Soft Peach Shortbread Bars

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These soft peach shortbread bars are a tropical treat that melt in your mouth. The filling is made with fresh, colorful peaches that are full of flavor. The crust and topping are made with almond flour, which gives these bars a subtle hint of almond, and coconut. The shortbread isn't traditional shortbread in that it's very soft and delicate. The aroma of butter and sweet coconut will comes out of the oven as they bake. This flavor combination with the light texture makes these peach shortbread bars taste like vacation. They are the perfect summer treat for your next beach trip or BBQ with friends and family!

Soft peach shortbread bars dusted with powdered sugar and coconut flakes spread out with the main focus being one bar with a bite taken out. A couple of fresh peach slices in the bottom right corner.

A Few Words on The Ingredients

Softened unsalted butter gives the crust and topping a buttery flavor that is crucial to any shortbread recipe. Letting it soften allows it to thoroughly mix with the other ingredients.
Almond flour provides a nutty flavor to the crust and topping. We love Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour!
You can use unsweetened or sweetened coconut. Obviously sweetened coconut will add more sweetness compared to unsweetened.
Peaches are the star of this recipe. Using peaches when they're in-season will create the best version of this recipe but if they aren't in season, you can always use frozen. You can also substitute any fruit you'd like: apples (add a dash of cinnamon when making the filling), apricots, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, or plums would all be fantastic.

Soft peach shortbread bars cut and staggered on wax paper. The knife used to cut them and a few fresh peach slices in the bottom corners with a peach half and white flowers in the top corners.

Recipe FAQ

Are these peach shortbread bars gluten-free?

If you use certified gluten-free almond flour, yes!

Can you use all-purpose flour in place of almond flour?

Yes! Almond flour provides more moisture compared to all-purpose flour, so you will need less all-purpose flour than our recipe calls for. We recommend starting with 2 cups AP flour and if the batter still looks wet, add 2 Tbsp until the batter is firm enough to press into the pan but not too wet.

Do you need to peel the peaches for these shortbread bars?

Nope! It's personal preference. If the peaches are really ripe, the skin may naturally peel off, but you don't need to peel them for this recipe.

How do you know when the bars are done?

The crust will be bubbly and golden brown. You'll be able to smell the buttery almond flour crust and coconut!

Do you have to make the filling from scratch?

You do not but we love the homemade filling! You can easily substitute your favorite jam. Bonne Maman is our favorite brand!

A stack of three soft peach shortbread bars with the rest of the bars in the background. A vase of flowers and powdered sugar sifter are in the background. A couple fresh peach slices are to the right of the stack of bars.

Last words on this recipe

It's soft. Like really soft. Like about to fall apart in your hands soft. And that's what makes them so good! Classic shortbread is hard and crunchy (and still delicious) but the almond flour in these peach shortbread bars retains moisture and keeps the crust delicate. The filling adds fresh, juicy flavor to really make these bars taste like a tropical destination. If you like this recipe, you may like these others!

If you try this recipe, please rate and review it below! We also love connecting on social media so tag us @theperfectpear8 so we can see and repost! 🙂

Print Recipe

Author: Lauren
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 24 bars 1x
Category: Desserts
Cuisine: American

Instructions

For the filling:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the fruit and sugar for 10-15 minutes. If the fruit isn't juicy, add 1 Tbsp water. The mixture should be bubbling.
Mash the fruit with the back of a spatula or fork, or potato masher until there are no big chunks.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool.

For the crust & topping:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13" pan with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer or large bowl with hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
Combine wet and dry ingredients until mixed. Add coconut and mix.

Assembling the bars:

Press ⅔ of the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven and evenly spread the filling. Leave ~½" around the edges (the jam will stick to the parchment paper so it's easier to remove after baking if you leave a little "crust").
Sprinkle remaining ⅓ of dough on top of the filling.
Sprinkle more coconut, if desired.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the top is bubbling.
Let cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Store in air-tight container for 1 week.
These bars can be frozen for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temperature before eating.
Any fruit can be used, fresh or frozen!