Grab some end-of-summer peaches and start baking! Start with these Peach and Raspberry Pie Bars…
You know how sometimes you have an idea? An idea for a recipe that you know is going to work no matter what? Or maybe you just think I’m crazy because you don’t really have ideas like that… and you just like to find recipes on the internet and try them out and hope that they work. You’ll have to excuse my brain… which is on overdrive 100% of the time trying to figure out what to bake next. The peaches in my head told me they’d be good with raspberries in a pie-sort-of-dessert. And that’s where the idea for these Peach and Raspberry Pie Bars comes from. This all happened one morning on the treadmill, by the way (the idea, that is). See? I told you I might be crazy.
I have a secret about how I keep my flour organized in my kitchen: I use a special, large, airtight container to hold my flour, but I don’t like to take it out of the bag. Instead, I place the bag in the container, and as I use the flour, I tear down the top of the bag little-by-little so it’s easy to scoop out the flour from inside the bag. This is the way I keep track of what flour I’ve purchased (and how new it is).
Anyway……………….. this is what the crust is going to look like after you mix it all up with your mixer.
Get yourself some clean hands and use them to press the crust into the pan and slightly up the sides.
Bake the crust until it’s golden brown.
Mix peaches with sugar and spices (if you need help on how to peel the peaches, visit this post: How to Peel Peaches).
Next comes the topping.
The topping ingredients are mixed with butter to make a crumbly mixture.
For assembly: the peaches are spread on top of the baked crust.
A few raspberries are scattered on top.
The crumbly topping mixture comes next, and then into the oven it goes!
Once the pie bars have cooled completely, use the handles of the parchment paper to gently lift them out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a knife to loosen the edges if you need to.
Cut these into beautiful squares and serve them up to peach and pie lovers everywhere. My little treadmill dessert “idea” turned into a big hit around the house. We had relatives visiting, and they seemed pretty happy to be munching on these for dessert and for breakfast too. They were gone almost immediately. So like I said before, grab those peaches and get to work. Pie bars kind of have a way of making people happy.
Thanks for hanging out with me and my peaches this week 🙂 That’s my last peach recipe of the summer. At least, I think so…
Peach and Raspberry Pie Bars
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
FILLING
- 4 pounds (about 6) peaches, peeled, pitted & sliced into wedges
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
TOPPING
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 Sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
OTHER
- 1½ cups fresh raspberries
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 9x12-inch baking pan with parchment paper (you want the parchment to come up the sides so you can use it as "handles" later to lift the dessert out of the pan).
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the flour, spices and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Use clean hands to press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and ½ inch up the side in an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.
FILLING
- Place the peaches in a large bowl. Drizzle in the butter and stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
TOPPING
- In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Using fingers (wash your hands and take off your rings first!), squeeze the butter into the oats & sugar and crumble together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Alternately, you can use a pastry cutter, but ultimately you'll want to just use your hands).
ASSEMBLE THE BARS
- Spread the peach filling over the crust. Scatter raspberries on top and then the crumbs.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
- Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2 inch bars. It's even better if you have time to refrigerate the bars until chilled and then cut from there. Once the pie bars have cooled completely, use the handles of the parchment paper to gently lift them out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a knife to loosen the edges if you need to.
Notes
- Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to munch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This recipe was written for Gold Medal Flour, a product that I use every day in my kitchen.
These look absolutely incredible and feature one of my all-time favorite fruit combos! YUM!
Great summer dessert!
I am concerned that the filling will be so juicy it will be very messy. I see you have flour in the topping…does that thicken up the juice from the peaches?
Perhaps… I didn’t have any problems with it being messy. We served it on plates with a fork. Turned out just like you see in the photos!
I love how you captured summer in these bars. I better make a big batch before it’s too late!
Umm yeah, this recipe DEFINITELY works. Love the peach raspberry combo!! And also that this is half cake, half pie. The best of both worlds.
G’day and this looks delicious, true!
LOVE the flavor combination and WISH could taste some of this now too!
Cheers! Joanne
@mickeydownunder
Lori,
I think I have the same pan as yours and I love it. Usually get my ideas in the shower. These bars look delicious.
Annamaria
These pie bars look really yummy Lori!
Lori, we are too much alike! I do the same with baking ideas…the best ideas come just before sleep (because I cannot turn my brain off) and while in the shower or tub, LOL. We even do something similar with flour. I have several airtight bins. But, instead of tearing away at the bag, I cut off the label and hold it up to the side (where I can see thru the container) then pour in the flour. Fresh is always best. This way, I know which brand and type I am using…bleached, unbleached, bread, pastry, etc. Beautiful pie bars and a great summer fruit and berry combo! Thanks for sharing!
Oh. my. holy. YUM! Ah! These have me drooling!! Can’t wait to give these a try- they look incredible!
XO- Shan