Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printer-friendly)

Juicy peach filling layered on buttery crust with a crumbly cinnamon streusel topping. A crowd-pleasing summer treat.

# What You Need:

→ For the Buttery Shortbread Crust

01 - 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

→ For the Fresh Peach Filling

05 - 3 cups diced fresh peaches (about 4 medium peaches), peeled
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping

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 kosher salt
14 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed until the dough just comes together in coarse crumbs.
03 - Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it firmly into an even layer across the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
04 - In a medium bowl, toss the diced peaches with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to macerate and release natural juices.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and use a fork to toss and mix until the mixture forms uneven, crumbly clumps.
06 - Spread the peach filling in an even layer over the par-baked crust, distributing the fruit and juices evenly. Scatter the cinnamon streusel across the top, covering the peaches completely.
07 - Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the streusel topping is deep golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling at the edges.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once fully set, use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out, then cut into 12 even squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttery crust doubles as the perfect canvas for any stone fruit you have on hand, so you are never locked into one season.
  • Cinnamon streusel on top creates this golden, craggy lid that cracks beautifully when you cut into each bar, and the crunch against the soft peach filling is something people always comment on.
  • Everything comes together in one bowl per component, which means you spend more time eating and less time washing dishes.
02 -
  • Patience during cooling is nonnegotiable because cutting warm bars turns them into a gooey mess that falls apart on contact, and you will be heartbroken after all that effort.
  • Cornstarch needs heat to activate, so those bubbling juices around the edges are your signal that the filling will set properly once cooled.
  • Parchment overhang is your best friend here because lifting the entire block out in one piece is far easier than trying to dig bars out of a deep pan with a spatula.
03 -
  • If your peaches are extra juicy, add an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling, because runny bars are the only real failure point in this recipe and it is so easy to prevent.
  • Press the crust mixture firmly into the corners and edges of the pan first, then fill in the center, because uneven crust leads to burnt edges and underbaked middles.

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