Peach Bars
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This peach bars recipe has all the flavor of my great-grandmother’s fried peach pies in bar form. We have a shortbread crust, cinnamon-spiced peach filling, and a buttery crumble topping.
There is such a treasure found in recipes that have been passed down through the generations. My great grandmother’s fried peach pies are the stuff of legend in my family and so when I was thinking over a new bar recipe for my third cookbook, Sweetness, it didn’t take long until I dreamed up the idea of mixing her bursting-with-flavor peach pie filling with a shortbread crust and a streusel topping.
As a result, I consider this recipe for peach crumb bars to be a collaborative effort between my great-grandmother, Lela, and myself. This simple bar has all of the flavors I love in Lela’s fried peach pies and still brings to mind sweet memories of her. The fact that it happens to have a lot less fuss involved is just a double win!
There are three main steps to making this recipe for . But let me tell you now… every step involves butter and sugar! First, we prepare the shortbread crust. Second, we make the peach filling with dried peaches, lemon, and cinnamon. Third, we finish with the crumb topping. It’s not too complicated and the results are well worth it, let me tell you!
If you’re a fan of peach desserts, such as peach pie, peach cobbler, or peach crisp, you’re going to love this recipe. The three different textures (shortbread, dried peaches, and crumble) taste SO good when combined. Plus, these peach crumble bars are just bursting with peach flavor. Let’s dive in and let me show you how to make these sweet babies!
Recipe Ingredients
Crust
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
Peach Filling
- Dried peaches
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Bottled or fresh lemon juice
- Ground cinnamon
Topping
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Confectioner’s sugar
How to Make Peach Bars
Make the Shortbread Crust
Place all crust ingredients in a medium bowl and cut together with a fork or pastry cutter until well combined and form a crumbly dough.
Press into the bottom of a prepared 9×13 baking dish.
Bake until just lightly brown around the very edges (about 20-25 minutes).
Make the Peach Filling
Place all of the fruit filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often at the start, until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every now and then and breaking up large pieces of the peaches, until thick and reduced by about half (15-25 minutes).
Spread this peach mixture over the prepared crust.
Make the Streusel Topping
Combine all streusel ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut together well with a fork or pastry cutter until well mixed and crumbly.
Sprinkle all over the top of the peach mixture.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly golden.
Allow the bars to cool before cutting (but they are wonderful warm).
Merciful Maude! I’m about to eat my computer screen right now.
I hope you get to make these peach bars soon. If you do, please report back. I love hearing from you in the comments!
Storage
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Double wrap them for best results. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.
Recipe Notes
- If you want to add a bit more flavor to the peaches… opt for 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg for spice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract for sweetness.
- For something different, use brown sugar in the topping (or a combination of both).
Recipe FAQs
Do you have to use dried peaches in peach bars?
It is vital that you use dried peaches in this in order to have the punch of flavor. If you want to use fresh or canned peaches, you’ll need to experiment. Try to get them thick like the dried ones by cooking for a period of time. I’ve never made this with fresh peaches though, and I suggest dried because that is what my great-grandmother used. In fact, she used to dry her fresh peaches on large pieces of tin in her front yard on hot summer days!
How do you serve peach crumb bars?
These obviously taste amazing when served as is. However, if you want to take the dessert to the next level, serve them with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Another option is to add a simple vanilla glaze over the top.
Check out these other perfect peach recipes:
Homemade Peach Ice Cream (No Eggs Needed)
Peach Dump Cake Recipe (3 Ingredients Only)
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Filling
- 6-7 ounces dried peaches
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping
- 1/2 cup butter at room temp (1 stick)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Make the Crust
- Place all crust ingredients in a medium bowl and cut together with a fork or pastry cutter until well combined and form a crumbly dough.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp, 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- Press into the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake until just lightly brown around the very edges (about 20-25 minutes).
Make the Peach Filling
- Place all the fruit filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often at the start, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every now and then and breaking up large pieces of the peaches, until thick and reduced by about half (15-25 minutes). Spread this mixture over the prepared crust.6-7 ounces dried peaches, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Make the Streusel
- Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl and cut together well with a fork or pastry cutter until well mixed and crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top of the peach mixture.1/2 cup butter at room temp, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- Return pan to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Allow them to cool before cutting (but they are wonderful warm).
Nutrition
A positive attitude might not solve all your problems but it will annoy enough people to make it worth your effort.
~Herm Albright
Did you add water to the peaches
If I were to try to use fresh peaches how many would I need?
Oh, my. I will be making these this weekend. In fact, may try with dried apricots instead. Thanks for just being who you are and such a blessing to all of us.
Dried apricots would be wonderful as would dried cherries! Thank you for being such an encourager, sweet Dorothy!
My grandmother dried apple sliced in similar fashion.
My Grandmother had a sun room and it smelled like an orchard all summer, every fruit you can imagine would be drying on screen racks with cheesecloth over them… Also, she dried beans she called leather britches in strings across the top of the room… We would play in the winter in that room but we only looked in during the summer..
Where do you find dried peaches? I would love to try this!
At my grocery stores they are near the raisins and such 🙂
I am really enjoying your posts and recipes. How did your grandmother sun dry her peaches?
Hey Cindy, thank you! Lela had pieces of tin that she would sit out in the son in her yard and she laid the peaches over them. Mama said if flies were a problem she would lay old pieces of screen on top of the peaches 🙂
That’s exactly how my grandmother and great aunt dried theirs.
How did she store her dried peaches then?
Usually in glass mason jars. That is my preferred way to store them,too. It’s also safer because after a few days if there is still moisture left you can see it form on the inside of the jar so you know to take them out and let them dry more.