Gluten-Free Peach Crumb Bars

These gluten-free peach crumb bars use a single shortbread-style dough for both the crust and the crumb topping, with a juicy peach filling spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg pressed in between. No chilling, no rolling, no complicated steps.

The same dough works for both the base and the topping, so you press most of it into the pan, add the filling, and crumble the rest over the top before baking. Fresh peaches work best in summer, but frozen peaches work year-round. The bars also slice cleanly once fully cooled, which makes them a good option for bringing somewhere.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One dough for the crust and the topping. No separate crumble recipe to make.
• The bars slice cleanly and hold their shape. They travel well to potlucks and picnics without falling apart.
• Easily made dairy-free and vegan. One ingredient swap, no changes to the method.

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (blue bag) for this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter – Make sure it’s melted before adding it to the dough. This is what gives the crust that rich, shortbread-like texture. To make this dairy-free or vegan, swap in melted Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks or coconut oil in the same amount.
• Peaches – Fresh peaches are my first choice here. You’ll need about 4 medium peaches, peeled and diced, to get 3 cups. Frozen works too. Don’t thaw them first. Just toss them frozen with the filling ingredients and the cornstarch takes care of the extra liquid.
• Cornstarch – This is what keeps the filling from getting soupy. Don’t skip it.

Parchment paper

Line your pan with parchment paper before pressing in the crust. It makes lifting the bars out for slicing much easier, and you won’t lose the bottom crust when you try to get them out of the pan.

Recipe FAQs

es, for this recipe I recommend peeling the peaches. Unlike cobbler where the skin softens into the filling, the peach filling in crumb bars is diced and more compact, and unpeeled peaches can leave chewy bits of skin in each bite.

Yes. Do not thaw them first. Toss them frozen with the filling ingredients and bake as directed. The cornstarch will absorb the extra liquid as the bars bake.

Yes. Use a 9×13-inch baking dish and keep the baking time the same, checking at 45 minutes.

Expert Tips

• Reserve the right amount of crust for the topping. One scant cup of the dough set aside before pressing the base gives you enough crumble for good coverage without the base getting too thin.
• Let the bars cool completely before slicing. The peach filling needs time to set. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The bars hold their shape better when kept cold and the filling continues to set up overnight.

Freezer: Freeze individual bars wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Make ahead: The bars can be baked a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. They slice even more cleanly the next day once fully chilled.

Serving Suggestions

These bars are good at room temperature or cold straight from the refrigerator, which makes them a natural fit for cookouts and potlucks since you can make them ahead. Serve them after a spread of gluten-free fried chicken and gluten-free pasta salad , or build a full peach-forward summer meal by starting with a grilled peach burrata salad and finishing with these bars and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.