Healthy Peach Crumble Bars

 
Every summer throughout my high school and college years, my family celebrated peach season the same way. Although Mom rarely baked anything from scratch, she always pulled out the faded, yellowing index card with Grandma’s neat script outlining how to make her famous peach pie.  

As soon as we saw the first really big, beautiful peaches arrive at the grocery store, we bought a huge bag and brought them home. After a few days of ripening, we pulled out mixing bowls and the glass pie plate, carefully following Grandma’s Instructions.

Her recipe began with an extremely buttery shortbread crust, one where you simply patted it across the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, instead of chilling and rolling it out like traditional pie crust dough. With her shortbread crust, the pie took less time to prepare and the bottom crust never turned soggy!
 

 
Next, we turned to the filling. We peeled all of the peaches, cut them into slices, and tossed them in a big bowl along with cinnamon, almond extract (Grandma’s secret ingredient!), and flour to thicken the juices they released while baking.

With the peaches spread across the shortbread crust, we followed Grandma’s instructions for an easy streusel topping. She simply reserved some of the pie crust mixture, added extra sugar, and sprinkled those large buttery bits across the fruit filling.

Although relatively straightforward and simple to make, the hardest part of that peach pie recipe was always the same…
 

 
Waiting for it to cool! After it finished baking, we had to let the pie cool all the way to room temperature and then rest for another couple of hours to let the peach juices thicken so they wouldn’t squirt out all over the place when we cut slices for ourselves.

But as tortuous as that felt, Grandma’s peach pie was always worth the wait… And it rarely lasted more than 24 hours!

With summer peach season right around the corner, Grandma’s famous pie has been on my mind lately. Since I still haven’t perfected a healthier version (my jaw always drops at how much butter goes into her crust!), I decided to make the next best thing…
 

 
These Healthy Peach Crumble Bars! They have a lovely soft sugar cookie crust, sweet juicy peaches in the filling, and a spiced streusel topping—just like Grandma’s pie!

However, unlike her recipe, these cookie bars contain no dairy, refined flour or sugar (and no eggs too!), and they’re just 79 calories!

Which means I could probably eat half the pan and still consume fewer calories than in one big slice of Grandma’s pie. And I’m definitely okay with that!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY PEACH CRUMBLE BARS

So let’s go over how to make these healthy peach crumble bars!

You’ll start by mixing together the oat streusel topping, which requires instant oats, white whole wheat flour, and cinnamon. Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. They’re just smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats! You can usually find them in canisters right next to the regular old-fashioned oats at the grocery store. 

In this healthy peach crumble bars recipe, I prefer using instant oats because they’re smaller, which means the crumble topping usually clumps less. But if you only have old-fashioned oats, those will work as well!

Then you’ll mix in a bit of pure maple syrup and melted coconut oil or butter. Yup, melted! Although many traditional streusel topping recipes instruct you to cut cold butter into the flour and oats, I find that melting it makes mixing the ingredients together so much easier—and faster, too!

Make sure you’re using real maple syrup, the kind that comes directly from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” It generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!)

Now that you’ve made the oat streusel topping for your healthy peach crumble bars, it’s time to turn to the next component…
 

 
The fruit filling! Just three ingredients here: diced peaches, cornstarch, and a touch more cinnamon. This is my favorite cinnamon because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter. I buy it online here—it’s really inexpensive!

As for the fruit, both fresh peaches and peaches canned in 100% juice will work for these healthy peach crumble bars! If using fresh, go ahead and peel them first. If using canned, just make sure you’ve thoroughly drained off all of the juice!

Tip: Since canned peaches work in these healthy peach crumble bars, you can easily make them all year round—not just during summer peach season!

Bonus Tip: If you use fully ripe or canned peaches, then they should be more than sweet enough for this filling, so you shouldn’t need to add any sweetener. That’s right—the filling for these healthy peach crumble bars is free from any added sugar!

Just remember to finely dice your peaches! You want those pieces to be very small, no larger than the size of your pinky nail or standard-sized chocolate chips. Finely diced peaches do three things in these healthy peach crumble bars: (a) ensure the filling completely covers the crust {more on that in a moment!}, (b) help the peaches fully cook through faster, and (c) ensure the bars bake evenly.

I know it takes a bit of extra effort to dice your peaches that small, but I promise these healthy peach crumble bars are worth it!

And yes… The cornstarch is necessary! It’s what thickens the juices the peaches release while baking. Without the cornstarch, your peach filling would be a water, liquidy mess.

Once you’ve gently tossed together those three ingredients in a bowl, set that aside as well and turn to the last part…
 

 
The sugar cookie crust! To make that, you’ll start with more white whole wheat flour. I forgot to mention this earlier, so I’ll share it now…

White whole wheat flour actually exists—and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour! Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the sweet flavor of your healthy peach crumble bars truly shine!

Just remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will dry out your cookie dough and make your crust crumbly. I promise it’s worth taking the extra time to measure correctly!

Unlike most pie crusts and sugar cookie recipes that call for a full stick of butter (or more!), you just need 1 ½ tablespoons of melted coconut oil or butter for this healthy sugar cookie crust. Yup, melted again! I try to make recipes as easy as possible… Perhaps you’ve noticed?
 

 
Then instead of eggs, you’ll mix in a touch of unsweetened cashew milk. Cashew milk is my favorite dairy-free milk! It’s really thick and creamy, almost with the consistency of whole milk, but it’s just 25 calories per cup. Unsweetened cashew milk works really well in almost every single one of my baking recipes!

And since my brother is allergic to eggs and lactose intolerant… By using no eggs and no dairy… These healthy peach crumble bars are secretly vegan, and he can enjoy them with the rest of my family!

Do you remember how I revealed my grandma’s secret ingredient in her peach pie? Well… I definitely needed to use it in these healthy peach crumble bars, seeing as they’re inspired by her delicious dessert!

So you’ll mix a bit of almond extract into the healthy sugar cookie crust. Almond extract is my all-time favorite baking extract! It tastes so fancy and sophisticated. You can usually find it right next to the vanilla extract on the baking aisle!
 

 
Nerd Alert!
You actually need two sweeteners for the sugar cookie crust: pure maple syrup again and liquid stevia. Here’s why!

If you only used maple syrup and you added enough to make the crust taste like real, true, sweet sugar cookies… Then you’d end up with way too much liquid in your cookie dough. It would have the same consistency as muffin batter, and your crumble bars would have more of a cakey crust—not soft and chewy like sugar cookies should be!

But if you only used just enough maple syrup to get the right cookie dough consistency… Then your crust would taste really bland, almost like bread. Not good either.

So that’s where the liquid stevia comes in! Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!) It’s also highly concentrated. You just need 1 ½ teaspoons for your sugar cookie bars—that’s the equivalent of almost ¾ cup of maple syrup!

By using the combination of maple syrup and liquid stevia, you end up with a sugar cookie crust for your healthy peach crumble bars that’s soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet!

Tip: This is the liquid stevia that I use because I love its flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products! I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!
 

 
Time to assemble your healthy peach crumble bars!

First, line your square baking pan with parchment paper. This makes it easier to lift your healthy peach crumble bars out of the pan and cut them into squares once they’re fully cool.

To line your pan, just cut two pieces of parchment paper that are as wide as the pan. Lay one piece down from left to ride. Rotate your pan 90°. Then lay the second piece on top from left to right again. You should end up with parchment paper overhang on all four sides of your pan—that’s okay!

Now, press your healthy sugar cookie dough into the bottom of your lined pan in a thin, even layer. It takes a little bit of effort, especially since the parchment paper tends to shift a little… So just be patient!

Next, spread your peach filling on top in another thin, even layer. (This part is the easiest!)

Finally, sprinkle your oat streusel on top. It tends to clump in really big pieces, especially when you let it rest while assembling the other two components, so break it into small pieces before sprinkling it on top. There should be enough streusel to cover the peaches in a thin, even layer. I promise!

Now all that’s left to do is slide the pan in the oven… Set a timer… Wait as patiently as possible until they’ve cooled and fully set…
 

 
Then cut into them and enjoy! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy peach crumble bars!

Healthy Peach Crumble Bars

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 16 crumble bars

Prep Time: 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 5 hours hrs

Total Time: 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

These dessert bars remind me of my grandma’s famous peach pie! They have a soft and chewy sugar cookie crust, juicy peach filling, and spiced oat streusel topping. Such an irresistible combination of textures and flavors! Leftover bars will keep for at least six days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator — if they last that long!

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients 

for the topping

• ½ cup (50g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• 2 tbsp (15g) white whole wheat flour or millet flour (measured like this)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tsp pure maple syrup (room temperature)
• 2 tsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted

for the filling

• 1 ½ cups (300g) finely diced peaches (see Notes!)
• 1 tbsp (8g) cornstarch
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

for the crust

• 1 ¼ cups (150g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp (45mL) unsweetened cashew milk (room temperature)
• ¾ tsp almond extract
• 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
• 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line an 8”-square pan with parchment paper (or coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray).
• To prepare the topping, stir together the oats, flour, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center. Pour in the maple syrup and coconut oil or butter, and stir until all ingredients are completely incorporated.
• To prepare the filling, gently toss together the peaches, cornstarch, and cinnamon until the peaches are evenly coated.
• To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour, baking power, and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, milk, almond extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
• Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan into a thin, even layer using your hands. (If it sticks to your fingers, then moisten your fingers with a tiny bit of water, and continue as needed.) Spread the filling evenly across the crust. Sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the peaches. (It tends to clump, so break it into tiny pieces as you go!) Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until the topping feels firm and the crust appears to be done. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the bars rest for at least 3 hours once at room temperature before slicing and serving to allow the filling to fully set.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: Remember to measure the oats and flour using this method or a kitchen scale! (← That’s the one I own.) Too much of either ingredient will dry out the streusel topping and sugar cookie crust.

 

OATS NOTE + SUBSTITUTIONS: Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. In a pinch, old-fashioned oats (gluten-free, if necessary) may be substituted.

 

FLOUR SUBSTITUTIONS: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour in the crust. Oat flour will also work, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be a bit more absorbent than wheat-based flours.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS: In the topping, any gluten-free flour, except coconut flour, may be substituted for the millet flour. In the crust, most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work, if measured like this. Gluten-free oat flour will also work, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be a bit more absorbent than many other gluten-free flours.

 

ALMOND EXTRACT NOTE: Almond extract was one of my grandma's secret ingredients in her peach pie. It tastes amazing with peaches, so I love using it in my peach recipes too! Vanilla extract may be substituted for the almond extract, if you're not a fan or have nut allergies.

 

STEVIA NOTES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! I buy mine online here (it's the cheapest price I've found!), and you’ll also use it in all of these recipes of mine.

 

You cannot substitute additional pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia because the crust requires a precise balance of wet and dry ingredients. However, you may substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar or granulated sugar, if you aren’t concerned about keeping these cookies clean eating friendly) for both the pure maple syrup and stevia in the cookie bars, but the crust won’t be as sweet and will appear “speckled” if using coconut sugar because it doesn’t dissolve as well.

 

SWEETENER SUBSTITUTIONS: Agave or honey may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

 

MILK SUBSTITUTIONS: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.

 

IMPORTANT PEACH NOTES: Make sure to finely dice the peaches! They should be no larger than the size of your pinky nail or standard-sized chocolate chips. This smaller size ensures your bars bake evenly and that you have a thin, even layer of peaches spread all the way across the crust.

 

Both fresh peaches and peaches canned in 100% juice will work. If using fresh, peel them first. If using canned, drain them really well. I haven’t tried using frozen peaches.

 

STREUSEL TOPPING NOTE: If you prefer a thicker layer of streusel, then double the topping.

 

GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, EGG FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use one of the gluten-free alternatives mentioned above and the coconut oil option. Alternatively, substitute stick-style vegan butter for the coconut oil.

 

For more tips and information, please see my blog post above!

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Small Batch Blueberry Crumble Bars
♡  Healthy Small Batch Apple Crumble Bars
♡  Healthy Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Apple Crumble
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Crumble
♡  Healthy Peach Crumble
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy peach recipes!