3. Mix together the crushed cookies with flour and sugar.
4. Add the melted butter and mix well.
5. Bake in a lined pan.

Prepare the filling

1. Mix together condensed milk, desiccated coconut and cherries.
2. Add a little red or pink food coloring if you want more color.
3. Spread filling over cooked base.
4. Return to oven to finish baking.

Hint: It’s easier to spread the filling if you place spoonfuls of the filling all over the base before trying to spread. This way you can simply join up each spoonful. I use this technique quite often to make spreading sticky fillings or toppings.

Topping and baking

1. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 20 seconds on high, stir and repeat. Microwave the chocolate in 3 (20-second) intervals, stirring between each.
3. Allow to stand for a few minutes. Stir again.
4. If the chocolate has not totally melted. Try another 10 seconds in the microwave. Be careful not to overheat or you will burn the chocolate.
5. Spread over slightly warm bar – the warmth of the filling will help you spread the chocolate topping.
6. Cut into squares.

Tips for Success

In the past I have always had trouble cutting chocolate topped desserts like these Cherry Ripe Bars. The chocolate always cracks, the filling gets squished and the bars look like they have been hacked with a chainsaw. Do you have that problem? Well, here’s my tips for near perfect choc-topped bars.

1. To begin, line the base of the pan with non stick paper. You can’t cut neat slices if you can’t get it out of the pan easily.
2. Allow the chocolate topping to set but not harden completely. I do this by leaving it at room temperature overnight. If your room temperature is chilly, overnight may be too long. Conversely if your room temperature is warm, you may need to chill the uncut bar in the refrigerator slightly. The important part is that the chocolate shouldn’t be hard – that’s when it will crack and the filling will get squished.
3. Use a large, sharp knife to cut cleanly and firmly through the bar.
4. Wipe the blade of the knife clean before you make the next cut.

If you can keep these Cherry Ripe Bars hidden at the back of the refrigerator it will keep well for two weeks. Let me know if you managed to keep them hidden from the rest of the family!

Made this recipe?
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This updated post was first published on 10 March 2010