Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printable)
Juicy peach filling on a buttery crust topped with golden cinnamon streusel crumbles.
# 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 (about 4 medium) fresh or canned peaches, diced
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cinnamon Streusel
10 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, mixing until the dough just comes together. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
04 - In a medium bowl, combine the diced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir gently until the peaches are evenly coated. Set aside to macerate while preparing the streusel.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse crumbs.
06 - Spread the peach filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping uniformly over the peach layer.
07 - Bake for 25 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out, then cut into 12 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The buttery shortbread crust practically melts under the peach filling, creating a dessert that tastes like far more effort than it actually takes.
- Cinnamon streusel on top turns each bar into something halfway between a pie and a coffee cake, which means it is perfectly acceptable at breakfast, afternoon tea, or midnight.
02 -
- Underbaking the crust before adding the filling is the fastest path to a soggy bottom, so make sure those 15 minutes are nonnegotiable.
- Draining canned peaches on paper towels for ten minutes before dicing them changed my results dramatically, turning watery filling into something thick and jewel-like.
03 -
- Toss the diced peaches with the cornstarch before adding the sugar and lemon juice, because this creates a more even coating and prevents gummy pockets.
- Toasting the streusel on a separate baking sheet for five minutes before sprinkling it over the filling creates an even crunchier topping that holds its texture for days.