These easy peach bars are a summertime favorite. Sweet, buttery, and perfect for sharing!
When fresh peaches are in season, I can’t resist baking them into just about everything. These peach bars are one of my go-to recipes for sharing during the summer months. With a buttery crust, sweet peach filling, and crumb topping, they strike that perfect balance of fruity and comforting. Like peach pie in a much easier, slice-and-share form.
Whether you’re heading to a cookout or just want a no-fuss dessert to enjoy at home, this recipe is a keeper.
Why You’ll Love These Peach Bars
- All about the peaches. Thinly sliced fresh peaches are the star, with no extra fuss or fillers.
- Buttery and crumbly. The crust and topping are made from the same simple mixture. Easy and delicious!
- A hint of almond. A splash of Amaretto (or almond extract) adds a subtle twist that complements the fruit.
- Feeds a crowd. This 9×13 pan of bars is perfect for summer parties, potlucks, or casual weekend baking.
- No mixer needed. Just a bowl, a fork (or your hands), and a few pantry staples.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full recipe Here are a few of the key players:
- Peaches – Fresh, ripe peaches bring the best flavor and texture.
- Amaretto – Adds a light almond flavor that pairs beautifully with peaches. You can substitute almond extract or even vanilla if you prefer.
- Brown sugar – Adds depth and a subtle caramel note that pairs beautifully with the peaches.
- Butter – Mixed into the crust and topping for that golden, crumbly texture.
- Flour + oats – A simple base that bakes into a sturdy, buttery crust and topping with a slightly chewy bite.
How to Make Peach Bars
Make the crust and topping. You’ll mix the dry ingredients, then mix in the cold butter until crumbly. Set some aside for the topping, and press the rest into the bottom of your pan.
Make the filling. Toss chopped peaches with Amaretto until well coated.
Assemble and bake. Layer the peaches over the crust, then sprinkle the reserved crumbs and sliced almonds on top. Bake until golden.
Tips for Success
- Use ripe but firm peaches. Overly soft or very juicy peaches can make the filling too wet.
- Line your pan. Parchment paper makes it easy to lift out the bars and slice cleanly.
- No need to overthink the peach layout. You can arrange them neatly in rows or just scatter them over the crust. Either way, they’ll bake up beautifully.
- No amaretto? Swap in 1½ to 2 teaspoons of almond extract instead. You can also use vanilla extract for a milder flavor, or skip it entirely if you prefer just the taste of the peaches. Orange liqueur or a dash of lemon juice could also work if you want a different twist.
- Let them cool completely. The filling sets as the bars cool, so resist the urge to slice too soon.
Variations and Serving Ideas
- Add a pinch of spice. A small amount of cinnamon (about 1/4 teaspoon) can be added to the crust mixture for a hint of warm flavor.
- Try a different extract. If you don’t have Amaretto, almond extract or even vanilla extract both work well.
- Switch up the nuts. No almonds? Try chopped pecans or leave them out entirely.
- Serve warm with ice cream. These bars are delicious as-is, but they’re extra indulgent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Cut smaller for a party tray. You can easily get more than 24 bars if you slice them into smaller bites, making them even more perfect for summer gatherings.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature for serving.
They also freeze well. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Bring on the Summer Bakes
If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself reaching for easy, fruit-filled desserts all summer long. These peach bars are a great way to highlight fresh peaches without spending hours in the kitchen. They’re simple, satisfying, and made to be shared. If you love a good crumb topping and seasonal fruit, be sure to check out my blackberry crumb bars, blueberry pie bars, and strawberry cheesecake bars for more easy baking inspiration.
More Peach Desserts
Peach Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (149 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (200 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 medium peaches, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) amaretto*
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9"x 13"x 2" baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and mix with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until the butter is the size of small peas. The dough will be crumbly but will hold together when pinched.
- Set aside about 1 cup of crust mixture.
- Press the remaining crust mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes.
- Place the sliced peaces in a medium bowl. Add the Amaretto, and toss to coat.
- After the crust has baked, arrange the peaches over the crust.** Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the peaches. Scatter the almonds over the top of crumb.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the topping is lightly browned.
- Cool in the pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
- *You can substitute almond extract for Amaretto, although I’d use 1&1/2 to 2 teaspoons instead of a tablespoon. Unless you’re a big almond extract fan, then just go for it.
- **Arrange the peaches however you’d like. I usually go with long rows and fill in any gaps.
- Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
21 Comments on “Peach Bars”
I’ve been on such a peach kick! These bars look so delicious, and I love that they’re packed with oats, too.
I am sure I will enjoy every bite! 🙂
I love how many of your recipes include the crunch of some kind of nut…always a plus in my book.
These look scrumptious! Sometimes the “last minute & thrown together” recipes turn out the best! Made my mouth water on this one!
Yum yum! Peaches are really expensive in the UK unfortunately, but if I see some on offer I’ll have to give this a whirl
I love peaches baked in anything and this is lovely!!
Looks heavenly, and it’s raining, perfect day for baking. Mahalo for the recipe.
I really havent done much peach baking either and have no idea why. Weird. I could definitely use a batch of these bars in my life though!!
these sound delish!
We don’t get peaches until Christmas time in Australia – I’ll give these a go when they are in season!
I canned my own peaches. Can I use them instead of fresh? The fresh ones are imported and don’t have the best flavor
Hi, Jody. That should be just fine. If your canned peaches have extra sugar in them, just keep that in mind and adjust the sugar in the recipe if necessary.
Jennifer,
I’m getting some peaches from a small tree in my back yard now. I’m hoping I can get enough to make some desserts before the wood chucks (they’ve already eaten all the peaches from the smaller of the two trees we have) and deer eat them all. You might think that I live in the boonies but I’m in the northern suburbs of NYC. Hope I can make this soon.
Annamaria
Is it possible to use frozen peaches? Thawed and drained well? These look amazing and would be nice to make them year around
Hi, Cassie. I’ve not tried making these with frozen peaches, but I think it would be fine.
I made these but the crust turned out really hard & it was hard to cut through. Also it was very crumbly and crumbs from top & crust were very loose. I followed the recipe exactly. Why do you think it was not a success?
Hi, Sunny. Shortbread crusts are a bit fickle. They don’t really leave room for error in measuring ingredients, so I’d first check that everything (especially the flour) was measured correctly. If that’s not the issue, then I’d check that it wasn’t overmixed or overbaked. A dark baking pan can cause the bottom to overbake. As for the crumbs, you can try pressing the topping down on top of the filling before baking or try using a little less topping.
Hi Jennifer: Your recipes are always great and this was no exception – delicious and the perfect use for lovely fresh peaches. These bars won’t last long around here!
I’m glad you liked them, Becky!
This is not sweet enough. I even added a little sugar to the peaches. My husband even said not sweet enough and he’s not a sweet liked. It was a fail for us.
These turned out very good but need to be a little sweeter. Not much flavor. I also only baked mine 28 minutes and am sure glad I did. Probably should have only baked 25-26 minutes. I will make them again and maybe add a little frosting drizzle on the top.