Use those fresh summer peaches to make a batch of peach crumb bars! The buttery shortbread crust, sweet peach filling, and crumble topping make this an irresistible dessert treat.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Buttery, dense shortbread crust is topped with sweet, lightly spiced peach filling and topped with crumble.
Pan size: 8x8 square.
Yield: 16 squares.
Similar to: Peach Cobbler and Walnut Bars
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Crust and crumble ingredients - Butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, and cinnamon are needed to make the shortbread crust. This part of the recipe does double duty - a portion of the crust is set aside to create the crumble topping! Unsalted butter can be substituted with salted butter if needed.
- Peaches - You'll need 3 medium peaches for this recipe. Peaches can be fresh, frozen, or canned. Frozen peaches must be thawed first. Canned peaches will result in a softer bar and must be drained first (I recommend peaches in juice, not syrup).
- Filling ingredients - Along with the peaches, you'll need lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are needed to make the peach filling. Flour helps thicken the peach filling as it cooks and can be substituted with cornstarch (in this portion of the recipe only).
How to make peach crumb bars
- Cream butter and sugars with a hand mixer, then add vanilla, flour, salt, and cinnamon to form a crumbly dough. Reserve 1 cup of dough for later.
- Press remaining dough into the bottom of a parchment lined baking pan.
- Pour prepared peach filling over the dough.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the top and bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes or until streusel on top is set and the filling is bubbling in the center. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Heather's Top Tip
For accurate results every time, use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland baked goods.
Tips and tricks
How to peel peaches easily - Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of each peach with an "x". Drop peaches into boiling water for 1 minute, then remove and transfer to an ice bath until easy to handle. Skin will peel back easily.
Slicing peaches - Slice your peaches into even, ½ inch thick slices to ensure they bake evenly in the oven. Varying thick and thin slices can create mushy spots throughout your cobbler.
Crumbly dough is okay - Shortbread dough will look a little crumbly when mixing the ingredients together, but should hold together when pinched between two fingers (see photo above).
Pressing crust into the pan - Press your crust firmly into the pan. If you're having trouble, try using the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust down.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, frozen peaches will work, but you'll want to thaw them and pat them dry first so that your filling doesn't turn out too wet.
Canned peaches will work, but your filling will be noticeably softer and a little mushy compared to using fresh or frozen peaches. I recommend using peaches in juice, not syrup. Pat your peaches dry before adding to your filling so it doesn't turn out too wet.
It sounds like too much flour was added to your crust. Shortbread can be finicky when you're not using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. I recommend weighing your flour for best results. Flour can get compacted into measuring cups, which adds too much flour to the recipe and causes it to turn out dry.
I peel my peaches for desserts, but you're welcome to leave the skin on if you prefer them this way.
Peach crumb bars will keep for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container at room temperature. Bars can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. To thaw, place on the countertop and remove the lid to allow to thaw for 1 to 2 hours.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Peach Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
- 3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about a minute. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon and mix until a dough forms. Dough will look crumbly but holds together when pinched between two fingers.
- Reserve 1 cup of dough mixture and set aside for later.
- Press remaining dough into an even layer in prepared baking pan. Set aside
Filling
- In a large bowl, add peach slices, lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir until evenly incorporated.
- Pour filling over crust and spread into an even layer. Crumble reserved crust over the filling.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until streusel is set on top and filling is bubbling in the center.
- Allow to cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Bars will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature in a sealed container. If storing in the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Measure by weight: Use a kitchen scale to measure your flour. Adding too much flour to a shortbread crust will cause it to turn out very crumbly and dry.
- Don't have a scale?: Use the spoon and level method: use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Scooping flour using your measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra flour to your recipe.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!