Peach Crumb Bars – Sweet, fruity, delicious bars made with fresh peaches tucked inside a lightened-up buttery crust.
Time to spill the beans.
I am addicted to these Peach Crumb Bars, but that’s not what I am spilling about.
I gained weight. Yes, I was pregnant, but still, I gained weight. I don’t even know how I managed to do that. The thought of food made me so sick that I think I cooked and baked a total of maybe 10 times in 9 months. That’s the reason why I couldn’t blog…I didn’t have any material to blog about. Plus the fact that I wanted to sleep all day.
But, the doctor said I gained it because the baby needed it. Aha. Okay. I’m sure the baby really needed my 40 pounds…and the chocolate that I feasted on day in and day out. I had to compensate with something…baby was taking all those much needed vital minerals and vitamins. And, of course, the Nutella spread all over my morning waffles. 🙂
But, I did lose 20 pounds right after birth.
That’s me two weeks before delivery. 🙂 It was all worth it. It always is. ♥
SO, as soon as this 4th trimester is over – yes, I do believe in the 4th trimester, just ask my body – I will stop eating.
Um. Yeah. Right.
Portion control. Balance. I’m really good at that. In fact, that is how I maintain my weight; I eat everything, but in moderation. For now, though, I will try to slow down on the eggs and butter for a little while. Like a week. 🙂 And, if it tastes as good as the real stuff, I’ll post it.
Like these Peach Crumb Bars. They were awesome!
I swapped the eggs for bananas, kept the butter, but topped the bars with fruit and nuts. Now, that’s balance.
You know what’s good here? The crust. It’s made with light brown sugar and bananas. Yums! Also, the filling. The filling is really good. You can use any stone fruit; peaches, plums, nectarines…
Don’t leave these bars for the next day. And don’t say I didn’t warn you. They will be mushy. If you like mush, then go ahead and leave them out. I, actually like mush… BUT, if you don’t like mush, make them on Sunday morning and serve them as soon as everyone is ready to eat. Oh, and don’t cut them until completely cooled. And add a scoop of ice cream on top. Or some whipped cream. You won’t be disappointed.
ENJOY!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter , softened
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 banana , ripe, mashed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- FOR THE FILLING
- 6 cups chopped peaches
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 9x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, with a mixer, beat together brown sugar, butter, oil, banana and vanilla until smooth.
- Add in the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.
- Take about 2/3 of the dough to the prepared pan and press the dough down onto the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
- Put the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the chopped walnuts to the reserved dough and stir them in.
- Prepare the filling.
- In a large saucepan bring together the chopped peaches, orange juice, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 3 minutes.
- Spread the fruit-filling over the baked crust.
- Sprinkle the rest of the dough over the filling. This will be a bit sticky, but you’ll get through it. ?
- Put back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
- Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
