Almond Bar Recipe

Soft, buttery almond bars with a shortbread base and creamy almond topping, perfectly chewy and crunchy with rich almond flavor—an easy dessert you’ll wish made more!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Allow to Cool 15

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 381kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

Ingredients

Base

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter cold, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp cold water

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment or spray bottom of pan with baking spray.
Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in butter and use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until it looks like coarse meal.
Add in cold water and mix with a fork until the dough comes together.
Press dough into bottom of pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and turn oven up to 400 degrees F.
Let base cool and mix together topping. In a saucepan, mix together cream, sugar and extract over medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Stir occasionally. About 2-3 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Pour warm topping over baked base. Make sure almonds are evenly distributed.
Bake for 25-30 more minutes. Allow to cool. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the bars as they cool to loosen them. Cut into pieces after they cool.

Notes

Use a good quality almond extract Almond extract is the star of this recipe, so use a high-quality one for the best flavor. A little goes a long way!
Don’t overbake the base Bake the shortbread just until lightly set and barely golden. Overbaking can make the bars dry instead of tender.
Spread the topping evenly Pour and gently spread the almond topping so it covers the base completely for consistent texture in every bite.
Line your pan with parchment paper Leave a little overhang on the sides so you can easily lift the bars out for clean, even cutting.
Let them cool completely before cutting This helps the bars set up properly and gives you nice, clean slices.

Nutrition