Golden Peach Bar with flaky crust, cinnamon‑kissed peaches, and vanilla glaze—simple, crowd‑sized dessert with bakery results.
Bite into a warm, golden Peach Bar and you’ll taste summer in every layer: buttery pastry crust, juicy cinnamon‑spiced peaches, and a soft vanilla glaze that ties it all together. This sheet‑pan dessert feeds a crowd, travels well, and slices into neat squares once cooled—perfect for potlucks, bake sales, and family nights.
How To Make Your Own Peach Bar
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flaky pastry crust – Tender, buttery layers that bake up crisp around the edges and soft in the center.
- Ultra‑juicy peach filling – Sweet peaches coated in cinnamon‑nutmeg sugar for classic pie‑bar flavor.
- Crowd‑friendly sheet pan – Makes a generous batch of Peach Bar so everyone gets a square (or two!).
- Easy vanilla glaze – A simple whisk‑together topping that adds shine and a bakery‑style finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Pastry Crust
- All‑purpose flour
- Salt
- Butter
- Eggs (separated)
- Milk
- Filling
- Rice Krispies cereal (or similar crisped rice cereal)
- Peaches (pitted and sliced)
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Egg whites (reserved from crust)
- Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cream or milk
Step‑By‑Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a 9×13‑inch pan with high sides.
- Make the pastry dough. In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Cut cold butter into ½‑inch cubes. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (butter bits about pea to lima‑bean size).
- Add liquids. Beat the egg yolk in a 1/2‑cup measuring cup, then add enough milk to reach 1/2 cup total. Stir this into the flour mixture with a fork until a rough dough forms. Gather, wrap, and refrigerate while you prep the filling.
- Mix the sugar blend. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pit and slice the peaches.
- Roll the dough. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9×13‑inch rectangle.
- Assemble the bottom layer. Fit one dough sheet into the ungreased pan. Sprinkle the crisped rice cereal evenly over the dough (this helps absorb juices and keeps the crust crisp). Top with the sliced peaches.
- Add sugar and top crust. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cinnamon‑sugar mixture. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture evenly over the peaches—yes, it looks like a lot; it balances the fruit. Cover with the second dough sheet and seal edges.
- Finish the top. Whisk the reserved egg white until frothy. Brush over the top crust. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup cinnamon‑sugar mixture over the egg‑white wash.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream or milk until smooth. If needed, thin with tiny splashes of milk to drizzle consistency. Drizzle over warm bars.
- Cool & slice. For tidy, handleable squares, cool at least 1 hour before slicing. Or serve warm à la mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to peel the peaches? Peeling is optional. Skins soften during baking and add color. If you prefer a softer texture, blanch and peel or peel using a knife. Peeled is my preferred method.
What do the Rice Krispies do? The cereal acts as a moisture buffer so the bottom crust stays flakier, even with juicy fruit.
Can I use frozen or canned peaches? Yes. Thaw and drain frozen peaches well; blot excess moisture. For canned, drain thoroughly, pad dry to remove excess moisture and reduce added sugar slightly to taste. In either case, make sure to remove all excess moisture.
Can I use nectarines instead of peaches? Yes! Depending on the variety of peach you have available, sometimes nectarines are a better choice for flavor and texture. You can replace the peaches with nectarines at a 1 to 1 ratio.
Make‑Ahead, Storage & Freezing Tips
- Make ahead: Bake, cool, and glaze. Once completely cool, cover and hold at room temp up to 24 hours before serving.
- Freeze: Bake and cool completely (skip the glaze until serving). Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge; warm briefly at 300°F and glaze.
- Double the batch: Double ingredients and bake in a 13×18‑inch cookie sheet (high sides recommended). Begin checking for doneness at 40 minutes.
Storage Tips
Room temperature (best for same‑day serving): Store loosely covered up to 2 days. Vent the cover slightly so steam doesn’t make the crust soggy.
Refrigerator: Store covered 5–6 days. For crisp edges, rewarm squares on a sheet pan at 300°F for 8–10 minutes before serving.
Freezer: Freeze baked, unglazed bars up to 2 months. Wrap well. Thaw overnight in the fridge, warm briefly, then glaze just before serving.
Transporting for potlucks: Keep unglazed for travel. Glaze on site for the prettiest finish and to prevent sticking to the cover.
Soggy‑crust rescue: If the crust softens after storing covered, refresh in a 350°F oven for 5–8 minutes.
Related Recipes
- Glazed Apple Bars – Another sheet‑pan favorite with a shiny glaze.
- Blueberry No‑Bake Cheesecake – Cool, creamy, and easy.
- Sweet Peach Zucchini Jam – A fun way to use extra peaches.
- Easy Graham Cracker Crust with Brown Butter – Perfect base for pies and bars.
Peach Bar Recipe Card:
Peach Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons all‑purpose flour 225–240 g
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup butter cold (170 g)
- 1 eggs separated (yolks beaten with enough milk to equal 1/2 cup total; reserve whites)
- 3/4 cup Rice Krispies cereal 55 g
- 8 cups peaches pitted and sliced
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 reserved egg white
- 3/4 cups powdered sugar 85 g
- 1 tablespoons good vanilla
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cream or 1 tablespoons milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease not required for the pastry.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Cut butter into ½‑inch cubes; cut into flour until coarse crumbs form (pea to lima‑bean size bits).
- Beat egg yolks in a 1‑cup measure; add milk to reach 1 cup. Stir into flour mixture with a fork until dough forms. Wrap and refrigerate.
- In a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pit and slice peaches.
- Divide dough in half; roll each half to a 9×13‑inch rectangle.
- Place one rectangle in the bottom of a 9×13‑inch high‑sided pan. Sprinkle cereal evenly over the dough. Top with sliced peaches.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the cinnamon‑sugar. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over peaches. Top with second dough sheet; crimp or seal edges.
- Whisk egg whites until frothy; brush over top crust. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup cinnamon‑sugar on top.
- Bake 35–45 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.
- For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream or milk until smooth; thin as needed. Drizzle over warm bars.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!These bars taste like a slice of summer baked into a pan—easy to assemble, easy to share, and just as good the next day. Want a simple sip to go with your Peach Bar? Try this quick Homemade Blackberry Lemonade.