Description
Buttery crumble crust, creamy cheesecake layer, and sweet cinnamon-kissed peaches come together in these luscious summer dessert bars easy to make, crowd-pleasing, and easily adaptable to gluten-free, dairy-free, or low-sugar diets.
Ingredients
For the Crumble Base & Topping:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– ½ cup granulated sugar
– ½ teaspoon baking powder
– ¼ teaspoon fine salt
– ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
– 1 large egg
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
– 8 oz cream cheese, softened
– ¼ cup granulated sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 large egg
For the Peach Topping:
– 3 large peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
– 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
– 1 tablespoon cornstarch
– 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
– ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
- Stir in egg and vanilla until mixture is evenly moistened and clumpy.
- Press about two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining one-third for topping.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and mix just until combined. Spread evenly over the crust.
- In another bowl, toss peach slices with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Arrange evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Sprinkle reserved crumble topping over peaches, gently squeezing some into larger clumps for texture.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, until topping is golden and center is set with only a slight wobble.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Use parchment overhang to lift bars out, then cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
– Use cold butter for a flaky, crisp crumble texture.
– Do not overmix the cream cheese layer to avoid cracks.
– Pat thawed frozen peaches dry to prevent excess moisture.
– For gluten-free: use certified gluten-free all-purpose flour.
– For dairy-free/vegan: use plant-based butter, dairy-free cream cheese, and flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water per egg).
– Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: ~190
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg