Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars

With a buttery shortbread base and a chewy caramel topping loaded with crisp almonds, these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars are always a HUGE hit!

“Oh! My! Word!” That’s exactly what I said to Scott when I tasted the first bite of these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars. I handed him a little square and he didn’t waste a minute testing out my assessment. He totally concurred, “Oh! My! Word!” I think you will agree!

A reassessment

After reading what I wrote in that first paragraph, I wondered if these bars are really that good. Maybe I was just really hungry or just really in the mood for something sweet…

Well, I just came back from the kitchen. I sliced off another sliver piece, just to revisit this sweet confection… so I could write this post accurately. The second assessment: Oh! My! Word! These Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars might just be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life. I’m super decently happy that we gave most of them away to the workers that have been cleaning up our woods this week (only because I do want to fit into a new dress I bought recently).

Seriously, these guys are GOOD! I love the contrast between the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust and the soft, chewy caramel topping studded with crisp sliced almonds.

A perfect gift!

I also love that, although the caramel topping stays soft and chewy, it’s not sticky so these bars not only keep well at room temperature,they’re PERFECT for gifting. Yes, they make a fantastic gift that will have friends, neighbors, co-workers… begging for the recipe.

To make your gifts look really fun and super special, we’re offering a free printable label (pictured above and below) to dress up your gifts. If you’d like to receive a PDF for the labels, along with instructions on how to print them and links for the boxes and ribbon pictured below, just let us know in the comment section at the very bottom of this post (scroll all the way down and you’ll find a box where you can leave a comment).

We’ll email you the labels and instructions on how to print them up yourself. If you don’t have a printer, you can take the PDF to any UPS or office store and have them printed very reasonably.

What you’ll need to make these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars

There aren’t any fancy ingredients required for these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars, you probably have most of them right in your pantry or refrigerator. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Butter – both the shortbread base and the caramel topping call for butter. I’m a bit of a renegade when it comes to butter. Most chefs recommend unsalted butter for baking. I always use salted butter. Although I’ve done this ever since I started baking, a zillion years ago, I found out in the last few years that I’m in the same camp as Christopher Kimball, the creator of Cook’s Illustrated and, more recently, Milk Street. He explains the reasoning better than I can in this article.
• Sugar – good old granulated sugar is all you need.
• Vanilla extract – use the real deal! Vanilla is expensive but you don’t need much to add a lot of fabulous flavor. I like to buy vanilla extract in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club. You could also use vanilla bean paste or scrape the beans from a vanilla bean pod (decently reasonable).
• Salt – I use kosher salt. If you use regular table salt, use a bit less.
• Corn syrup – there’s lots of controversy about corn syrup but it mostly revolves around high fructose corn syrup. The corn syrup called for in this recipe is regular corn syrup (I use Karo) which is 100% glucose. Why use corn syrup at all? An article from the Los Angelos Times explains it well:

“When you cook syrup to make candy (as you do in this Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars recipe), sugar can inadvertently recrystallize, either by agitation or humidity in the air, and cause your syrup to seize into a rock-hard mess. Corn syrup prevents this from happening. It also lends the finished candy a pleasant, smooth texture. So if you’re going to make candy, it’s advisable to make your peace with corn syrup beforehand.”

• Water – a small amount of water helps the sugar to dissolve when making the caramel topping for these bars.
• Heavy cream – no substitutions here. If you’re concerned about calories and/or fat, it might not be the time to make this recipe or you may need to practice portion control. It’s definitely an indulgence – but so worth it!

That’s it! A fairly simple list of ingredients.

There are also a few pieces of simple kitchen equipment (no fancy mixers or food processors) you’ll need for these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars:

• I like to use a silicone spatula for stirring up the shortbread as well as the caramel sauce. Heat-resistant silicone spatulas are indispensable little workhorses in my kitchen!
• A 9-inch square baking pan. I have this sturdy USA pan. I really like the square corners and the way it comes out of the dishwasher after many uses still looking like new. You could also use a 9-inch round pan for this recipe and cut the pieces into wedges rather than squares. Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
• A heavy-duty 2-quart pot. Use your heaviest pot to make the caramel. The caramel can burn much more easily in a lightweight pot.
• A candy thermometer. This is essential for making the caramel topping. You don’t want the caramel too soft as it won’t cut well. You also don’t want it to get too hard or it will be difficult to bite into these bars. Using a candy thermometer ensures the perfect caramel consistency! A basic candy thermometer will work well for this recipe. I have this digital candy thermometer which I love because it beeps when I get near the desired temp.

A guaranteed hit!

I promise that these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars will be a HUGE hit with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers, hairdressers and anyone whose good graces you would like to be blessed with. Make them ASAP and just wait for the “Oh! My! Word” or similar comments!

Café Tips for making this Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars

• These Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars will keep well at room temperature for a week (if they stick around that long) and freeze well for up to 2 months.
• It’s much easier to pour and measure honey if it’s warm. To warm honey, just pop the glass jar in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Don’t warm honey in the microwave however if it’s in a plastic jar, as it’s not safe.
•  If the syrup mixture is taking a long time to turn amber when making the caramel for these Honey Caramel Shortbread Bars, increase the heat a bit. If it’s going too fast near the end, decrease the heat to prevent burning.
• Because we’re not using a mixer for the shortbread, the butter should be nice and soft. Leave it sit at room temperature for several hours or use a microwave at 10% power (for 1 to 4 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave) to soften your butter.

Thought for the day:

God is our refuge and strength
a very present Help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear,
though the earth be removed,
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
Psalm 46:1-2

What we’re listening to for inspiration:

My Dwelling Place

If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars

With a buttery shortbread base and a chewy caramel topping loaded with crisp almonds, these Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars are always a HUGE hit!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Prep Time:
15 mins

Cook Time:
45 mins

Total Time:
1 hr

Servings: 25

Calories: 235 kcal

Ingredients

For the shortbread:

• 1 ½
  sticks
  6 ounces very soft butter (I use salted butter)
• 6
  tablespoons
  sugar
• 1
  teaspoon
  vanilla extract
• ¼
  teaspoon
  salt
• 1 ½
  cups
  plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the caramel-almond topping:

• ½
  cup
  heavy cream
• ½
  cup
  honey
• 1
  stick
  4 ounces cold butter, cut into 8 pieces (I use salted butter)
• 1
  teaspoon
  vanilla extract
• 1
  cup
  plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1
  tablespoon
  light corn syrup
• ⅓
  cup
  water
• 3
  cups
  sliced almonds
  12 ounces
• flaky sea salt
  optional

Instructions

For the prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack set in the middle. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with non stick baking spray. Line the bottom and up two sides of the pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch overhanging at the top of the pan of each side. Lightly spray the parchment with baking spray and rub with a paper towel.

For the shortbread:

1. Combine the soft butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium-large bowl. Stir well with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Add the vanilla and salt and stir again.

2. Add the flour and stir until all the flour is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. The dough will be crumbly, but all of the flour should be mixed in.

3. Spread the crumbs across the bottom of the prepared pan and press them into an even layer with lightly floured hands.

4. Bake on the middle rack for 22-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.

5. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Increase the oven temperature to 425°

For the caramel/almond topping:

1. Towards the end of the baking time, start making the caramel/almond topping. In a medium-size microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, combine the cream, honey and butter. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring just to combine. Don’t stir after this.

3. Cook the syrup over moderately high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until a medium amber caramel forms, about 8-10 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully the last couple minutes, swirling the pan more frequently at this point to prevent burning). Remove from the heat.

4. Carefully add the honey/cream mixture (it will bubble furiously) and stir to combine. Return the pan to the burner and cook the caramel over moderately high heat, stirring frequently until a candy thermometer registers 255°, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the almonds and immediately pour the caramel mixture over the shortbread, spreading to an even layer.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbling all over and a nice deep golden brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Allow to cool completely before cutting. I like to allow at least 2 hours.

6. Run a thin-bladed knife along the two edges of the pan that do not have parchment to loosen the shortbread. Pull up on the parchment paper and transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Using a sharp, heavy knife, cut the pastry into desired size squares.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.

Calories 235kcal

Fat 17g

Saturated fat 7g

Trans fat 1g

Polyunsaturated fat 2g

Monounsaturated fat 7g

Cholesterol 30mg

Sodium 99mg

Potassium 114mg

Carbohydrates 18g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 10g

Protein 4g

Vitamin A 353%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 43%

Iron 1%