Sweet Buttery Peach Bars (Print Version)
Buttery crust layered with sweet peaches and spiced cinnamon streusel, perfect for summer.
# What You 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 fresh peaches (about 4-5 medium), 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 Make It:
01 - Preheat 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 sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed until a crumbly dough forms.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
04 - While the crust bakes, combine the diced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss gently until the peaches are evenly coated and the cornstarch is fully dissolved.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining.
06 - Spread the peach filling evenly over the warm par-baked crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping uniformly over the peach layer, covering as much surface area as possible.
07 - Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the streusel topping is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling around the edges.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, lift the slab out using the parchment overhang, slice into 12 even bars, and serve.
# Handy Tips:
01 -
- The buttery shortbread crust practically melts under the fruit, and you do not need a mixer or any fancy technique to pull it off.
- Fresh peaches shine here without being overwhelmed by sugar, and the cinnamon streusel on top adds the kind of warm crunch that makes people go back for a second square before the first one is finished.
02 -
- Wait until the bars are completely cool before slicing, because warm peach filling will run everywhere and ruin the clean layers you worked for.
- If your peaches are extra juicy, add an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling or you will end up with a soup situation between the crust and streusel.
03 -
- Reserve a handful of the streusel before baking and press the rest gently into the filling edges so the crumb layer stays attached to the bars instead of crumbling off when you slice.
- Dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts for perfectly clean bar edges that look as good as they taste.