If peach season has you dreaming of a sweet, buttery treat, these Peach Almond Shortbread Bars are the answer. With a par baked shortbread base, a juicy peach filling, and a crumbly shortbread topping, they’re part cookie, part pie, and entirely irresistible.
I used fresh peaches to bring out the best peach flavor, along with almond slices for a little crunch. I also added almond extract to the shortbread to give just enough nutty richness to match the filling.
Fresh Peach Bars Shelf Life
The best way to eat these peach almond shortbread bars is serving them the same day they are baked. The bars will only last for 1-2 days at room temperature before the peach juices start to seep into the bottom shortbread crust and softens the top shortbread. You can refrigerate the cut bars in a parchment paper lined container with a tight fitting lid which may extend the freshness by a day or two.
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Ingredients You Will Need
Filling
- Peaches
- Corn starch
- Sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Shortbread
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Butter unsalted
- Almond slices
Ingredients Notes
- Peaches – Use ripe but firm peaches so they hold their shape when baked. If yours are very juicy, pat them dry before mixing with cornstarch. I used yellow free stone peaches for this recipe. The Spruce Eats gives a great explanation for how to pick peaches.
- Cornstarch – Just a couple of spoonfuls makes all the difference. It thickens the peach juices. Serious Eats Has A Guide to Cornstarch that helps explains why you should use cornstarch.
- Almonds – Sliced almonds give the topping crunch and nutty flavor. If you prefer, swap in chopped pecans, walnuts, or even pistachios for a different twist.
Step-by-Step Instructions
You can leave your mixer on the counter and pull out your food processor. But there are a few things to prep first.
Prepping the Peaches
1. I cut my peaches into quarters, then peel the skins. After that, I slice each quarter in half and cut into about 4 chunks. If you're using 3 large peaches, I got about 5 cups.
I lay the peaches out on paper towels to absorb as much peach juice as I can. I change the paper towels a couple of times.
Add the cut up peaches to a bowl and add the sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch, gently stirring to combine. I then put the peaches in the fridge and move on to make the shortbread.
Mixing the Shortbread
In a bowl weigh or measure the flour. Add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl, then stir or whisk. Pour it into the food processor bowl.
2. Now add the vanilla and almond extract. Cube cold butter and add that to the bowl.
3. Pulse the food processor for at least 10 to 15 times or until the ingredients start to come together. It will look a little crumbly. I then add the shortbread dough to a shallow bowl and gently mix in any loose flour by hand.
Preparing the Pan and the Bottom Crust
I have tried this recipe in two different pans the first was a metal USA 9X9 pan and I used parchment paper to line the pan. The parchment paper works well especially for lifting the finished peach shortbread out of the pan.
This dish I used is a 10X10 and I only lightly sprayed it with Pam. It has contoured sides which is easier to cut and get the finished bars out of the dish. Besides I have been dying to try this dish to see how it will work. The steps for adding the shortbread bottom crust are the same for either pan.
Pre heat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). The bottom crust will need to be par baked.
4. Take the clumps of shortbread dough and scatter them around the bottom of the dish. Press them down to form a solid bottom crust. You want a little more than half of the dough for the bottom crust, the rest save for the topping
5. Smooth out the bottom crust until it's an even thickness. Then I take a fork and go around the the bottom. Do not go deep! This helps the crust from puffing up.
6. Bake for 13 -15 minutes or just until the edges are golden. Take it out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Let the crust cool for about 30 minutes before starting to assemble the peach bars.
Assembling and Baking the Peach Bars
Take the peaches out of the refrigerator and I drain off any excess liquid.
7. Spread the drained peaches around the cooled par baked crust. Then sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the peaches.
8. Break the remaining unbaked shortbread dough into any size pieces you like. Dot them over the peaches and almonds.
9. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 35-40 minutes. Once out of the oven let the peach shortbread cool for 2 hours before cutting into bars and serving. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the plate with the peach bars would just hit the spot.
Enjoy!
FAQs
You can but please understand that frozen peaches usually have even more juice than fresh. They need to be thawed and dried on paper towels. You may need more cornstarch.
This is your choice if you don’t mind the fuzzy outside of the peach. I do peel mine.
Recipe
Peach Almond Shortbread Bars
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
Filling
- 5 cups (770 grams) Peaches cutup 3 large peaches
- 3 Tablespoons Corn starch
- ¼ cup (50 grams) Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Shortbread
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 grams) All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract
- 1 cup (227 grams) Butter unsalted cold and cut into cubes
- ½ cup (46 grams) Almond slices
Instructions
Prepare the Peaches
- Start by quartering the peach and removing the pit. Cut each quarter in half, then peel each section. Next, cut those pieces in half again, then slice each into about 4 chunks. These bite-sized pieces spread nicely across the bottom crust and bake up evenly.
- Lay the fresh peach chunks onto a paper towel and pat them dry as much as possible. If needed, change the paper towels to soak up more moisture. Once dried, add the peaches to a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Gently toss to coat, then place the bowl in the refrigerator while you make the shortbread.
The Shortbread
- Prepare a pan or dish for the bottom crust. If you're using a 9x9 metal pan, I lightly butter the inside and line the bottom and two opposite sides with parchment paper. These parchment "handles" make it easy to lift the finished peach shortbread out of the pan. If you’re using a dish with contoured sides, something you can easily get a spatula under, I just lightly spray it with Pam. That’s what I did for this batch, and it worked great.
- Weigh or measure the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then give it a quick whisk to blend everything together. Pour this flour mixture into the bowl of your food processor. Cube the cold butter and add it on top. Pulse about 10 to 15 times, or until the mixture starts to come together, it will still look a little dry in spots, and that’s okay. Scoop the shortbread mixture into a bowl and gently mix in any loose flour bits by hand.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Using a little more than half of the shortbread dough, take clumps and scatter them across the bottom of your prepared pan. Press the dough down to form an even crust, filling in any gaps as needed. Try to make the crust as smooth and level as possible. I like to take a fork and gently press light indentations across the surface, don’t go deep! This helps prevent the crust from puffing up during baking. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn golden. (This is a par-bake.)
- Let the bottom crust cool once it’s out of the oven. Take the peaches out of the fridge and strain off the liquid, try to remove as much as possible using a fine mesh strainer. Spread the peach mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Next, sprinkle the sliced almonds across the top of the peaches. Finally, take small clumps of the reserved shortbread dough and dot them over the top to create a rustic crumble topping.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 35–40 minutes, or until the top clumps of shortbread are lightly golden brown. Let the peach shortbread cool in the pan for at least 2 hours. If you're short on time, you can cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process. For the best flavor and texture, serve the bars the same day they’re baked, or at most, the next day. These are really delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Lisa says
This sounds delicious! How do I adjust the recipe to use a 9x13 pan instead of 9x9?
Barbara says
Hi Lisa, I would just double it. It will not hurt to have a little thicker bottom crust. You may have to add another minute to the par bake for the bottom crust. Just remember that peach have a ton of juice, and this is a dessert that should be served the same day you bake it or the next day. Do a good strain on the peaches before adding them to the par baked cooled bottom crust. Hope you enjoy them! - Barbara
Barb says
Love fresh peaches, add shortbread. I want a big bowl with ice cream along with it.