These summery peach bars are a handheld version of a peach crisp and a peach pie. A buttery, crumbly dough is used for the crust and topping and the filling is loaded with juicy fresh peaches. It’s basically the peach version of our berry crumble bars.
Enjoy these bars plain, top them with icing, or serve with ice cream. You’ll love this portable treat.
Peach bar details
Flavor: These bars feature the flavors of peaches, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Texture: A slightly crisp crust, and crunchy-crumbly topping, and soft baked peaches.
Time: This recipe doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time but you will need to allow several hours for these bars to cool before serving. I usually make them in the morning to serve in the late afternoon/evening. Looking for an even easier peach recipe? Try our baked peaches.
Equipment: An electric mixer for the crust/topping, a bowl and spoon for the filling, and a 9×13 pan for baking.
Recipe overview
Crust and topping: Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add cold butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the butter is broken down into small pieces.
Filling: Combine peaches, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
Assembly: Press a little more than half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Spoon the peaches over the crust. Add the remaining crumb topping over the peaches.
Bake: Bake for about 45 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is light golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips: baking with peaches
Fresh peaches are best for this recipe. Choose peaches that are ripe but still slightly firm. You will need about 7-8 peaches.
Canned peaches: I have tested this recipe with canned peaches and it does work. I suggest draining the canned peaches and patting them dry. I think fresh peaches provide better flavor, but canned peaches work in a pinch.
How to peel a peach
Fresh peaches should be peeled for this recipe. You can use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler or you can try the method below which allows you to pull the skin right off:
- Drop the peaches into a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place into a large bowl of ice water.
- Once the peaches have cooled (this happens quickly), you should be able to peel the skin right off using your fingers.
Serving and storage
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I think the texture is best if consumed within 24 hours of baking.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. You can also serve them warm but they will be softer and need to be eaten with a fork. Top with icing and/or ice cream, if desired.
Recipe
Peach Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust and topping:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter , cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
- 6 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches, approx 7-8 peaches
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with foil or parchment, and spray with non-stick spray.
Crust and topping:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine granulated sugar, baking powder, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add butter, egg, and vanilla Beat on low speed until the butter is evenly distributed in small pieces and the mixture is crumbly.
- Dump a little more than half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the dough into the pan.
Filling:
- Gently stir together all ingredients until combined. If your peaches are really juicy you'll only need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. If they're slightly less ripe you can bump it up to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Spread the peaches evenly over the crust, then crumble the reserved dough over the top of the peaches.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until the top is light golden brown, and the peach juices are bubbling. Transfer pan to a rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Top with icing, if desired (recipe below).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Marcy
I made these for a 4th of July BBQ yesterday and they were so delicious!! I followed the recipe and used fresh peaches. I’ll be making these again!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Laura
Delicious! These were a big hit. I used 8 peaches. I didn’t like the foil. Not sure I would use it again ( because I’m definitely making these again!). I may try putting parchment paper on the bottom.
Anyway, thank you for this recipe!
Allison
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed them!
marge csizmadia
Can you freeze them
Allison
You should be able to freeze them. I’d double wrap them and eat within 3 months.
Lynn
I made these a few weeks ago they are delicious. I cut them into squares and froze some. So disappointed when I took them out once thawed they were so mushy. Still tasty but the inside was all mush. Any suggestions?
Allison
Did you wrap them up before they were completely cool? Were the peaches really soft and overripe when you first made the bars? The bars will soften a bit after freezing but they shouldn’t be mushy.
Terri Whipple
The flavor was good, but the crust was not a crust. More like cake. The parchment paper was totally unnecessary and made it really hard to serve. I really like the almond extract in the crust but will skip the egg next time.
Mel
Made these yummy peach bars today. I used peaches from our own peach tree. I followed the recipe exact, only added half a tsp. of cinnamon to the peaches. Thank you so much for an amazing dessert!!!
Allison
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Lisa
Should these be stored in the fridge?
Allison
Yes. Enjoy!
Nancy
Can you use can peaches
Allison
That should be fine. Drain them well and pat them dry before proceeding with the recipe. They might get a bit mushy during bake time. Enjoy!
Saba
Can we use frozen peaches?
Allison
I have only made the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, I would suggest adding a little extra cornstarch (since they’ll have more moisture) as well as a little more sugar (I find frozen peaches to be less sweet than fresh). Best of luck playing around with it.
Sophie
Hello! Can I substitute 1:1 Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour for the AP flour? Bob’s red mill has xanthan gum added it. Thank you, can’t wait to try it!
Allison
I haven’t tried that swap with this recipe. You’re welcome to play round with it. Enjoy!
Judy Ann Bryson
Can canned peaches be used in this recipe and would there be any changes to mixing or baking?
Allison
That should be ok. Just drain them well and pat dry. Good luck playing around with it!