Home » » Peach Crumble Bars
by Danielle on Aug 16, 2018 (updated May 20, 2021) 38 comments »
Jump to Recipe
4.80 from 15 ratings
Need a fresh peach dessert recipe? Look no further! These peach crumble bars use the same buttery crumb mixture for the crust and topping and are filled with an easy peach filling!
Every year around this time I love to create at least one peach dessert idea because peaches are just so darn good. Last year I shared my favorite peach crisp recipe and this year I’m sharing the recipe for these delicious peach bars.
These bars are a little easier because they use the same mixture for the crust and topping. They’re soft, buttery, sweet but not too sweet, and there are fresh peaches in every single bite.
My husband actually told me these bars kind of remind him of peach cobbler but in bar form. If you love peaches, then I think you’ll adore these bars!
Recipe Ingredients
This easy peach dessert has two components: the crust mixture (which also acts as the crumble topping) and the juicy peach filling. Here’s what you’ll need to make the bars:
- All-purpose flour:Spoon and level the flour when measuring it; don’t scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
- Sugar:I used a blend of brown and granulated sugar in the crust / crumble mixture. Brown sugar has a caramel undertone that pairs perfectly with the fresh peaches.
- Baking powder:Prevents the crust from being too dense.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt:Add so much flavor to both the crust and filling.
- Butter:Needs to be cold and cubed into small pieces. Don’t let the butter get too warm!
- Egg:To bind the crust and topping together.
- Peaches:I used fresh peaches that I peeled and chopped. Make sure to use ripe, in-season peaches if possible.
- Cornstarch:Helps bind together the peach filling and prevents it from making the crust soggy.
- Lemon juice:Enhances the peach flavor and balances out the sugar in the filling and crust.
How to Make Peach Crumble Bars
To make this peach bars recipe, you’ll start out by whisking together some flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and spices. I love to add some ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the crumb mixture, you can feel free to adjust the spices to your personal preference.
Then, cut in some cold cubed butter until the mixture is crumbly and stir in one egg.
Once the mixture is ready, you want to press half of it into your pan and bake the crust first. I did test these bars without pre-baking the crust and while they were still delicious, they didn’t hold up nearly as well. But you can let the crust bake and cool while you chop your peaches and prep the filling.
The peach filling is just a simple mixture of chopped peaches, sugar, cornstarch for thickening, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon. You can leave the peel on the peaches if you prefer, but I’m not a huge fan, so I always remove it before chopping them.
One important thing with the filling, you’ll notice that there’s quite a bit of juice in the bowl but you don’t want all of that juice on top of your crust. I like to use a slotted spoon to scoop out the peaches so I can leave as much juice as possible in the bowl.
You’ll still get some of the juice as your spooning it on top of the crust and that’s fine. Just try to leave as much of the liquid as possible in the bowl so the bars bake up firmer.
Then, just sprinkle the other half of the crumb mixture on top of the bars and bake them.By the way, these bars are incredible with a scoop of ice cream on top too!
Can I Use Canned or Frozen Peaches?
Yes, but this is best as a fresh peach dessert recipe. If using canned peaches, drain them thoroughly before chopping. If using frozen peaches, thaw and drain them first.
Baking Tips
- Make sure to pre-bake the crust before adding the peach filling and topping.
- You’ll need 5 cups of chopped peaches for this recipe, which is about 4-5 large peaches.
- Try to leave as much juice as possible from the peach filling in the bowl before you add it on top of the crust. I like to use a slotted spoon to scoop the peaches out of the bowl.
More Easy Fruit Desserts!
- Homemade Peach Cobbler
- Peach Crisp
- Pineapple Coconut Crumb Bars
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Blueberry Crumb Bars
Peach Crumble Bars
4.80 from 15 ratings
Prep Time: 35 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
These Peach Crumble Bars use the same buttery crumb mixture for the crust and topping and are filled with an easy peach filling!
Print RecipePin Recipe SaveLeave a Review
Ingredients
Servings: 24 bars
For the crumb crust and topping:
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230 grams) cold butter , cubed
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
For the peach filling:
- 5 cups (800 grams) chopped peaches
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (27 grams) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the crumb crust and topping:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving some overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly and starts to come together.
Add the egg and stir it in until fully combined (you may also use the pastry cutter to help blend it in).
Press half of the mixture in the prepared baking pan and place the bowl with theother half in the refrigerator.
Bake the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes before adding the peach filling.
For the peach filling:
Combine the chopped peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix until the peaches are fully coated.
Spoon the peach filling on top of the baked crust, using a slotted spoon to leave as much excess juice as possible in the bowl. Spread it around into one even layer.
Remove the remaining crumb mixture from the refrigerator and sprinkle it on top of the peach filling.
Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until the top is set and lightly browned and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang from the parchment paper or foil, slice into bars, and enjoy!
Notes
Storage instructions:Store crumb bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.
Summer
originally published on Aug 16, 2018 (last updated May 20, 2021)
38 commentsLeave a comment »
5 Secrets to Baking Like a Pro
Don't be intimidated by baking: learn my secrets that make baking from scratch easy!
« Previous PostMini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes
Next Post »Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Leave a Reply
38 comments on “Peach Crumble Bars”
Carol Korec —Reply
Your recipes are excellent, I tried many and all turned out excellent.
Looking forward to moreDanielle —Reply
So glad to hear that, Carol!
Bethany Persons —Reply
Made as written, except I swapped cardamom for the cinnamon and nutmeg. Was a fun project with my 5 yo daughter. Baked 50+ min and the top was light tan. Let cool during dinner and when I tried to cut, they had not set. But served with a spoon and topped with vanilla ice cream was so delicious. For some reason my daughter did not like them as much, but that means more for me!
Bethany Persons —Reply
Oh also used the leftover juice to make a syrup and drizzled over the top of the bars. Was an extra level of delicious!
Danielle —Reply
Glad you liked the bars, Bethany!
Joanna —Reply
These bars are absolutely perfect!
Thank you so much for the recipe, will definitely bake this again (and again, and again…).
Two things: to prevent soaking the crust, I heated the peaches until the juice thickened – they set beautifully and no spoon was needed.
Also something that we usually do where I live (Europe) when baking fruit-filled crusts – I sprinkled the pre-baked crust with some bread crumbs (not the Panko type, just ordinary crumbs) – this helps keep the crust just the same as the top (btw, the crumb recipe is probably the best I’ve ever tested).Danielle —Reply
Glad you liked the bars, Joanna!
Kay —Reply
Thanks for the great breadcrumb tip!!! I will definitely use that when I make this.
Auro —Reply
These bars look wonderful!! One question, what about leaving out the lemon juice? I just don’t like to add lemon to my desserts (not a big fan of it… what??!! Yes, I know!)
Danielle —Reply
It would be fine to leave it out!
Jaime —Reply
Hi! If we make these in advance can they be frozen and thawed in the fridge? What are recommendations for a few days ahead?
Danielle —Reply
That would be fine! You can make them 2-3 days in advance and just keep them refrigerated.
Bianca —Reply
I did it today and everyone in my family loved it! All your recipes are amazing 🙂 thanks
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Bianca! So happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipes!
Allison —Reply
This is our 2nd time making the recipe and they’ve been phenomenal both times! They’re a huge hit for kids and adults. Thanks for sharing – I’ve shared the link with my mom and friend who asked how I made these bars!
Claire W McFeely —Reply
THANK YOU! Oh I am so glad I stumbled across this recipe of yours. We are up to our ears in fruit in our backyard – apricots and plums. I tried this recipe last night with our fresh apricots and it was so yummy! It reminded me of bars like this that I look forward to in quaint coffee houses. The totally reminded me of those special coffee house bars, and I’ve been looking for a recipe for some time. So HAPPY to find your recipe and use it with our APRICOTS (my favorite). Thank you!
Danielle —Reply
So glad you enjoyed the bars, Claire! Love the idea of using apricots in them too!
Rachel —Reply
Hello I can’t wait to make these 😀 I was wondering if I use canned peaches do I save that juice?
Danielle —Reply
Hi, Rachel! If you use canned peaches, you’ll want to drain them before using them in this recipe.
jeannine —Reply
They are good, especially the crust but not sweet enough. Will need to make again and add more sugar.
Ann —Reply
Thanks for a great recipe! I put them in the fridge overnight before I cut them and they look so yummy.
Jessie S. —Reply
I found that the crumble part was not sweet enough nor the peach part. Needs more sugar all around as well as some vanilla extract to bring more flavor. The recipe also gives me way too much crumble.
Danielle —Reply
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the bars, Jessie. They’re not meant to be too sweet, feel free to increase the sugar if you prefer.
Juju —Reply
Wonderful recipe! I made some substitutions and it turned out amazing. For flour, I used half almond flour and half all purpose flour; for filling, I cooked it on the stove on low for about 5 min before adding in just 2 TBS of cornstarch and cook for another 2 min (7 peaches); for crust, I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe ?
Jeri —Reply
I am excited to make these today! Can they be frozen for a longer “keep?” Or is fridge recommended? I have SO MANY peaches!!
Danielle —Reply
Yes, you can freeze them!
JOLEEN KOCH —Reply
I made these bars exactly like the recipe using fresh Georgia peaches. They were excellent! Thank you for a great recipe.
Katelyn —Reply
Hi there!
Can I modify this recipe for a 9×9 pan? And also, is it ok to use a food processor to cut in the butter? Thank you!Danielle —Reply
I would cut the recipe in half for a 9×9 pan. You can also use a food processor to cut in the butter.
AbbyT —Reply
I did the dumbest thing. I was juggling dishes and had this in the oven before I remembered I’d forgotten not one, but All of the ingredients called for to mix with the fruit. And guess what, it was still Delicious! Even without the sugar! I’d luckily drained the fruit really well, so it wasn’t too runny either without the cornstarch. I did a mix of frozen peaches and cherries just because I wanted to get rid of them, and made an amaretto cream cheese icing to drizzle on each serving. But the crust and topping is the star, I’ll definitely make again – with all the ingredients this time. Thank you!
Laura W —Reply
Hi- are you using salted or unsalted butter for the crust?
Danielle —Reply
I use unsalted butter.
Shonneik ward —Reply
I made these today and they came out amazing. I love it. I’ll definitely be making these again.
Pete —Reply
Can I use frozen fresh peaches or do I need to thaw them first!
Danielle —Reply
You can use frozen peaches, but I would thaw them first and drain any excess liquid.
Mag —Reply
Made this twice everyone loves it.
Lynne —Reply
I made this for a family get together yesterday. It was very, very good! One thing i would do differently next time is add one or two more peaches. I used some BIG peaches, too! I would also add a half stick more butter. Im glad you mentioned draining the peaches. The consistency was perfect!
Stephanie B —Reply
These bars turned out so yummy! I followed the recipe almost exactly. I did add a bit more peaches just because I happen to have a few more. I’m glad I did because there is plenty of crumble on the top and bottom still. It was probably 6-6.5 cups. I also was heavy handed on the sugar that I mixed with the peaches, since a few people mentioned wanting them sweeter. Not too much more, just a bit and it was perfect. These are great heated with ice cream and also so yummy straight from the fridge! I will definitely be making them again.
