Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printable)
Tender peach filling on a buttery crust topped with fragrant cinnamon streusel. Irresistibly sweet and golden.
# What You'll Need:
→ Butter 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 fresh 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, mixing until the dough just comes together. Press the mixture evenly and firmly 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 to cool slightly.
04 - In a medium bowl, toss the diced peaches with granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until the peaches are evenly coated. Set aside to macerate while preparing the streusel.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture forms coarse, crumbly clumps.
06 - Spread the peach filling in an even layer over the pre-baked crust. Scatter the cinnamon streusel evenly across the top, covering the peaches completely.
07 - Bake for 25 minutes, or until the streusel topping is deep golden and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out, then cut into 12 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crust doubles as a shortbread cookie you could eat on its own, and the streusel on top is basically cinnamon toast in crumb form.
- These bars taste even better on the second day when the peach filling has had time to settle and soak into the buttery base.
02 -
- Cutting these bars while they are still warm will give you a delicious mess instead of clean squares, so patience is the real secret ingredient here.
- If your peaches are extra juicy, add one more tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling or you will end up with a soggy crust bottom.
03 -
- Press the crust mixture up the sides of the pan by about a quarter inch to create a slight wall that holds the peach filling in place while baking.
- Let the streusel sit for five minutes after mixing before sprinkling it on, because the butter firms up slightly and creates bigger, more satisfying crumbs in the oven.