Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Printer-friendly)
Buttery crust layered with sweet peaches and cinnamon streusel for a crowd-pleasing summer treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the 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 4-5 medium) fresh peaches, peeled and diced
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
→ For the Cinnamon Streusel
09 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
13 - 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, mixing until a crumbly dough forms.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
04 - While the crust bakes, combine the diced peaches, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss gently until the peaches are evenly coated.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until large, coarse crumbs form.
06 - Spread the peach filling evenly over the warm baked crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping uniformly over the peach layer.
07 - Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling at the edges.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Lift the slab out using the parchment overhang, slice into 12 even bars, and serve.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The buttery shortbread crust doubles as a sturdy base that holds together beautifully even when the peach filling gets juicy.
- Cinnamon streusel on top adds a crunchy, spiced contrast that makes these bars impossible to stop eating.
- They come together with basic pantry ingredients and zero fancy equipment.
02 -
- Cutting into these bars while they are still warm will cause them to fall apart completely, so resist the urge no matter how good they smell.
- Cold butter is nonnegotiable for the streusel because warm butter melts into the flour and creates a flat, greasy topping instead of the crunchy crumble you want.
03 -
- Toss the peaches with cornstarch right before assembling, not ahead of time, because the mixture gets watery if it sits too long.
- Freeze the cubed butter for the streusel for ten minutes before cutting it in, and your crumbs will be even flakier and more defined.