Description
These easy homemade summer peach bars feature a buttery crust and crumb topping with a juicy fresh peach filling. Perfect for summer gatherings, they’re simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups (about 5–6 medium) fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy lifting, or grease the pan well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Press about 2/3 of the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Set aside the remaining 1/3 for the topping.
- In a medium bowl, toss diced peaches with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until evenly coated.
- Spread the peach filling evenly over the crust in the pan, including all juices.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the peaches, squeezing some into larger clumps for extra texture.
- Bake on the center rack for 42–48 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. For clean slices, chill in the fridge for another hour.
- Lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and slice into squares or rectangles.
Notes
For best results, use ripe but firm peaches. If using canned or frozen peaches, drain and pat dry before using. Chill bars before slicing for clean edges. Bars can be made gluten-free or dairy-free with simple swaps. Add berries or nuts for variation. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bars freeze well for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/18 of recipe)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 17
- Sodium: 80
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: peach bars, summer dessert, fruit bars, easy peach recipe, homemade peach bars, picnic dessert, potluck dessert, fresh peaches, crumb bars, peach crumb bars