Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printable Version)
Juicy peach filling on a buttery crust crowned with golden cinnamon streusel. Irresistibly tender and fragrant.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the 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
→ For the 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
→ For the 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 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the 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.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges, then remove from the oven.
04 - In a medium bowl, toss the diced peaches with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well coated. Set aside to macerate.
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.
06 - Spread the peach filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel evenly over the peach layer.
07 - Bake for 25 minutes, or until the streusel topping is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling.
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.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- The crust doubles as a shortbread cookie you will want to eat plain straight from the oven.
- Canned peaches work beautifully so you can make these year round without guilt.
02 -
- Cutting these warm will cause them to fall apart into a delicious but messy pile so patience is a real ingredient here.
- The cornstarch needs the heat of the oven to fully activate so the filling sets properly.
03 -
- Toss chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the streusel for a crunch factor that takes these from great to unforgettable.
- If your peaches are extra juicy add an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch to keep the filling from running.