To squeeze every last drop of summer from remaining berries and stone fruit, try slicing and quickly tossing them in balsamic vinegar and honey before roasting. A most heavenly aroma will soon fill your kitchen – if I could bottle the scent, I would! Once the fruit cools, it becomes the jammy filling sandwiched between two buttery layers of oatmeal crumb in these roasted strawberry-peach bars.
Roasting intensifies the natural sweetness of the fruit, adding depth of flavor and reducing the need for additional sweetener. Serve bars warm with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream for a taste reminiscent of a fruit crisp. No time for bars? Try the roasted fruit over ice cream for a sublime topping.
Roasted Strawberry-Peach Bars
Roasted Fruit
1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/2 cups peaches (2 medium), peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (pick a thick and fruity vinegar)
1 Tbsp honey
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Oatmeal Crust & Crumbs
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine strawberries, peaches, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt in a medium bowl; toss to combine. Pour mixture into a single layer on prepared baking sheet; roast 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then scrape mixture into a food processor and pulse with vanilla until fruit is chunky.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and egg with a pastry cutter until dough is moist and crumbly. Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish, reserving 1 cup mixture for topping. Bake 15 minutes, until crust edges are lightly golden. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Spread fruit mixture evenly over crust; sprinkle remaining dough evenly over fruit layer. Bake for 24 to 25 minutes, or until topping is golden. Cool bars completely in pan on a wire rack, then chill dish in the freezer for 10 minutes to make cutting easier. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days; warm before serving.
Yield – 12 bars (serving size: 1)
Calories – 175
Carbs – 26
how loverly! i think anything roasted would be great…i love how you are taking full on advantage of summer fruits before they go away.
The intense yellow hue that cascades into orange and red makes for a sultry end of summer post! A seductive dessert for our holiday weekend!
I am still holding to summer..we have 20+ days left, but high temperatures can be up even in November. :)
This looks wonderful, Laura. Strawberry and peach combo is always winning!
Great pics and recipe too! I wish you great Labor day weekend!!!
I love all your bar recipes but I think this might be my favorite! Strawberry and peach definitely make an awesome combo, and I’m always game for an oatmeal crumb topping!
I am so sad that we are all talking about the last days of summer. I know Fall is coming but I am just not ready!!
I adore the natural sweetness that fruit adds to baked goods. These are right up my alley. Stunning, Laura!
Lovely! I don’t love particulary summer, but I do love peaches!! :-D
Beautiful bars and great combination of colour and flavour.
Thanks for sharing!
I wish you were my neighbor! These look wonderful. I love everything about them. The roasted fruit pictures are so vibrant and beautiful, but then again every picture I’ve seen of yours is beautiful!
Beautiful bar cookies Laura! I love roasting strawberries but have never tried roasting them with balsamic vinegar or honey, I really like the combination of flavors and can imagine how good it made the kitchen smell;-) Have a wonderful, relaxing holiday weekend:-)
What a beautiful (and tasty) way to savor the last few days of summer!
Your sweet treats are really amazing. I love this one too. I can’t make up my mind anymore which one I would like to try first! Have a good weekend Laura!
Yum! I love roasting fruit but I never thought to make anything with it. Great idea!
Seeing the process photo from your Instagram, I was very afraid if roasted fruits would be enough because I know here and there I’d be eating the fruits. :-) How nice that you are still enjoying making the fruit desserts because day by day I start to worry if it’s becoming boring apple and orange season. When berries and peaches started to disappear from supermarket slowly I get panic. No, I’m not done eating yet! Never been enough. I love your bars. All nicely packed in square. :)
I’ve actually just cooked something similar with raspberries in the middle and a polenta crumb base and topping. These are such fresh tangy bars.
Wow! Just the words “roasted strawberry peach” make me crave this. I’ve been wanting to try roasted strawberries with balsamic and I just love that you added peaches. Add that crumb topping and you just can’t make it better. I have to try this sometime!!
I remember the first time I tried roasted balsamic strawberries, I thought it sounded odd but as you say, it produces amazing results! :D
These look heavenly, Laura! I’m up super early this morning and just catching up on my favorite bloggers newest posts, and now I want these for breakfast! Just lovely!!!
Roasted fruits take any dessert to the next level. The combination of these two fruits, I imagine would give creaminess and tanginess to the bars. The crunchy top seals the deal. These bars look amazing!
This bar recipe really sounds awesome. Lovely desert.
I keep looking at these photos and trying to imagine how they tast. I can barely wait to make these. Peaches better come soon.
These are wonderful! Roasted fruit is such a delicacy. Lately I’ve been sauteing peaches in cobbler topping and it’s just the easiest, most delicious thing. I love the use of balsamic here.
Oh, boy, here you go with another spectacular peach recipe!!!! YUM!
Absolutely gorgeous colors and recipe, talk about ending summer with a blast! Wonderful Laura!
What perfect end of summer bars! Love the roasting of the strawberries. I bet these did not stay around your house too long. Happy long weekend!!!
Sounds like a terrific way to use up those berries and fruits, great recipe Laura.
Mmm, those balsamic roasted strawberries and peaches sound amazing!
Laura…I would have been happy with the balsamic drizzled and roasted fruit and a big spoon! What a beautiful way to get the most of the last of the best summer fruit. Love how jammy they get and sandwiching them between oatmeal is pretty scrumptious, too! : )
i love roasting strawberries and adding some peaches sounds scrumptious.
a great end-of the summer treat
I love that you enhance the flavor of the fruit with balsamic vinegar! I love that combination!
I love a good crumble, crisp, cobbler, crumbly topping of any kind and these are perfect!
oh yummmm. I love roasted fruit and anything with oats and butter involved – these look amazing!
Oh wow! What a simple idea to roast them! I’m sure these bars tasted heavenly.
Incredible! I can just smell them now!
oh wow this is wonderful! i have so many strawberries in the fridge right now – i just gotta make this!
I agree, it is a perfect idea to enjoy as much of the summer fruit as you can. I will miss all the delicious summer fruit for sure! That is why I for sure need to learn about canning soon:-) Your bars look fantastic! Hugs, Terra
If I had the patience to roast my fruit…I would make these today! Love this delicious bar, Laura.xx
These are amazing!!
Delicious bars! That fruit combination is just heavenly.
Cheers,
Rosa