Favorite Layered Fruit Bars

The homemade crust, filling and topping will make these fruit bars a family favorite to enjoy on special occasions. It's indulgent, so eat just one fruit bar - and share the rest!

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 32
• Yields: 32 bars

Ingredients

• Crust

•  nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1⁄2 cups pecans, divided
• 1  cup flour
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  cold butter, cut up

• Filling

• 12  ounces  softened cream cheese (1 1/2 packages to equal 12 ounces)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  almond extract
• 2  medium bananas, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can  crushed pineapple in juice, well drained, excess moisture squeezed out

• Topping

• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1  cup heavy cream

Directions

1. For Crust:.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Chop the pecans in a food processor. Set aside 1/2 cup pecans for topping. Add the flour and sugar, and process until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until mixture forms fine crumbs. Pour into the prepared pan. Press the mixture firmly with a soup spoon or your fingers evenly into the pan bottom. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. For Filling:.
4. Beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Stir in the bananas and pineapple. Spread the filling evenly in the cooled crust.
5. For Topping:.
6. Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly over the cream cheese mixture. Whip the cream in a medium mixer bowl at high speed until stiff. Spread whipped cream over cherry pie filling, ,and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup pecans (chopped when making crust). Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.
7. Servings: 32.
8. Nutritional Information Per Serving:
9. Calories 220; Total fat 14g; Saturated fat 7g; Cholesterol 35 mg; Sodium 55mg; Carbohydrate 20g; Fiber 1g; Protein 3g.; Vitamin A 8%DV*; Vitamin C 4%DV; Calcium 6%DV; Iron 4%DV.
10. *Daily Value.