Peach Bars

Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, these peach crumb bars are the answer to the question: “What do I do with all these peaches?” They are a perfect midday snack, and they make a welcome part of breakfast or lunch. The kids will love them, and you won’t mind when they snack on a second or third peach bar—after all, they’re eating fruit.

So let’s make a batch of peach bars and get them right in the oven. The hands-on work takes about half an hour, but don’t worry, it’s easy stuff, and the resulting peach crumble bars will look as good as they taste. And they taste pretty amazing!

Ingredients for Peach Bars

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• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour will give these bars just the right consistency. They’re chewy and crumbly at the same time, and they’re all-around delicious.
• Sugar: When you think about it, for a recipe that makes two dozen peach crumb bars, there’s really not a lot of sugar in here. That’s because you get so much sweetness and flavor from the peaches themselves.
• Baking powder: The baking powder ensures that the finished bars have the right consistency, so don’t skip it, and also make sure you don’t use too much.
• Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon pairs beautifully with the peach flavor. All you need is a dash of this potent spice, though you can use a bit more in future batches if you find you would’ve wanted more cinnamon taste.
• Shortening: If you don’t have any shortening on hand, use lard or even coconut oil.
• Egg: Ideally, you’ll mix in a room-temperature egg, which can take a half hour to a full hour to achieve, depending on how cold your fridge is and how warm your house is.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract goes in this recipe, but if you want, you can double down on the almond extract instead.
• Peaches: Try to use peaches that are at peak ripeness, and make sure they’re carefully peeled and chopped, and with the pits discarded.
• Almond extract: As noted, you can use 2 teaspoons of almond extract and no teaspoons of vanilla if you prefer a more nutty profile in the bars.
• Cornstarch: This recipe calls for a fair amount of cornstarch, as it helps achieve the perfect consistency.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crumb mixture

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Then cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. In another bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla until they’re blended, then add this to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

Step 2: Create the crumb crust

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Reserve 2-1/2 cups of the crumb mixture for a topping, and press the remaining mixture onto the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch baking pan.

Step 3: Make the peach filling

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Toss the peaches with the almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and remaining sugar, then add that blend to the peaches and toss to coat. Spread the peaches over the crust and sprinkle over the reserved topping.

Step 4: Bake the peach bars

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Bake the bars until they’re lightly browned and the filling is bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cut them into squares.

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Peach Bar Variations

• Use canned or frozen peaches: If you’re craving a bit of summer flavor in the off-season, try making these bars with canned or frozen peaches. Make sure canned peaches are drained and rinsed, and cut out about a third of the sugar.
• Add fresh basil: Want a bold and fresh flavor combination? Try sprinkling minced fresh basil over these bars right before serving them. The anise-y bite pairs surprisingly well with the juicy fruit flavor.
• Mix in blueberries: You can swap out about a third of the peaches for blueberries to make bars that are a fruity delight.
• Add some almond flakes: Almond flakes make a great addition to this recipe. Toss them on before you sprinkle over the reserved crumble topping.

How to Store Peach Bars

These bars will keep well on the counter for two to three days, or in the fridge for a week, either way in an airtight container.

Can you freeze these peach crumb bars?

Yes, these bars will keep well in the freezer for up to three months. You can warm them up in the oven.

Peach Bar Tips

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Why are my peach bars so crumbly?

If your bars fall apart too easily, you might not have pressed them down into the baking pan enough. Also, make sure to let them cool fully before cutting them apart.

Can you use less sugar for this recipe?

Yes, by all means, and some people do find these bars too sweet. Consider cutting out a third of the sugar, or using brown sugar instead of white.