Today, we’re sharing one of our favorite summer treats: peach squares. The recipe comes from our neighbor across the street, who shared her fruit square recipe with us years ago. We’ve been making it every summer since!
A Welcome to the Neighborhood
When we first moved to the neighborhood my parents still currently live in, I was twelve years old, about to start eighth grade, and very nervous about being “the new kid.”
Not long after we finished unpacking our boxes, I remember the doorbell ringing. Our neighbor across the street had brought us some homemade blueberry squares to say hi and welcome us to the block.
While the neighborhood we’d moved from wasn’t unfriendly, it also wasn’t the kind of place where people rang your doorbell proffering delicious baked goods!
They were delicate little squares of gooey cake-like batter, studded with sweet berries and big pieces of crunchy walnuts. They were so simple, and yet I hadn’t had anything quite like them before. It was then that I knew that despite missing the town we’d moved from, we’d landed ourselves in an okay place.
Our neighbor, Lisa, eventually shared the recipe with us, and I was shocked at how simple and easy it was to make. With just a handful of ingredients and infinite possibilities, the recipe became a staple in our house as well.
Over the years, I’ve found that this peach version and that original blueberry version are my favorites! Over the years, we’ve shared a couple recipes from neighbors, including this Irish Soda Bread recipe and our favorite Carrot Cake recipe. We know a good recipe when we see/taste one, and we’ll always document them here on The Woks of Life!
A Great Way to Showcase Any Summer Fruit
While we’re taking advantage of the perfect summer peaches available at our local NJ farms this month, this recipe is a great way to showcase many fruits of the season.
This fruit square recipe would be delicious with:
- Blueberries
- Sliced/chopped strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Plums
- Cherries
- Or as our neighbor’s original recipe states, cranberries (making this a great holiday recipe as well)
You could also use frozen fruit, though it will release a lot more juice into the batter, which can mess with the texture. We usually prefer to use fresh fruit when making these fruit squares.
Just 7 Ingredients In a Flexible Recipe
The original recipe has just 6 simple ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, nuts, and fruit. I added a seventh—vanilla.
(That’s right, there’s no leavening—no baking powder or baking soda! These have a relatively dense, almost gooey texture with the fruit.)
That’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s so beautifully simple, it’s a blank canvas that you can really make your own. Use whatever fruit you like, and even add additional flavors.
While I added vanilla here (I think it really compliments the peaches), you could also add flavorings like lemon or orange zest, almond extract, or cinnamon.
I also reduced the sugar to 1 cup, as our family enjoys desserts that are less sweet. However, feel free to add 1 ½ cups sugar, as the original recipe states. I did dust these with powdered sugar at the end to make them look a bit prettier, but that’s totally optional also.
Long story short, make this recipe your own!
Peach Squares: Recipe Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Whisk until well-combined.
Alternately fold in the sifted flour, peaches, and walnuts until well-combined.
Tip! How to Peel Peaches
Score the bottom of each peach with an “X” using a paring knife. Blanch them in boiling water for 40-60 seconds (less time for really ripe peaches, more time for peaches that might be a little less ripe). Remove with a slotted spoon and dunk into an ice bath. The peel will come right off!
Pour into the prepared pan, and smooth out the batter so it’s evenly distributed.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool, slice, and serve. (Refrigerate for 30 minutes for easier slicing.) Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
We hope you enjoy these peach squares with the last of summer’s peaches!
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Recipe
Peach Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick salted butter (melted; 1 stick = 4 oz., or 110g, or 1/2 cup)
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 3 medium peaches (about 2 cups, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks)
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- Powdered sugar (for dusting, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until well-combined.
- Alternately fold in the sifted flour, peaches, and walnuts until well-combined. Pour into the prepared pan, and smooth out the batter so it’s evenly distributed.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool, slice, and serve. (Refrigerate for 30 minutes for easier slicing.) Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
