If the perfect slice of cinnamon toast met Pecan Sandies, these Cinnamon Pecan Shortbread Bars would be the result.
This is a tender shortbread, filled with pecans, and then generously topped with cinnamon sugar.
I brought a double batch of these shortbread bars along on our camping trip last weekend and they kept beautifully for four days at room temperature.
They were a perfect snack with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.
Buttery and just barely sweetened, the brown sugar in this shortbread was a delicious change.
Shortbread Baking Tips
Baking the shortbread in a pan and then slicing it into bars, makes this a very easy dessert. This recipe doubles perfectly and fills a large baking sheet, or jellyroll pan.
Placing a sheet of parchment on top of the dough will make it easier to press/roll the dough and spread it across the pan. Remove the parchment from on top of the bars before sprinkling with cinnamon and pecans.
While baking, do not allow the bars to actually brown at all. If they brown, they will be much more crunchy than desired, once they cool. The goal is a very soft shortbread texture.
Coconut Chews, Classic Chocolate Chip Blondies, and Almond Bars are a few more of our favorite desserts that transport well and stay fresh for days.
As with many of the recipes here, both a traditional recipe and a gluten-free recipe are included. Simply swap the gluten-free ingredient list for the all-purpose flour in the recipe below and you’ll be good to go.
Check out all of the gluten free recipes for your holiday baking needs!
Are you looking for more pecan recipes? Praline Pecans are a Southern delight blending velvety caramel and crisp pecans. Born from sugar, butter, and cream alchemy, they offer a harmonious contrast of textures.
Cinnamon Shortbread Bar Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with butter, or line with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add the pecans and stir again to distribute.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the greased pan. Press with your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough. Sprinkle the top of the dough generously with cinnamon sugar and then with chopped pecans and very lightly press them into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until just barely beginning to brown around the edges.
- Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then cut into bars. If they are too soft to cut, let them cool for a few more minutes. Remove them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Cinnamon Pecan Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with butter, or line with parchment paper. Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until combined. Add the pecans and stir again to distribute.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the greased pan. Press with your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough generously with cinnamon sugar and then with chopped pecans and very lightly press them into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until just barely beginning to brown around the edges.
- Let the bars cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then cut into bars. If they are too soft to cut, let them cool for a few more minutes.
- Remove them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published in 7/16/14 – recipe notes updated 11/19/19}
Melissa Bailey says
I love pecans …they are one of my favorite nuts and shortbread what's not to love
Roxanne says
Just wanted to let you know I made these… and they were outta this world!!!! The first batch was gone in one evening. So, I had to make them again the next day…. Yummie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Linda says
Little bites of heaven!!
Judy says
These are to die for. We loved them!
Janine Tracy says
i would love to try this but don't have 1/2 cup tapioca starch *
1/4 cup potato starch *
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum *
can anything else be used as i don't know if i can even get them
Nellie Johnson says
Where do we look for these items?
Tapioca starch, Potato starch and Xanthan gum
Thank you!
Mary says
You can find all of them on Amazon, or at most grocery stores in a gluten free or specialty baking section.
CRH says
What am I missing? Where is the traditional version of this recipe? It looks delicious.
Kaye Harris says
If I have an all purpose gf flour would it still be 2 cups to sub or 2 1/2? Also this flour says add xantham gum, would it still be 3/4 teaspoon?
Mary says
Without having tested your GF flour mix, I can’t really advise you to the exact amounts. You may need to try it both ways. I recommend and often bake this recipe as written.
KarotzCupcakes says
I ws really excited to try these. Overall they were good but I found the sugar and cinnamon topping to be excessive as it did not melt or sink into the dough at all. I’d cut the quantity to 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with sparingly sprinkled chopped pecans. I will keep this recipe and try again. I will try freezing the bars similar to your instructions on the almond bars
Linda says
Yum! This looks good for Christmas!
Joan says
I made these yesterday. Perhaps I do not know what shortbread is because I was thinking of texture similar to shortbread cookies. Mine were not. In addition, this recipe called for way too much sugar, in my opinion. They are overly sweet/sugary – mainly because of the topping. I will probably end up throwing them out because of this reason.
Mary Younkin says
This is a more tender bar than a crisp shortbread, Joan. And they’re definitely sweet with the cinnamon sugar topping too, sorry to hear that they weren’t a hit with you.
Jeanne says
Do you think I can replace the nuts with quick oats? My husband can’t eat nuts but these sound good. Thank you.
Mary Younkin says
You can skip the nuts without any issues, Jeanne. I don’t think you need to add anything to replace them.
Michelle says
These could be much better with A LOT LESS topping. The bar is very tasty and reminds me of a snickerdoodle without all the extra fat; the pecan keep the bar moist. 3 Tablespoons of sugar is just a horrible, dry, cringy bite on top. IF I make these again, I’ll maybe use a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and warm up the pecans before mixing it all together and adding it to the top before baking.
Mary Younkin says
To each their own, Michelle. I’m glad you’ve found a way to make it work for you. We enjoy the cinnamon pecan topping as written.