Air Fryer Recipe
Cherry Crumble Bars
These cherry crumble bars bring together sharp, juicy cherries and a sweet, buttery crumb topping, and they cook beautifully in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 250g fresh cherries, pitted
- 100g granulated sugar
- 200g plain flour
- 150g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 70g rolled oats
- 50g brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Method
- Wash and stone the cherries, then toss them with 50g of granulated sugar and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cubed butter and rub or mix until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the remaining granulated sugar and the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar and a handful of the crumble mixture for the topping.
- Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the base of a baking pan. Spoon the cherry mixture over the top, then scatter the crumble topping evenly.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Put the baking pan inside and cook for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Leave the bars to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift them out, cut into squares and serve.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries the oat-flour topping quickly, so the butter can melt and brown rather than soak in. A chilled, crumbly dough limits gluten development, keeping the base short and tender, while sugared cherries release enough syrup to bind the fruit layer without making a pie filling.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 7-inch/18cm square or round metal tin that fits a 5–6 litre basket with airflow around it; in a single-drawer model place it centred and start checking at 20 minutes, while dual-zone drawers are usually narrower and may need a smaller loaf tin, 3–5 extra minutes, and a turn halfway for even browning.
Common pitfalls
- Pale, floury patches on the crumble at 20 minutes mean the butter pieces were too large or the topping is too thick; dot with a few tiny butter pieces and cook 3–5 minutes more at 170°C to brown without scorching the edges.
- Cherry juice bubbling over the sides signals the tin is too shallow or the cherries were very juicy; use a deeper tin next time and rest the sugared cherries for 10 minutes, draining off a spoonful of excess liquid before assembling.
- Base still soft and paste-like after cooling means the bars were cut too warm or the cherry layer was too wet; cool fully in the tin, then chill for 30 minutes before slicing, and for future batches add 1 teaspoon cornflour to the cherries.
- Top browning hard while the centre looks wet indicates the air fryer is running hot or the tin is too close to the element; cover loosely with foil, reduce to 160°C, and cook in 4-minute bursts until the middle bubbles.
Variations & substitutions
- Frozen cherries can be used from frozen, but toss them with 1 teaspoon cornflour and expect 3–5 extra minutes because they release more water.
- Swap cherries for raspberries or blackberries for a sharper filling; they collapse faster, so drain any excess juice before spreading over the base.
- Use wholemeal plain flour for up to half the flour to add nuttiness; the base will brown slightly faster, so check from 18 minutes.
- Add 30g chopped almonds or hazelnuts to the topping for crunch; nuts toast quickly in the air fryer, so reduce the temperature to 170°C if they darken before the base is set.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled bars in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days chilled, and reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–4 minutes to re-crisp the crumble.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
