Brown Butter Peach Crumble Bars — Sweet Summer Dessert

Brown butter peach crumb bars are an ideal summer treat: a nutty, caramelized crust topped with juicy peaches and a crisp, buttery crumble. They’re straightforward to make and showcase ripe peaches beautifully.

Crust & Crumbs

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Filling

• 3 Tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
• 2 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp peach liqueur

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Cook the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam, then clear, and finally turn a deep brown (about 6 minutes). Pour the brown butter into a medium bowl and let it cool slightly. Whisk in the sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and fold until incorporated. Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough for the topping (keep it chilled). Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 14–16 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
4. For the filling, combine sugar, salt, and arrowroot starch in a bowl. Add the peach slices and peach liqueur, tossing gently to coat. Spoon the peach mixture over the cooled crust and crumble the reserved dough evenly over the top.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes more, until the topping is golden and the filling is slightly bubbly. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Just before cutting, chill the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm the bars. Lift the parchment to remove the slab, place it on a cutting board, and slice into squares with a sharp knife.