Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bars Recipe with Buttery Shortbread
These Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bars are everything you love about buttery shortbread with an extra layer of sweet, spiced goodness. A tender shortbread crust with a delicious brown sugar-cinnamon filling and a light cinnamon icing that ties it all together. They’re sweet, cozy, and ridiculously easy to make with fridge and pantry friendly ingredients, no need for perfection—some texture on top makes them even better!
Equipment
- 8-inch Square pan
- Parchment paper
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 2 Small mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup superfine white sugar (Caster sugar)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 1/2 teaspoon water
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Prep and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper.
- Cream together: In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup softened butter and 3/4 cup superfine white sugar, cream together until light and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Press and Chill: Press half of the dough into the prepared pan, reserving the remaining half of dough for the top layer. Cover the remaining dough and chill the fridge along with the dough in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Par-Bake: Transfer the pan to the preheated oven in the center of the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes. The shortbread will still look somewhat underbaked, but that’s ok, we will bake it again once we add the filling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you work on the cinnamon filling.
Cinnamon Filling
- Combine: In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Spread Filling: Drop the prepared cinnamon filling by the spoonful onto the partially baked shortbread crust and spread gently into an even layer.
- Create Top Layer: Roll out the remaining shortbread dough or use your hands to create flat discs about 1/4 inch thick. Place flat clusters of dough on top of the filling to loosely form a lid.
- Bake: Place the assembled bars back in the oven and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the edges are beginning to brown. The center may look slightly underdone, but this will make for a more tender shortbread. As oven temperatures can vary, be sure to check the bars at the 25 minute mark to avoid overbaking. Once fully baked remove from the oven and allow the bars to completely cool to room temperature.
Cinnamon Icing
- Combine: In a small bowl, add 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 1/2 teaspoon water. Mix together with a fork until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the icing: Pour the icing on the cooled shortbread and spread into an even layer. Allow the icing to stand on top of the bars for about 15-20 minutes to set. (optional) Cut into slices and enjoy!!
This is one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever made. I made it three times in a six day period! My family loves it… Obviously
Wow, Sheila – thank you so much! I’m so incredibly happy to hear this! Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to hear what else you’re baking.
-Dee