Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits. Actually, I don’t think I can play favorites. There are so many glorious gems to chose from this time of year… raspberries for raspberry chocolate chip jumbo muffins, mixed berries for healthy berry streusel bars, blueberries for blueberry pie bars—I love them all!!
These fruity/creamy bars are nothing short of amazing. Four layers to love: buttery, brown sugar oat crust, creamy & juicy peach filling, pecan/cinnamon crumble, and an easy vanilla icing to finish it all off. The peach filling leaves each bite ultra moist and the crumble on top maintains a slight crunch. These bars are a texture lover’s dream!
The peachy filling is made from peaches, egg, flour, and sugar. The egg and flour create a thick creamy sauce to envelope the diced peaches inside. I adore the peach filling, but the crust and crumble might just be the stars of the show. They’re both made from the same dough, which makes things easy and convenient. I try to dirty as little bowls as possible when I can. I know you feel me there!
The crust/crumble = made from 5 simple ingredients. Probably things you have in your kitchen right now. Oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. We use melted butter in blueberry pie bars, but here you want cold butter because you are going to cut the cold butter into the other ingredients. I recommend using a pastry cutter. It makes things so much easier. Cut the cold butter in until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oat mixture for the topping, to which you’ll add pecans. Nuts are optional, so you can definitely leave them out! The rest of the oat mixture will be pressed into your pan for the crust.
This is what the coarse crumbs of the oat mixture will look like:
Pre-bake the crust, then pour the creamy peach filling over the crust. What you will LOVE most about these bars is that the juicy filling seeps into the crust as it bakes, making the bars unbelievably moist. The tender, brown sugary crust will melt in your mouth.
The bars take about 30 minutes in the oven. Your kitchen will smell like a cross between cinnamon rolls and peach pie. Two of my favorite things in one. Allow the bars to cool before cutting and drizzling with the vanilla icing. I halved my original vanilla icing recipe since we don’t need as much. It’s made from 3 simple ingredients: heavy cream (or milk), confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
Drizzle the icing on top and prepare to be amazed. 😉
I think I found my new favorite dessert. Definitely one of the best ways to enjoy all of these fresh summer peaches! What’s your favorite way to enjoy peaches?
More peachy desserts to try: peach Bundt cake (with an incredible brown butter icing), peach muffins, peach cobbler, peach crumble pie, peach crisp, strawberry peach galette, fresh peach cake, and peach bread.
PrintPeaches ‘n’ Cream Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Take advantage of summer’s fresh peaches with these easy bars. A four layered bar with a brown sugar and oat crust, topped with a creamy peach filling, pecan streusel, and finished off with luscious vanilla icing.
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats (or quick oats)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- optional: 1/2 cup (70g) chopped pecans
Peach Filling
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped (about 1.5 cups)
Vanilla Icing
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan before cutting. Spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
- Make the crust/topping: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or two forks until it reaches coarse, pea-sized crumbs. See photo above. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture, put in a small bowl and mix with pecans. This will be set aside for the topping.
- Evenly press the remaining oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Whisk the egg and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and salt. Whisk until combined. Fold in the peaches. Remove crust from the oven after 15 minutes and pour the filling over hot crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat/pecan mixture.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to chill for 2 hours.
- Once chilled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares. For neat squares, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut.
- Make the vanilla icing: Using a fork or spoon, whisk/stir the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add another Tablespoon of milk to thin out if needed. Drizzle over each square. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the bars 1-3 days in advance and store covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Double Batch: Recipe can easily be doubled to fit in a 9×13-inch pan. Baking time will increase to 35 minutes.
I’m making these tomorrow. Is the crust stable enough to work in tart pans?
Hi Justin, We haven’t tested this in a tart pan but it should work. Let us know if you give it a try!
So delicious, I’ve made them twice in 2 days. I found the 1 tsp. cinnamon slightly overpowered the taste of the peaches, so I backed off to 1/4 tsp. the second time. (Next time, I might try a bit of cardamom and nutmeg instead, just for fun.) Plus I moved from a 9-inch to an 8-inch pan which made each bar just a satisfyingly bit thicker. Yet another piece of genius from Sally! Thank you – again!
Peach Muffins just came out of the oven and are delicious as always!
Now the crust is in for these bars! I am about 1/4 cup short on peaches, would adding strawberries work for this recipe to make up the extra 1/4 cup?
That wouldn’t be a problem at all!
Hi Sally!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Would almond milk be okay to use for the icing instead of regular milk or cream? Thanks!
Hi Kim, Nondairy milk or canned (unsweetened) coconut milk work.
For those wondering if they can use frozen peaches, this did not work for me.
Per Sally’s recommendation in the comments, I increased the baking time and did not thaw the peaches first, but the bottom ended up being overbaked and the middle still raw in places. Will try again with fresh peaches and hopefully get better results.
Hi Sally,
So excited to make these! If making a few days in advance, would you recommend holding off on adding the glaze until right before serving?
Thank you!
Hi Maya! Yes, that would be best.
Just made this recipe, it turned out amazing! Thank you Sally
Hi Sally, I made your peaches and cream bars today and they were delicious . I followed the recipe and didn’t change anything . I will for sure be making them again . Thanks Donna
I want to make these vegan and gluten free. I’m planning on using coconut oil, would that work in this recipe?
Hi Sara, Coconut oil is a great dairy free substitute for the butter in this recipe.
Sally, we loved this recipe! Perfect way to use in-season peaches which are excellent this summer! We added the nuts to the crust & added a few more peach slices. Came out perfect & tasty!
Great recipe and super easy to put together. The kids, family & friends loved it!
The title has cream in the name so I actually used heavy cream to replace the milk for the vanilla icing and it was heavenly. Another keeper from Sally’s site!
These are absolutely fabulous! I added 1/8 teaspoon almond extract to the filling and it was just perfect.
If I double the recipe do you think I’d have to increase the baking time?
Hi Karina, baking time will increase to 35 minutes.
Can canned peaches be used? Special instructions for canned peaches?
Hi Rose, fresh or frozen peaches are best, but canned peaches should work in a pinch. Be sure to drain them well and try blotting them dry to remove any excess moisture. If you can, try to use peaches with no sugar added, so that they’re not overly sweet. Let us know what you try!
Made these today & they are delicious
This recipe was so delicious. I have made it 2 times this week. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Made these tonight with fresh summer peaches. So easy and SOOO delish! I had to stop my pregnant self from eating the entire pan. Will definitely make again.
Sally – I made this it was an instant favorite. I was wondering since I have Georgia peaches in the freezer can I use those in this recipe. Marge
Hi Marge, If you use frozen peaches do not thaw first. The bake time will likely be a little longer!
Sally, how are ALL of your recipes amazing? I was nervous to make this because I thought it might be too sweet, but I just skipped the glaze, let it cool on the counter for 30 minutes, and – wow. This might be my new favorite dessert!
Would you change anything if you substitute mango for the peaches?
Hi Renee, The same amount of mangos would be delicious!
This absolutely was incredible, as are all of your recipes. I made a regular batch last Friday night, then had to make another Saturday night because my daughters and her friends went through them so quickly. These are perfect in every way. We made them with blueberries last night, and they came out great as well. Thank you for all that you do.
These are very tasty! I LOVE peaches, so I will add a bit more fruit next time- I saw another comment that used 2 cups instead of 1.5. Great recipe:-)
Wow! Yum! Made these today using 2 cups fresh chopped peaches and cut back sugar in filling to 1/3 cup. Added fresh grated nutmeg into the crumble base/topping. Delish! Another hit Sally! PS glad someone asked about using frozen peaches…will make thes again over the winter with them and experiment with other fruits like apple and berry. Thanks!!
Another fantastic recipe!!! Picked fresh blackberries today so decided to make this recipe to take into work. Doubled it, combined fresh peaches and blackberries, and I brought home a very empty pan! Will def be making it again very soon but GF so my roommate can enjoy it too. Thanks, Sally!
Peaches have to be my favorite fruit – every summer I end up buying more than I can eat before they start to go bad…I just can’t seem to help myself lol. After canning a dozen jars I still had peaches left over so I decided to give this recipe a try. It’s yummy, not too sweet and very easy to throw together. I made a double batch for a 9 x 13 pan so I could put half in the freezer. I think the only thing I may do different next time is maybe add just a touch of almond extract to boost the flavor of the peaches (they always seem to lose a bit of it when they’re cooked I find).
Good Summer Morning! I made the Peaches ‘n’ Cream Bars and they were WELL received! I didn’t have pecans so I used walnuts but everything else I did as directed. A wonderful recipe. I am now going to see, the next day, when I serve them if the bar has become soggy in the refrigerator….that was my concern. BUT whatever happens I have a great recipe (just too much for 2 grandparents to eat in one sitting LOL)
I made these today….so amazing! Tomorrow will be the peach struesel muffins and will have to wait until the weekend to try the blueberry peach frangipane galette because overtime prevails for the last two days of the work week. I did get the crust made for it today though…really looking forward to that recipe. I love when the local peaches are in season!! :o) Thank you Sally for all your wonderful recipes…you are my go-to when I have the itch to bake.
Hi Sally – peach season has just opened in Ontario, and I immediately searched your blog for a new recipe – can’t wait to try this one. Was wondering if I could do a caramel drizzle instead of the vanilla one… thoughts? Too sticky?
Absolutely! I use a caramel drizzle on these bars and no one ever complained that they were too sticky 😉
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-bars/
Hey Sally,
I made these last night. My husband and I couldn’t wait the two hours. We only made it about a half hour. 🙂 We scooped some out and served it with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious! I can’t wait to try them tonight as originally intended.
Sally
I just baked these yummy bars!! Thankyou again for such tasty recipes. Can’t wait to share with my family.