Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Pie Bars with oatmeal shortbread crust, crumble topping and a simple glaze is a perfectly sweet treat for summer entertaining! Made with only 6 ingredients, these easy to make bars are vegan with a refined sugar-free option.
For all those times you’re craving peach pie but don’t have a lot of time to spare, these easy peach pie bars come together in a flash, and they’re so silly simple!
This is the ideal dessert recipe for those who don’t have a lot of baking experience or for those who don’t enjoy the process of baking a full pie as it is the archetypal easy dessert!
You’d never guess these fresh peach pie bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and so easy to make because they are just the perfect peach dessert!
Plus, you don’t have to have access to fresh peaches in order to make these beauties happen!
In fact, here in the Western U.S., our peach season is very short and typically pretty unimpressive, so I go with frozen peaches, but fresh ripe peaches are ideal!
To make the buttery shortbread crust for these peach bars, I use the same recipe I used for my Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and my Vegan Blackberry Pie Bars I shared last month.
That crust and crumble topping recipe is such a win that there’s just no point in deviating from it for all of our oatmeal bar or pie bar needs, am I right?!
Approved by my entire family (adults and kids of all ages!), they are a surefire win for anyone who loves a fruity dessert.
Let’s discuss the six simple ingredients needed to make these vibrant bars.
Ingredients for Vegan Peach Pie Bars:
Peaches: Fresh juicy peaches or frozen peaches are cooked in a small pot with some sweetener to make a thick peach pie filling. This gooey filling is seeping with sweet peach flavor with soft texture, just like your favorite peach pie.
The measurement of peaches is taken after peeling and chopping them. You’re looking for 4 cups of chopped fruit, or one pound. The frozen peaches I use come in a 16-ounce bag and equate to a perfect 4 cups.
Pure Maple Syrup or Cane Sugar: The sweetener for both the peach filling and the crust mixture! Use either pure maple syrup, maple sugar, or cane sugar depending on your preference. You can also use brown sugar or sugar-free sweetener.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: A gluten-free flour blend is used in the crust and streusel topping in combination with oats to create a flaky, delicious shortbread crust and crumble. Use your favorite gluten-free flour mixture or regular all-purpose flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
If you’re looking for a grain-free recipe using almond flour, follow the recipe for my Paleo Apple Pie Bars, but use the recipe below for the peach portion.
Oats: Rolled oats bring that otherworldly flavor of oats to these bars and also create a light flakiness. Plus, they bring about breakfast or snack vibes, making these bars suitable for any time of the day. I use sprouted gluten free oats that are also glyphosate-free. For the best result, use old-fashioned oats for that lovely texture rather than using quick oats or instant oats.
Coconut Oil or Butter: The liquid and fat portion of the crust and topping! Use melted coconut oil to keep the bars vegan or melted butter if you aren’t dairy-free. Either one produces a rich, naturally sweet inviting flavor.
Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract: Both vanilla extract and almond extract bring an underlying warmth to any baked good and provide a rich, unique flavor. You can add 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the pie crust mixture or ½ teaspoon of almond extract (a little almond extract goes a long way!). If you don’t have them on hand, skip them and the bars will still be great.
Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt in both the peach filling and the crust ensures the flavors of all of the ingredients shine through.
Optional Glaze: For a sweet simple glaze, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water or lemon juice in a bowl and stir well until a thick glaze forms.
If you prefer your desserts on the sweeter end, be sure to make the powdered sugar glaze to go with the bars, as they aren’t overly sweet on their own.
This easy peach pie bars recipe contains the perfect flaky pie crust, yet requires zero fancy maneuvers or tools like a pastry cutter, pastry blender, pie pan, or pie weights.
Let’s bake a batch of fresh peach bars!
How to Make Peach Pie Bars:
Make the Shortbread Crust & Topping:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” baking dish with parchment paper.
The crust and topping are both made using the same ingredients, so we stir up once, use twice. Bonus points: there’s no need to separate the dry ingredients from the wet ingredients as everything can be mixed together at the same time.
Transfer all of the ingredients for the shortbread crust and topping to a large mixing bowl and stir well until everything is combined and a thick, crumbly not over oily dough forms.
Measure out ½ cup of the mixture and set it aside to reserve as the crumble topping.
Pour the remaining crust mixture to the parchment-lined prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Use a fork to poke several holes into the crust to allow for airflow for even baking.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is slightly golden brown.
Make the Peach Pie Filling:
While the crust is baking, prepare the peach pie filling mixture. To do so, transfer the peeled and sliced peaches and granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) to a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and heat it on the stove top over medium heat.
Allow the mixture to come to a full boil and cook until the peaches are very soft and much liquid is seeping out, about 8 to 10 minutes.
If the mixture is still very watery, stir in 2 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour (or tapioca flour or cornstarch) and continue cooking without the lid until the filling has thickened up to a jam-like consistency, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
Compile the Peach Pie Bars:
Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the peach pie filling over it and spread it into an even layer, creating the peach layer.
Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping mixture on top. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden-brown.
Remove the peach bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving. If desired, make the optional glaze by stirring the powdered sugar and water in a bowl until well-combined. Drizzle over the bars.
Serve the peach crumb bars with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries for an even more decadent dessert.
Store any leftover peach pie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the bars in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.
These fresh and easy gluten-free vegan peach pie oatmeal bars are the perfect celebration of peach season and warmer weather, and are to have on hand to share with friends and family.
Not to mention, this delicious recipe is just so easy to put on repeat for any time you have a hankering for a fruit dessert.
Also check out my Gluten-Free Vegan Peach Cobbler for a crowd-pleasing delight using your favorite fruit that is perfect for sharing!
If you’re into these peach crumb bars and are looking for more fruit desserts using fresh fruits, also check out some of these easy recipes that are also reader favorites.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes:
- Paleo Strawberry Crumble
- Cardamom-Spiced Pear Crumble
- Paleo Peach Coffee Cake
- Grain-Free Strawberry Breakfast Cake
- No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Paleo Blueberry Cake
I hope your whole family enjoys this luscious healthier dessert as much as mine!
Vegan Peach Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the Peach Pie Filling:
- 1 pound 16 ounces fresh or frozen peaches, peeled and sliced (4 cups)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar or pure maple syrup
- Pinch sea salt
Shortbread Crust and Topping:
- 1 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup coconut oil melted**
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or pure maple syrup***
- Pinch sea salt
Optional Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp water or lemon juice
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust & Topping:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8” x 8” baking dish with parchment paper.
- Transfer all of the ingredients for the shortbread crust and topping to a large mixing bowl and stir well until everything is combined and a thick, crumbly not over oily dough forms. Measure out ½ cup of the mixture and set it aside to reserve as the crumble topping.
- Pour the remaining crust mixture to the parchment-lined prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Use a fork to poke several holes into the crust to allow for airflow for even baking.
- Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is slightly golden brown.
Make the Peach Pie Filling:
- While the crust is baking, prepare the peach pie filling mixture. To do so, transfer the peeled and sliced peaches and granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) to a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Cover the pan and heat it on the stove top over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a full boil and cook until the peaches are very soft and much liquid is seeping out, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the mixture is still very watery, stir in 2 tablespoons of gluten-free all-purpose flour (or tapioca flour or cornstarch) and continue cooking without the lid until the filling has thickened up to a jam-like consistency, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
Compile the Peach Pie Bars:
- Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the peach pie filling over it and spread it into an even layer, creating the peach layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping mixture on top. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden-brown.
- Remove the peach bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries for an even more decadent dessert.
I’ve got a couple of cans of peaches I need to use up. Do you think this would work with canned peaches?
Hi Elizabeth! I haven’t tried it myself but I believe it would work 🙂 I would measure out 3 cups of canned peaches if I were to try it myself 🙂 xoxo
Can I sub Almond flour for the Gluten-free flour?
Hi Jennifer! You can! You may end up needing more almond flour depending on how absorbent it is. I would try it as a 1:1 substitution first and if the dough seems overly wet or oily, add 1/2 cup of additional almond flour and see where that takes you 🙂
I don’t eat gluten free, how is the change out to regular all purpose flour?
Thanks
@Sharon, nevermind, I found my answer I’m your notes
I can’t wait to try this one! The Farmers Market has wonderful peaches right now. Good timing!
Sounds amazing! I hope you love them as much as we do!