Five Ingredient Browned Butter Shortbread Bars (2024)

These Shortbread Bars with brown butter are dense and crumbly, with a slightly crisp outer crust that gives way to a rich, buttery interior. The taste is sweet and decadent, with rich notes of vanilla and caramel. The bars are perfect for satisfying your sweet cravings, and they pair well with coffee or tea for an indulgent afternoon treat.

You’ll love the texture and sweet taste!

Shortbread Bars with Browned Butter

Let me just start by saying I’m a sucker for sweets. I know, I know…a healthy life is all about moderation, but I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t say no to a dessert that’s just staring me in the face. Being able to eat sweets when I want is a perk of being an adult, right? I hope so…that’s what I tell my kids anyways.

And honestly, these Shortbread Bars are addictive, to put it mildly.What I love most about these delicious bars is that they are only made with 5 ingredients. How awesome is that?!

Shortbread bars are a type of cookie known for their rich, buttery flavor and crumbly texture. The consistency of shortbread bars or cookies can vary from one recipe to another, but typically they are dense and chewy with a slightly crumbly and crunchy exterior.

The flavor of shortbread bars is rich and buttery, with hints of vanilla or other spices, depending on the recipe. The extra step of browning the butter gives these fantastic little bars a nutty and slightly caramelized flavor. Shortbread bars make for an indulgent treat that is perfect for satisfying sweet cravings.

What is Browned Butter? (And why should I use it.)

Browned butter is nutty, rich, and has a slightly sweet caramelized flavor that is commonly used in baked goods such as cookies, pastries, and cakes.Its distinct flavor adds depth and complexity to sweet treats, making them even more irresistible and perfect for fall.

To make browned butter, it is as simple as melting a stick of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook it, constantly stirring, until it begins to turn a golden brown color and develops a nutty aroma. Once the butter is cooked to your desired level of brownness, remove it from the heat and pour it into another container to cool slightly before using it in your recipe.

Here are a few great images and tips to ensure you do not burn your brown butter.

How to Make Shortbread Bars

(Ingredients at a glance, find the full recipe in the printable card at the bottom of the post.)

• Flour | All-purpose flour is what you should use
• Salted Butter | You can sub with unsalted butter, but you will need to add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• White sugar | This recipe uses granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar and gives the bars a crispier texture.
• Cornstarch | Cornstarch helps give the shortbread bars a crispy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Vanilla | For flavor, I always recommend the highest quality of pure vanilla over artificial vanilla.

Seriously…if you open your cabinet doors right now, you’ve probably got them all staring at you right in your face. Simple, right?

How to make Shortbread Bars with Brown Butter

To brown the butter:

1. In a heavy saucepan, medium-low heat, melt the butter.Continue cooking the butter until it begins to bubble.
2. Using a whisk, stir and swirl the butter continuously to keep the solids from sticking to the bottom. Initially, you will see large-sized bubbles, and then as it continues to cook off the water in the butter, the bubbles will become smaller in size.
3. When the butter begins to FOAM, keep swirling the butter until the milk solids have reached a golden brown color. Remove from the heat and swish the butter in the pan.
4. Set butter aside, and let it come to room temperature.

Make the Shortbread Cookies:

1. Transfer the butter into a bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla. Mix the ingredients together using an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are combined.
2. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper (or grease it). Transfer the dough to the pan and press the dough into the pan.
   
3. Bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes at 350 F or until the edges begin to brown.Remove from the oven and let completely cool before cutting into squares and serving.

Recipe tips

• Use good quality butter in this recipe, there are so few ingredients, and the butter flavor really stands out.
• When browning your butter, cut it into slices for easier and more consistent melting and browning.
• Don’t over-mix the dough. The less you mix/work the dough, the more tender your shortbread bars will be.
• Mixing the flour in at low speed keeps the dough from developing too much gluten. (which makes a less tender shortbread bar.) Another tip to keep from overmixing the dough would be to sift your flour and make sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping the flour into the cup. (When you use the measuring cup to “scoop” the flour, you are packing the flour into the measuring cup and run the risk of getting too much flour.)
• After patting the dough into the baking dish, chilling the dough in the refrigerator for about at least 30 minutes will firm up the bars and solidify the butter. (If you have time, longer is better.) Chilling the dough makes the butter melt more slowly in the oven, resulting in lighter and flakier shortbread bars.
• Check your bars at about 20 minutes. All ovens are different and you don’t want to overbake them. If you find your bars are getting too Brown before they are cooked through, you can cover them loosely with foil.

Shortbread Bar Variations

Shortbread Bars and cookies are so simple and versatile. These are just a few ways you can change them up and make them your own!Skip the step of browning the butter and make:

• Lemon Shortbread: Add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest to the dough.
• Pecan Shortbread: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans to the dough.
• Toffee Crunch shortbread: Add 12 oz of toffee chips and chopped nuts.
• Cranberry orange: add 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries and 1 tsp orange zest.
• Add M&M’s or other chocolate candy.
• Chocolate topped Shortbread: melt 12 oz chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces) in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Spread on shortbread and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.

Storage Suggestions

• Cool the shortbread bars completely before storing them.
• Store bars covered in an airtight container (a glass container works best for crispy cookies and bars) for 3 to 4 days on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week. (Refrigerating the bars will help keep them crisp.)
• You can also freeze for up to 3 months.

FAQ’s

What Are the Brown Grains in my Brown Butter?

The brown grains you see in the brown butter are actually the milk solids that have toasted to a nice golden brown color. It is where most of the flavor comes from, so make sure not to strain them out.

Can you use unsalted butter in this shortbread bars recipe?

Yes, you can, You will want to add 1/2 tsp of salt to the recipe. The general rule of thumb is 1/4 teaspoon for every 1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter.

Do I have to use Brown Butter?

No, if you do not have time to brown the butter, you can skip this step. Just make sure your butter has softened to room temperature. You will want to cream the butter and sugar together and then add the rest of the ingredients.

What toppings would go well on shortbread bars?

You can use just about any topping you want! A little drizzle of honey or chocolate would be delicious, or maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar or white powdered sugar.

Did You Try this Shortbread Bars Recipe?

Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram or Facebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!

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