Sweet Butter Peach Bars (Printable)
Tender peach filling on a buttery crust topped with fragrant cinnamon streusel. Easy to bake and utterly irresistible.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Butter 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 medium) fresh or canned peaches, diced
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping
10 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, mixing until the dough just comes together. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
04 - In a medium bowl, combine the diced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir until the peaches are evenly coated and set aside to macerate.
05 - In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
06 - Spread the peach filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping uniformly over the peach layer.
07 - Bake for 25 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. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the slab out, then cut into 12 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crust doubles as a base and a boundary, holding every juicy peach hostage in the best way.
- Cinnamon streusel on top turns each bar into something between a pie and a coffee cake, which means you can eat it for breakfast without anyone judging you.
02 -
- Cutting these bars while they are still warm will result in a delicious but structurally unsound mess, so practice patience and let them cool completely.
- If your peaches are especially juicy, add an extra half tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling to prevent a soggy crust situation.
03 -
- Press the crust dough into the pan while it is still slightly warm from the heat of mixing, it spreads much more cooperatively than when chilled.
- Resist the urge to overmix the streusel, those uneven craggy bits are what give you the contrast between sandy crunch and big buttery clumps.