Easy Apple Shortbread Bars
These Apple Almond Shortbread Bars are buttery, not too sweet, and filled with juicy apples baked into a sweet almond filling. With a crisp shortbread crust, they’re an easy, delicious fall dessert that looks bakery-worthy but is simple to make at home.
Servings: 9 Bars
Calories: 324kcal
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), cut into pieces, plus more for buttering the pan
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup sliced or slivered almonds lightly toasted
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 apples any variety (granny smith would be particularly nice), cored and thinly sliced or diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
Make the crust:
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse once to combine. Add the butter, then process until the mixture comes together and forms large clumps, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scatter the dough evenly around the prepared pan, then press it firmly into the base and up the sides. Use the bottom of a glass to help smooth it out if needed. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool before adding the filling.
Make the filling:
- Without cleaning out the food processor, add the almonds, sugar, flour, and salt. Process until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until evenly incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla, then blend until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust (a little warmth is fine, just not hot) and spread into an even layer. Arrange the apple slices in a decorative pattern, or simply scatter sliced or diced apples evenly over the top.
- Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting. The bars are easiest to slice once chilled, and I prefer serving them cold.
Notes
- Don’t overwork the shortbread crust in the food processor. Process just until the mixture forms clumps so it bakes up tender and crisp.
- For the frangipane, pulse only until smooth. Over-processing in the food processor can cause the butter to separate and turn greasy.
- Slice apples thinly so they cook evenly into the sweet apple filling.
- Chill bars before slicing for sharp edges and easy serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 558IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
