When it comes to cookie bars, few recipes rival my Grandma’s peach crumb bars. They’re sweet, supple, and altogether irresistible. When you cross the deliciousness of fruit cookies with the convenience of bar cookies, you get something really special and it shows in this recipe. This delicious and delicate crumb crust and topping with a peach filling takes me right back to Grammy’s kitchen!
Now, don’t get me wrong. Peach pound cake is divine, and I’ve even made peaches and cream pie with my favorite summer fruit. BUT these little peach crumb treats are hard to beat, and they don’t take long to whip up, either.
If it’s not quite the peach season in your neck of the woods, you can always make strawberry cream bars instead – but you’re gonna’ wanna’ try these!
Check ‘em out!
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What I Love About This Recipe
- Scrumptious and uses clean, simple ingredients
- It seemed like a peach cobbler combined with a bar cookie. Two of my favorites things evah rolled up into one treat!
How To Make Peach Crumb Bars Recipe
Serving up these peach cobbler bars is pretty simple once you make up your mind to do it. Just blend up the crust and press it into the bottom of a prepared baking dish. Spoon the peach mixture in and crumble the remaining dough mixture over the top. Easy peasy! Toss it in the oven.
Peach Bars Recipe Notes
When you’re in the kitchen going to town on these peach bars, you’ll want to keep your butter really cold. If the butter gets too soft, then the water in the butter will react with the gluten in the flour making your dough chewy instead of flakey. For a flakey pie-like crust – cold butter.
How To Peel Peaches:
Here’s the easiest way I’ve found to peel peaches:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Using a sharp paring knife make an X on the bottom of the peach just through the skin.
- Drop the peaches into the boiling water one or two at a time (not all at once because you don’t want the water temperature to drop too low) for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Plunge peaches into a bowl filled with ice and water.
- Using your thumb or the tip of the paring knife, grab the edge of the skin at the X and peel.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen Peaches: These totally awesome peach bars are to die for and I make them with fresh or frozen peaches. Hence, the large amount of sugar. If using frozen, be sure to let them thaw completely and drain them well.
Canned Peaches: I don’t use canned peaches in the recipe because they would just be too sweet. Even when you drain them, they’ve already absorbed a good amount of cling syrup.
Tools to Make: Really you can make these crumb bars with something as simple as two knives, but it really helps to have a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. This is the pastry cutter I use. I like it because it’s inexpensive and has thick stainless blades cut the butter in easily. If you have a food processor, it works beautifully.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? You can store your peach bars in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days but they’ll get gobbled up way before that. These things are de-lish!
Can You Freeze This?
Oh yeah, I love keeping a batch of these yummy bars on hand. Be sure to let them cool completely and I do suggest double wrapping them before freezing. You can keep these in the freezer for up to 3 months before slow thawing in the fridge and nobody will be none the wiser!
Make Ahead Tips
It only takes 15 minutes to get these babies ready to slide into the oven, so there really isn’t a ton of prep to speak of. You can always keep the dry ingredients combined and ready to go – along with prepping the peaches in a separate container. Of course, you can always go the freezer route too.
Serving Recommendations
There are so many delicious possibilities with these simple peach crumb bars. Use them for breakfast or dessert. Enjoy them with a tall cold glass of milk in the afternoon or with your favorite cup of hot coffee, tea, or even drinks like peach moonshine, giggle juice, or hippie juice. Take them to a church potluck or serve them at your next friendly get together. Either way, they’ll get gobbled up fast!
Peach Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crumble and Crust:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cut into chunks
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups (about 4 large) peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Make crumble and Crust: In a medium bowl, combine 3 cup flour, 1 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and toss with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter into the flour mixture, until it's the size of peas.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together egg and vanilla then stir into the crumb mixture. The dough will be crumbly. Press half of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Reserve the other half.
- Make Filling: In another bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Add the sliced peaches and gently mix. Spoon the peaches over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the peach mixture.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Stores really well in the fridge.
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More Fruit Cookies Recipes
There are tons of fruit cookies recipes that are worth tasting. Here are some amazing recipes you may want to try.
- Blueberry Bars – think crumb cookie crossed with a blueberry muffin
- Coconut Cream Pie Bars – everything you love about coconut cream pie in a convenient cookie bar
- Lemon Bars – sassy, tangy sunshiney and sweet
- Apple Bars – rich apple bliss in a delicious cookie treat
- Lemon Coconut Bars – deep coconut flavor with sweet lemony undertones
Conclusion
Peach crumb bars are the best of both worlds, a combination of new and old school if you will. You get to enjoy the deep rich flavor of a classic peach cobbler with crumb topping in a no-mess cookie bar that spreads happy smiles with its delicious disposition. Could it get any better? I think not – just peachy!
Source: Completely Delicious
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YUM
Can I use peach pie filling?
Hi Kathy. I’ve only made the recipe as written, but I think peach pie filling should work out just fine <3
These treats look absolutely delish! As usual I'm going to try this recipe 🙂
Yummy 🙂
Oh wow. I am going to make these, for sure. I've already emailed myself the recipe! Thanks!
I'm looking forward to trying these, they look excellent.
What a great way to celebrate the end of summer. These look delicious…and I'm sure they taste even better. Thanks for sharing, friend. I hope you are having a beauty and joy-filed day. Hugs from Austin!
Just made these; they are quite delicious!
What a great recipe and just in time! I have filled my entire freezer with peaches and don't have room for anything else. Time for Peach Crumb Bars.
We're all out of peaches. I need to pick up more!
Since peaches are my absolute favorite I know I could plow my way right through these. Gorgeous!