A layer of buttery shortbread topped with a gooey mixture of honey and nuts, these walnut bars are easier to make than you'd think and very delicious! It's a great recipe for the holiday season and as a finger dessert for parties.
Irresistibly gooey
A twist on traditional pecan bars, I love that both the shortbread base and the topping are easy to make with just a bowl, a spatula, and a saucepan.
They're crunchy and chewy with an unmistakable honey flavor.
It's a great dessert for winter gatherings and holiday parties, as it can be cut into small pieces and used as finger food. Everyone will rave about it!
- The crust is shortbread (flour, powdered sugar, and butter) and comes together quickly.
- The filling is made in 5 minutes in a saucepan. You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
- Baking: this is a very important step because the chewiness will depend on the correct baking time so the filling is neither too hard nor too runny.
Ingredient list
Shortbread crust
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar.
Filling
- Walnuts: they will be in pieces, so broken pieces are fine (they're usually cheaper) no need to buy the more expensive whole ones.
- Honey: any runny honey works. If you choose a flavored one (eucalyptus, for example), the bars will have a different flavor.
- Unsalted butter.
- Vanilla extract.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- Cream: I use heavy cream, but double or heavy whipping cream also works.
- Lemon zest: it cuts through so much sweetness and butter.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Shortbread crust
Making shortbread is easy. A bowl and a spatula, along with a few basic ingredients, are all you need.
And a little patience after adding the flour, as it seems like the dry ingredients will not integrate. But they do eventually.
Lining the pan will make it much easier to remove the nut bars from the pan. Butter or grease the baking pan and cut a strip of parchment paper as wide as the bottom, covering it and two of the sides. The other two sides remain greased but not lined. When ready to cut, lift the block of walnut bars with the help of the paper.
Shortbread base
Put small pieces of dough all over the bottom of the pan. Then, with your hand, pat the dough until it covers it completely.
Prick and chill
Prick the bottom lightly with a fork, chill, and pre-bake as directed.
Walnut filling
This honey walnut filling is made in a saucepan and is similar to the maple pecan bars.
Honey caramel
Use a medium saucepan with high edges. This is important because the mixture will rise and foam as it boils for 5 minutes. Set a timer (I use my phone) to be exact with the time the preparation boils.
Walnuts
The rest of the ingredients are added to the honey mixture, and the filling is poured into the prepared pan.
Baked bars
Bake according to the instructions on the recipe card. Remember to loosen up the edges before they cool completely. Chill the bars in the pan before removing and cutting.
⭐️ Vintage Kitchen Tip
Before it cools, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges while the honey bars are still warm to loosen up any parts where the caramel is stuck to the sides. If you don't, it might be hard to remove the block from the pan easily.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you need to adjust.
- Shortbread base: it can easily be frozen before baking. Prepare the dough, pat it, prick it and freeze it in the pan. Then bake it directly from the freezer.
- Nuts: I think honey and walnuts is a fantastic combination, but you can use pecans, of course, any other nut or a mix.
- Storing: these bars can be stored in the fridge for several days, always well wrapped to prevent them from drying out. Or keep them in a tin separated in layers by parchment paper.
Related recipes you might like:
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Honey Nut Bars
Ingredients
For shortbread base:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup runny honey
- 1 cup walnuts, very coarsely chopped, or in halves
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest, about ½ a lemon
Instructions
For the shortbread base:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter or spray an 8-inch square pan and line with a wide strip of parchment paper, covering the bottom and two sides. The other two will be greased but not lined.
- Mix soft ½ cup unsalted butter with ½ cup powdered sugar in a large bowl. It should be creamy.
- Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and patiently incorporate it all until you have a soft dough. I use a spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Place small mounds of this dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. With your fingers, press until it covers the whole surface.
- Prick with a fork and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer. Then bake for 15-20 minutes, until starting to dry and barely color. Reserve on a wire rack while making the filling.
- Leave the oven on.
For the filling:
- Put 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar and ½ cup runny honey in a medium saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat until it boils, stirring occasionally. It will foam, so you may want to lower the heat a bit.
- Remove from heat and immediately add 1 cup walnuts, ¼ cup heavy cream, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest.
- Pour into the pre-baked crust and return to the oven for 20 minutes. It will be bubbling and still look wet and somewhat runny, but not as much as before baking. The filling hardens a lot when it cools down, and if you bake it too much it will become so hard it will be almost impossible to eat.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack.
- Carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges so that they don't stick when you remove them.
- Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Lift the paper to remove the whole block from the pan. Cut into squares and serve. The squares will hold better if they're chilled first.
Notes
Adapted from Rosie's Bakery Cookbook, by Judy Rosenberg
Sandy Gwizdak says
Would cinnamon be good to add to this and if so, how much?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Sandy, ground cinnamon is a good complement to honey and walnuts. I would add between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon (not too much that it overpowers the rest of the flavors) together with the vanilla and lemon zest. If you want a stronger cinnamon flavor, add up to 1 teaspoon.
inaaya siddiqui says
my tried and true recipe over the years!! these are the best bars ive ever had, and i have yet to bake it for anyone who doesn't consume them in seconds!! thank you for this delectable fool-proof dessert
Evelyn Ortandl says
The bars were not as firm as I would have liked. I did pay attention to the instructions regarding the baking times for each part of the bar. I also did not chill the shortbread dough after I spread it in the pan, as it was not mentioned in the instructions in the shortbread base paragraph. I will make these again and hopefully they will be more firm.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Evelyn, I added the chilling the dough before baking part to the recipe. It does work anyway, but if you pre-bake it there's less chance of becoming soggy. As for the filling, bake them for a few minutes longer; ovens are all different and sometimes the baking times differ a little. Let me know how it goes please.
Karen says
Delicious! And so very easy! Thank you!
Janet says
Hi. Wonderful recipe! I’m wondering if it freezes well and how to freeze it? (Wrapped in plastic wrap?).
Thank you.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Janet! I don't think I ever froze them as they store well and they never last too long. I would wrap them in plastic and then in foil.
Janet says
Thanks.
ruby says
i think ive made these honey walnut bars… 7-8 times already?? and oh my god these are one of the best things i have ever tasted !! not only am i obsessed with them, but every single person who tries them falls in love. i highlyy recommend this recipe as its soo perfect for the cozy seasons as well !! also it’s foolproof, even my non-baker mom has made it herself a couple of times 🙂