Peach Pie Bars ~ as if you needed another excuse to love summer, these buttery peach shortbread crumble bars laced with whiskey will seal the deal! Make them with or without the alcohol, they’re simply amazing.
Peach pie bars are the ultimate summer dessert
I’m going to say something a little bit controversial now, so cover your ears if you think the only way to eat summer fruit is right out of your hand, with the juice dripping down your chin, yada yada, Call me crazy but I actually think fruit like peaches, apricots, plums and strawberries are even better after they’ve done a stint in the oven. I’m not saying they need added sugar or anything, but I do think their flavor is so much more intense and delicious after they’re baked.
what you’ll need for peach pie bars
- fresh peaches ~ yes you can use canned or frozen.
- butter
- flour
- sugar ~ both granulated for the bars and confectioner’s for the glaze.
- cornstarch ~ insures that the filling is thick.
- vanilla ~ use good quality extract, or paste.
- Jack Daniels ~ or your favorite whiskey.
Can you make these without the booze?
Whatever your feelings on the subject, don’t miss these bars. You’ve got Jack Daniel’s marinated peaches, a buttery shortbread crust, and another dose of Jack Daniel’s in the glaze. But if you’re not into using alcohol, simply leave it out and flavor your bars with vanilla or almond extract. They’ll still be awesome.
The same shortbread dough makes the crust and topping!
In other words, these bars come together in a snap. Just a few peaches, and a little bit of flour, sugar, and butter is all that stands between you and peach pie nirvana…
The whiskey is subtle, but there, if you know what I mean. These are great. I hope you try them!
Crazy for peaches? Also try ~
- White Peach Bars
- Easy Peach Butter
- Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits
- Bourbon Fried Peaches with Ice Cream
- Fresh Peach Shortcake
Jack Daniel’s Peach Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe but still firm peaches peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp Jack Daniel’s whiskey
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
for the glaze
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- Jack Daniel’s whiskey to thin
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F
- Mix the whiskey with the cornstarch in a small glass, and pour over the sliced peaches. Stir to coat and let sit while you make the crust.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the salt and vanilla.
- Mix in the flour just until combined, the mixture will be crumbly.
- Butter or line a 9×9 or 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper. I like to leave the ends of the paper overhanging the edges so I can use it as a ‘sling’ to make it easier to remove the bars for cleaner cutting later.
- Press 2/3 of the dough evenly on the bottom of the pan.
- Spread out the peaches evenly over the bottom crust.
- Using your fingertips, crumble the remaining dough over the top. The peaches will show through.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until the crust is beginning to turn golden.
- Cool before cutting or glazing.
- To make the glaze: stir together the confectioner’s sugar and enough whiskey to make a drizzle-able consistency. Using a small spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled squares.
- These bars will keep for several days covered loosely on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Make these peach pie bars your own ~
- Make them without the whiskey ~ just leave it out! You can substitute almond extract or vanilla in the glaze if you like, and thin it with milk or cream.
- Make them with another spirit ~ use Amaretto, Southern Comfort, or brandy instead of whiskey.
- Make them with other fruit ~ use any stone fruit like apricots, plums, or nectarines.
- Make them bigger ~ double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.
Peaches aren’t just for dessert ~ they can be used in all sorts of savory dishes like my Grilled Chicken with Peach Jalapeño Salsa, or this Peach Panzanella Salad. I love the sound this Grilled Tilapia with Peach and Cucumber Salsa!
18 Comments
Catherine
August 10, 2021 at 12:50 pmI made these yesterday. It’s so hot in my house that when I removed 2 sticks of butter from the freezer, they had thawed to totally melted before I was aware of it. So the shortbread dough was soft and greasy and I thought I may have ruined it. But I went ahead and it turned out beautiful. I substituted lemon juice for the whiskey in the glaze and subbed vanilla in the peaches. Delicious! I froze all but the two very small pieces I ate as soon as decently cooled off and tried one of the frozen pieces this morning, once it had thawed on the counter for a couple hours. The freezing made no difference in the texture and flavor of these bars, so very practical as well.
Alexandra
July 4, 2020 at 7:57 amIt can not be said and done better, Sue. The flavor of the peaches takes a dive when in the oven. I do love it , a much thoughtful use of this fruit. Thank you!
Connie
September 10, 2018 at 7:07 pmLove your site. Just made these for the second time this month with peache beer versus the Jack. I also used white peaches because I love the clear fresh taste. Soooo yummy. Can’t wait to try next with raspberries and Framboise. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Sue
September 10, 2018 at 8:12 pmThanks Connie, I agree with you about white peaches, and they’re still in abundance my supermarket, I bought a bag of them yesterday. Try my white peach bars, I love them.
Marnie
July 8, 2018 at 7:05 amAny thoughts on bourbon instead of Jack Daniels? Will it be sweet enough substitution?
Sue
July 8, 2018 at 7:48 amI’m not that much of am expert to really say, but I don’t see why you can’t substitute, the amount isn’t that huge that it should make a difference, and you’ve got plenty of sugar in there to sweeten things up 🙂
Nancy Long
July 26, 2016 at 11:50 amI have some honey Jack, might try it with that
Sue
June 7, 2018 at 9:41 amMmmmmmm!
Ivy Meyer
August 27, 2014 at 6:16 pmMade these, doubled the recipe for a 9×13″ pan. Added 2 tbsps of cinnamon to the Jack Daniel/cornstarch mixture. Turned out great!!
ginny
May 31, 2014 at 12:57 pmcan I double this recipe & make it in a 9×13 pan?
Sue
May 31, 2014 at 1:12 pmSure, Ginny, just watch your cooking time.
ginny
June 3, 2014 at 3:00 pmo.k…that’s good news. they will be carefully watched & babied! how about freezing them? or could I refrigerate for a couple of days? I like to do as much make-ahead as possible when there’s an event….
Jallisa
April 4, 2014 at 9:00 amDo you have to use liquor? I wanted to make these but i don’t any kind of liquor on hand.
Sue
April 4, 2014 at 9:21 amHey Jallisa — no, these bars will be just as good without the booze 🙂
Courtney
March 7, 2014 at 8:06 amThis is a delicious recipe. I’ve made it at least 5 times since I pinned it. My in laws have peach trees so we were able to use some fresh and some that we froze. Both ways are great. I just make sure to drain them after being frozen. My husband just requested some last night so I pulled out this recipe as a treat for after dinner. Thank you for sharing
Sue
March 7, 2014 at 8:15 amI’m so glad to hear this, Courtney, I think it’s one of my best recipes, and I’ve been dying for peach season to come back. It’s good to know that it works with frozen peaches, too, thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback!
Jan Hoyt
January 13, 2014 at 7:16 amHave you ever made these with frozen peaches? The season for peaches around here is VERY short! 🙂
Sue
January 13, 2014 at 7:31 amI haven’t, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I also think you could use a good peach jam.