Early Fall Apple Peach Bars (Printable)

Tart apples and juicy peaches layered with a buttery oat crumble in a delightful autumn-inspired treat.

# Components:

→ Fruit Filling

01 - 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
02 - 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced
03 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
04 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Crumble and Base

07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 cup rolled oats
09 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine diced apples and peaches with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
04 - Pour melted butter and vanilla extract into dry mixture; stir until crumbly.
05 - Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
06 - Spread the prepared apple-peach mixture evenly over the base layer.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the fruit layer.
08 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.
09 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan for about one hour. Use parchment overhang to lift bars out and cut into 12 portions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These bars are the secret hack for when you want cobbler flavors without any fuss.
  • Perfect for using up extra fruit before it goes soft, and always a crowd-pleaser.
02 -
  • I once tried cutting the bars before they cooled and ended up with delicious crumble mountain—patience pays off here.
  • Swapping in nectarines for peaches works beautifully, but the bars will be a touch tangier.
03 -
  • Mixing the butter and vanilla separately before adding helps flavor spread evenly through the crumble.
  • Layering fruit right up to the pan edges means each square gets juicy corners, just the way it should be.
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