Peach crumb bars are made with a layer of peach pie filling with a buttery shortbread crumb topping. Made with simple pantry ingredients, full of everything you love about peach pie, in a tasty handheld form.
Peach pie bars will be your new favorite easy dessert for picnics, family gatherings and Thanksgiving. Made with simple ingredients and ready in 45-minutes.
This crumb bar recipe works well with homemade or store-bought jam too. Try one of our jam recipes – mixed berry jam, raspberry peach jam or raspberry rhubarb jam.
Why this recipe works
- Ease – Made with simple ingredients, crust and crumb topping made from the same batter.
- Homemade filling – Uses homemade peach filling made with fresh or frozen peaches.
- Crowd-pleaser – Cut into squares, this dessert bar is perfect for holiday cookie platters or an easy handheld dessert.
- Nostalgic recipe – Similar to Mom’s raspberry bars, peach bars are a nostalgic dessert.
What you’ll need
- All-purpose flour – Use a high-quality, unbleached all-purpose flour. Our favorites are Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur Flour and Farmer Direct Foods.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the crust and topping.
- Brown sugar – This gives a depth of molasses flavor and softens the shortbread crust.
- Butter – Using unsalted helps control the amount of salt in baking recipes.
- Baking powder – This leavening agent helps the crust rise.
- Salt – Salt is added to baked goods to enhance and balance flavors.
- Vanilla & almond extract – Adds incredible flavor to the shortbread crust.
- Peach filling – Find frozen peach slices in Walmart, wholesale clubs or most grocery stores. Fresh or frozen peaches will work.
When fresh peaches are readily available, let them ripen, peel and slice into large zip-style freezer bags. This stocks your freezer with fresh peaches for pies, cobbler and crumb bars.
I love using a cast iron Dutch oven for soups, sourdough bread and more. My personal preference for making homemade pie filling is an enameled Dutch oven. That way you don’t have an ‘off’ flavor to your pie filling.
How to make peach crumb bars
- Prepare the filling – Make the peach filling ahead and cool to room temperature or refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare baking pan – Line a 9×13-inch pan parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven – Preheat to 350-degrees F.
- Make the crumb mixture – In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, flour, salt, and baking powder and stir to combine.
- Assemble – Press ¾ of the shortbread mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread peach filling over top. Use your fingers to evenly distribute the crumb mixture.
- Bake – Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool & enjoy – Cool completely, remove from the pan and cut into bars and serve.
We used a heirloom variety of peaches called “red globe.”
Peach crumb bars are a perfect addition to holiday cookie boxes, along with blueberry bars, Mom’s raspberry bars, and cherry crumb bars. Grandma’s holiday punch is one of our most popular holiday and Christmas recipes.
If you love quick and easy desserts, be sure and try Mom’s raspberry bars, blueberry crumb bars, cherry pie bars and cherry crumb bars.
More peach desserts
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Peach Crumb Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Peach filling
- 4-5 cups fresh or frozen peaches cut into pieces or halves
- ½ cup granulated sugar adjust sugar as needed
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
Make the peach filling
- Add the peaches into a large saucepan or medium Dutch oven and cook over medium heat. Add the butter, sugar and lemon juice. Cook until soft, stirring with a wooden or high heat spoon occasionally.
- Dissolve the cornstarch into cold water, stir with a spoon. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the peach mixture. Cook over medium heat to thicken. Let the mixture simmer and stir with a wooden or high heat spoon as it thickens. (Note: pie filling will thicken as it cools – so don’t overcook it!)
- Remove the pie filling from the heat, stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. It can be prepped ahead and refrigerated overnight. Let it cool completely before adding to the crumb bars.
Peach crumb bars
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, flour, salt, and baking powder and stir to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. The mixture will look like crumbs, but hold together when you pinch it with your fingers.
- Press ¾ of the shortbread mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread the peach pie filling over the bottom layer.
- Use your hands to evenly distribute the reserved crumb mixture over the peach pie filling layer.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until lightly golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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