Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Shortbread
Get ready for a serious dose of nostalgia, because we’re diving into this incredible Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Shortbread!
This is more than just a sweet treat; it’s an instant trip back to childhood, but elevated with a truly buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust. This recipe quickly became a MAJOR favorite in my wife’s kitchen, and for good reason! It features that irresistible combination of tender pastry and a rich, sweet-and-spicy cinnamon filling that just can’t be beat.
Whether you sneak one for breakfast, enjoy it as an afternoon snack, or serve it for dessert, this homemade classic is guaranteed to be a hit. We owe a huge thank you to the talented Jenna Barnard from @ButternutBakery for the inspiration behind this perfect bake—go check her out for tons more amazing recipes! Let’s get baking!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Icing
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp butter (melted & cooled)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
Shortbread
- Preheat oven to 325F. Cut parchment paper to size of your baking dish. I used a 9×9 baking dish.
- Mark (by folding) your parchment paper so you know the size square to roll out your dough to.
- In a bowl, combine your flour, almond flour and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugar. Slowly mix these until creamed. Add your egg and vanilla.
- Slowly add in your dry ingredients until combined and no dry streaks appear.
- On your parchment paper that will be going into the baking dish, scoop out half of your dough and place another parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll equally flat until it fits perfectly to your dish’s shape. I will cut off any edges that go over and put them into the corners for my square dish. Picking dough on the parchment paper by the edges – place into the baking dish.
- Do this again with the second half of your dough & set aside to put on top.
Filling
- In another bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well until there are no clumps.
- Spread evenly on top of the dough and press gently but firmly down.
- Carefully place the second square of dough on top of your filling and gently spread with a knife or offset spatula the edges so the filling is not showing.
- Bake your bars for 45-50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Let your bars cool at room temperature and then put into a refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. (I put plastic wrap over and let them cool overnight as I make these ahead of time.)
Icing
- Once the bars are cold or are in the refrigerator, make your icing.
- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth. You can add a bit more milk if it seems too thick but as long as it is spreadable – you don’t want it very thin.
- Pour and spread the icing on top of the bars. This icing sets up very fast. Let set and enjoy!
Notes
- These cut nicely when they are cold. We enjoy eating them at room temperature.
- Then head over to Jenna’s website for more deliciousness: www.butternutbakeryblog.com – you will not regret it!
Keywords: Dessert, Bars, Pop Tart, Shortbread, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon