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Rustic Nut Shortbread Bars

November 5, 2015

 

honey nut shortbread bars pin

A buttery shortbread crust is topped with a mix of pecans, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and a whole lot of honey!

honey nut shortbread bars 28

Something about these bars holds a Christmas-y vibe for me, but you can make these anytime of year, of course. 

honey nut shortbread bars 26

Starting off with a shortbread crust, and topped with a honey-nut topping, a big part of the beauty of these bars is that you can mix any combination of nuts under the sun. You could use any number of kinds of nuts you’d like, and any combination. Mixed with a syrup of honey and brown sugar, you really cannot go wrong. They’re drenched in that sugary stuff and then poured over a shortbread crust.

honey nut shortbread bars 2

They’re kind of like pecan pie bars, but with mixed nuts, and with honey.

honey nut shortbread bars 7

The crust is a little crunchy, but flaky and buttery, and the toasted nuts are sweet and… well, nutty. I’m not gonna lie to you, they’re messy to eat. It’s not the neatest bar cookie to enjoy since the nuts want to topple every which way, but they are so good that you really don’t care. It almost adds to the enjoyment of them because they feel so loaded with delicious honey-coated nuts.

honey nut shortbread bars 9

We made a significant dent in these bars before they’d even fully cooled from the oven, and they didn’t last long after that. Good news – they are simple to make, and you will never tire of the endless combination of nuts you can choose from!

honey nut shortbread bars 12   honey nut shortbread bars 16

5 from 1 vote
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Rustic Nut Shortbread Bars

A buttery shortbread crust is topped with a mix of nuts and honey.
Course Dessert - bar cookie
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 3 dozen bars
Author Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl

Ingredients

For crust:

  • 3/4 c. unsalted butter cold
  • 2 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg lightly beaten

For topping:

  • 3/4 c. honey
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp. butter
  • 1 c. chopped pecans
  • 1 c. sliced almonds
  • 1 c. salted cashews
  • 1 c. salted pistachios

Instructions

For crust:

  1. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  4. Stir in egg until just blended.
  5. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan.
  6. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
  7. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the topping.

For topping:

  1. Spread nuts out on a large baking sheet. While oven is still heated to 375 degrees, lightly toast the nuts for 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey and brown sugar.
  3. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.
  4. Boil for 2 minutes without stirring.
  5. Add butter, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 additional minute.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts.
  7. Spread evenly over crust.
  8. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until topping is bubbly at the edges.
  9. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  10. Run a knife around any edges. Using the foil, carefully lift the bars out of the pan.
  11. Cut into bars, and discard any foil. Enjoy!

honey nut shortbread bars 22

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Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Cookies, Desserts, Recipes 9 Comments

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Lovely comments

  1. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

    November 5, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    These look awesome! Something about shortbread just really gets me in the mood for the holidays 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      November 6, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      Me too! Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Kelly says

    November 5, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    These wouldn’t last long at our house either! Love the nutty crunch with the buttery shortbread crust!

    Reply
  3. Leigh says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Oh my! These look and sound amazing!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 2, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  4. Ashley says

    December 7, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    HI! Thanks for linking up to the Tasty Tuesday linky party last week. I have pinned your recipe to the Creative K Kids Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board. I hope that you’ll join us again this week!

    Reply
  5. Theresa @DearCreatives says

    December 10, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    Your recipe is being featured tomorrow at the Inspiration Spotlight Party.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 10, 2015 at 8:26 pm

      Wonderful! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  6. Juliana Fendez says

    October 24, 2018 at 8:19 am

    Fabulous! I’m actually drooling after looking at your gorgeous pictures. =D Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.

    Reply

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Hello, It’s Nice to Meet you!

I'm Sarah! A baker and dessert maker, craft addict, beauty product hoarder, and fitness enthusiast. I have a special affinity for shiny gold objects. I get distracted by glitter and sequins. If it's gleaming and lustrous, I need it. Welcome! Please stay awhile! Read More…

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