Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printable)
Buttery crust layered with sweet peaches and cinnamon streusel, ideal for summer gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Crust
01 - 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Peach Filling
05 - 3 cups fresh peaches (about 4-5 medium), peeled and diced
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
→ Cinnamon Streusel
09 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
13 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until a crumbly dough forms.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - While the crust bakes, combine diced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss gently until peaches are evenly coated.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until large crumbs form.
06 - Remove the crust from the oven. Spread the peach filling evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the peaches. Bake for an additional 30 minutes until the streusel is golden and the filling is bubbling.
07 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Lift out using the parchment overhang, then slice into 12 bars and serve.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The three layers mean you get buttery crunch, jammy fruit, and spiced crumble in every single bite, which is really unfair in the best way.
- You do not need a stand mixer or any fancy equipment, just your hands and a pastry cutter if you have one.
02 -
- I once tried to speed up cooling by putting the pan in the fridge and the condensation made the streusel soggy, so patience at room temperature is genuinely worth it.
- Frozen or canned peaches work beautifully if you drain them very well, but add an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch because frozen fruit releases more liquid than fresh.
03 -
- The single biggest secret is parbaking the crust before adding the filling, because this prevents the dreaded soggy bottom that ruins so many beautiful fruit bars.
- Cut your butter into the streusel while it is straight from the fridge and work quickly with cold fingers, because warm butter melts into the flour instead of creating those gorgeous craggy lumps you want.