Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C): This ensures that your bars bake evenly and turn out perfectly golden brown.
Prepare the crust: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add in the softened butter until crumbly. Reserve half of this mixture for topping and press the remaining half into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan to form the crust.
Mix the cherry filling: In another bowl, mix the cherry pie filling with lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Spread this mixture evenly over the prepared crust.
Add the topping: Crumble the remaining dough over the cherry filling evenly (don’t worry if it’s not perfect; the rustic look is part of the charm!).
Bake the bars: Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Cool and serve: Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing them into squares. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and enjoy your scrumptious Cherry Pie Bars!