Sometimes you just need a dessert that has it all: a tender, buttery crust, a bright fruit layer, and a rich, creamy centre. That’s exactly what these peach crumble cheesecake bars are all about!! I’ve been testing these for a bit and I am genuinely so excited for you to make them. 🙂
These bars have a few moving parts, but I promise you, each step builds towards a final square that is just packed with texture and flavour. The sweet, jam-like peaches, a smooth, tangy cheesecake layer, and a buttery, crumbly topping that doubles as the base. It’s a delicious combination.
Cook those peaches!
Before anything else, I need to talk about the peaches. I pre-cook them slightly, and it makes all the difference:
- Concentrated peach flavour: Cooking them down a bit really brings out the sweetness and deepens the peach taste.
- Jam texture: I added a touch of cornstarch which thickens the peach juice into a glossy, jam-like consistency that holds its shape beautifully in the finished bar, instead of making the cheesecake layer watery. I added the chopped peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a small saucepan, stir over medium heat until it simmers and gets thick, then take it off the heat and let it cool.
Par-baking the crust
This recipe uses one simple mixture for both the base and the topping, which is pretty efficient, imo. 🙂 You whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, sugars, salt, baking powder) and then pour in melted butter. Stir it and you’ll get this lovely, moist, crumbly mixture.
You’re going to use exactly two-thirds of this mixture for the base, pressing it firmly into your prepared 8×8 inch pan. Aim for a nice, even layer! I bake this base on its own for about 10-12 minutes. This par-baking step is key to getting a sturdy base that won’t get soggy when the cheesecake and peach layers go on top. A well-structured base is THE foundation for a sturdy bar. The remaining one-third of the crumble mixture patiently waits for its role as the topping.
Ingredients
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Large egg
- Frozen peach slices
- Cornstarch
- Ground cinnamon
- Lemon juice
- Packed light brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
The creamy cream cheese layer!
This is the heart of our peach crumble cheesecake bars. The biggest tip for this section is room temperature ingredients. I cannot stress this enough!!! Your cream cheese needs to be completely soft, almost squishy, and your egg should also be at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will give you lumps, and no one wants lumpy cheesecake.
Once your cream cheese is soft, use a flexible spatula or wooden spoon to smooth it out first. Then stir in the sugar and vanilla, followed by the egg. The goal here is a uniform, glossy mixture!
Tips for the best Peach Crumble Cheesecake Bars
- Room temperature is key: For the cream cheese filling, ensure your cream cheese and egg are completely at room temperature. This means smooth, lump-free cheesecake.
- Don’t overmix the cream cheese: Stir the cream cheese filling gently until just combined. Overmixing can incorporate too much air, which affects the final texture.
- Parchment paper is your friend: Always line your pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. This creates handles, making it significantly easier to lift the entire batch of bars out of the pan for clean slicing.
- Chill them thoroughly: This is the most important step for clean slices and a set texture. Don’t rush it. Four hours is the minimum; chilling overnight is even better.
- Use a warm, sharp knife: For neat slices, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe it dry before each cut. This helps glide through the layers without dragging.
Once sliced, store these easy peach cream cheese bars with crumble in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for up to 4-5 days. I usually arrange them in a single layer if I can, or use parchment paper between layers if stacking.
I hope you give these peach crumble cheesecake bars a try. If you do, please tag me on socials (@theflournook) and leave a review here for the recipe! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card below, the buttons around this post, or any of the photos above.
Until next time!
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Peach Crumble Cheesecake Bars
- Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 squares 1x
Description
These thick peach crumble cheesecake bars have a buttery streusel base and topping, with a creamy, tangy cream cheese layer and a bright, jam-like peach filling. A lovely layered texture and flavour experience, with tender fruit, soft cream cheese, and a crumbly crust.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 oz (340 g) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Thickened Peach Layer
- 12 oz (340 g) peach slices, thawed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (6 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
Crust and Crumble Topping
- 1/4 cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) baking powder
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine chopped thawed peaches, 3 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the mixture bubbles, thickens, and becomes glossy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a 8×8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a spatula until moist crumbs form.
- Press two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Lower oven temperature to 325F (163C).
- While the crust cools, use a flexible silicone spatula or wooden spoon to smooth the room-temperature cream cheese until lump-free. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Mix in the egg until the mixture is uniform and glossy.
- Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the warm, par-baked crust.
- Spoon dollops of the cooled peach mixture over the cream cheese layer.
- Scatter the remaining one-third of the crumble topping evenly over the surface.
- Bake at 325F (163C) for 50 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden and set, but the centre two inches should still wobble slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan at room temperature for an hour.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.
- Once cold and set, lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang. Slice into squares with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Room temperature cream cheese and egg are key for a smooth, lump-free filling. Don’t skip this step.
- When mixing the cream cheese filling, stir gently after adding the egg. Overmixing can trap air, which makes for a less dense, smooth texture.
- The chilling time is non-negotiable here. The bars need to be completely cold and set for clean, neat squares.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
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