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.
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Whether you call them honey walnut squares or bars, these are delicious, crunchy, and perfectly gooey.
A twist on traditional pecan bars, I love that the shortbread base and the topping are easily made with a bowl, a spatula, and a saucepan.
It's a great dessert for winter gatherings and holiday parties as they can be cut into small pieces and used as finger food. Everyone will rave about them!
About this recipe
This recipe, as it usually is with bars and squares, has a crust and a filling.
- The crust is a shortbread (flour, powdered sugar, and butter) and comes together in no time.
- The filling is made in 5 minutes in a saucepan. And you probably have all ingredients in your kitchen right now.
- Baking: the final step and a very important one because the chewiness will depend on the correct baking time, so the filling is neither too hard nor too runny.
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar, you can easily buy it online. Domino powdered sugar is a very popular one.
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: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- Cream: I use heavy cream, but double or heavy whipping cream also works.
- Lemon zest: it cut through so much sweetness and butter.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
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.
Shortbread base
Making shortbread is super easy, and all you need, besides a few simple ingredients, is a bowl and a spoon.
Start by integrating the softened butter and powdered sugar. Sift it before adding it to the butter so it's easier to incorporate.
After adding the flour, patiently work it with the spatula until it's all mixed and a cohesive dough forms.
Once you have the shortbread dough mixed, you need to pat it in the pan.
Lining the pan: it 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 wide as the base. Place it covering two sides and the bottom. When ready to cut, lift the block of walnut bars with the help of the paper. Super easy.
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 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 butterscotch bars but uses honey.
Start by putting butter, honey, and sugar in a medium saucepan with high edges. It's important because the mixture will rise as it boils.
It boils for 5 minutes and foams a lot during that time. Have a timer (I use my phone) to be exact with the time the preparation boils.
The rest of the ingredients are added to the honey mixture, and the filling is poured into the prepared pan.
Bake according to the instructions in the recipe card, cool down, loosen up the edges, and chill before cutting.
Vintage Kitchen tip: run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges while the honey bars are still warm, so you loosen up any parts where the caramel is stuck to the sides.
Related recipes you might like:
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Honey Nut Bars
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.
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 9 squares
Ingredients
For shortbread base:
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose or cake flour
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (60g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (175g) runny honey
- 1 cup (120g) walnuts, very coarsely chopped, or in halves
- ¼ cup (60g) whipping or double cream
- Pinch of 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. It will cover the bottom and two of the sides.
- In a large bowl mix soft butter with powdered sugar. It should be creamy.
- Add flour and patiently incorporate it all until you have a soft dough. I use a spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Put this dough in the bottom of the prepared pan in small mounds. With your fingers pat until it covers the whole surface.
- Prick with a fork and 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 butter, honey and brown sugar in a medium saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat until it breaks a boil. It will start to bubble.
- Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. It will foam and maybe you want to lower the heat a bit.
- Remove from heat and immediately add the walnuts, cream, salt, vanilla, and lemon.
- 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 5-10 minutes on a wire rack.
- Carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges so that they don't stick when it cools completely.
- Cut into squares and serve. Or refrigerate for 1 hour after it has cooled down completely and then serve. The squares will hold better.
Notes
Shortbread base: it can easily be frozen before baking. When I have a lot of baking to do, I prepare the base, prick it and freeze it in the pan. Then I bake directly from the freezer.
Filling: I think that honey and walnuts is the best combination, but you can use pecans.
Storing: these bars can be stored in the fridge for several days, always well wrapped to prevent drying out. Or keep them in a tin separated in layers by parchment paper.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cooling time: 90
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Bars & Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/9
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 33.3 g
- Sodium: 9 mg
- Fat: 35.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.7 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 71.6 mg
Keywords: honey walnut squares, honey bars
Adapted from Rosie's Bakery Cookbook, by Judy Rosenberg
Charlotte says
So i made these yesterday, and i can't stop eating them. They are addictive! The honey and walnuts go together so well. I also left out the lemon zest as i did not have any on hand. I will add it next time and i will bake the filling for about 17-18 minutes instead of 20- i found that 20 minutes made the bars on the outer edge very chewy(however delicious!). I will definately be making thes again. Now i'm off to give some of these to my mum before i eat them all! Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Charlotte says
Making these right now. They sound like they could taste like a walnut bar i loved and ate in my distant childhood lol. They are baking right now and smell amazing. Will post again to say how they turned out! thanks for the nostalgia!
jackie says
could you use maple syrup instead of honey
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Jackie, I never tried it but I would assume you can. Maple syrup has a thinner consistency and is not as viscous as honey, but it should work just fine. Check that it's not too runny when the oven time is up. Leave it a little longer if that's the case.
You might want to try a smaller batch first. Happy baking!
Rachael Maple says
Hey, your recipe looks really good and I have a ton of walnuts which I am trying to use. How bad of an idea do you think subbing honey is for maple syrup. I don't have any honey on hand 🙁
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Rachael! Maple syrup has a thinner consistency and is not as viscous as honey, but it should work just fine. Check that it's not too runny when the oven time is up. Leave it a little longer if that's the case.
Bethany G says
Rave reviews! I followed recipe exactly. Made a double batch and baked in a 9X13 pan. They were phenomenal! The lemon zest gave them and extra special flavor. Don't forget the parchment paper! Thanks for an amazing recipe!!!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
SO happy you loved them Bethany! I agree with the lemon zest, which I was skeptical at first. But it balances the sweetness wonderfully. Have a great weekend.
Gail Mondoux says
Should the filling still be pretty runny when the squares come out of the oven ?
Paula Montenegro says
It's not very firm but should not be too runny. It's similar to caramel and it hardens noticeably as it cools.
Gail Mondoux says
It did firm up . I made them for my book Club potluck and everyone said how delicious they were. I used pecans instead of walnuts.
Paula Montenegro says
So glad they turned out well Gail! Pecans are a more traditional nut to use and so delicious.
Gail Mondoux says
Is it possible to use regular salted butter instead of unsalted butter ?
I never buy unsalted butter.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Gail! Yes, you can. Omit the salt in the recipe to compensate for it.
Christine Lanman says
Also, one more question. I’ve seen other recipes topped with chocolate drizzle and flaked salt. Could I add those to this recipe? Also, in your list of ingredients you do not list salt, but in your filling prep instructions you do. Should I add salt to the filling, and if so how much? If I add flakes salt on top, should I leave the salt out of the filling? Thank you.
Paula Montenegro says
Yes Christine, you can drizzle chocolate and sea salt on top, no problem! Do so when they are at room temperature. Salt is a pinch, and I've added it. Hope this helps!
Christine Lanman says
Hi Paula, is it possible to double the walnuts while leaving everything else the same? I have so many walnuts. (Costco).
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Christine! You can add more for sure, I don't know if double because the honey mixture won't be enough to hold them all together. If I were you, I would add the amount the recipe says and then add by handfuls until there clearly is too thick.
There is a fantastic walnut maple bundt cake in the blog that uses a lot of them (the images are not the best but the recipe is great lol!).
Christine Lanman says
Thank you so much! Happy holidays!
Ralph M says
Hi the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter which is listed as 115 g in the crust and 3/4 cup of butter for the filling which measures only 90 grams. On my scale 1/2 cup equals 115 g so 3/4 cup should be about 172 g. What is the correct measurement for the filling? Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Ralph, the amount is 6 tablespoons (90g). It was wrongly copied, apologies for that and thanks for the heads up.