Walnut Shortbread Bars

The perfect dessert to share with family and friends after a holiday meal. This flaky shortbread crust is smothered with caramelized walnuts for a delicious and warm treat.

Prep Time
10 minutes active prep
Cook Time
20 minutes

Meet the Chef: Lauren Waterman

Lauren is the vegan recipe developer and photographer behind the blog Chickpea and Herb. She focuses on garden to table food with a big emphasis on seasonal ingredients and sustainability. She lives in Philadelphia with her musician husband and three freeloading kitties.

Servings

Crust

  • 1 cup Plant-based butter (softened) 1 cup Plant-based butter (softened)
  • 1 1/2 cup Flour 1 1/2 cup Flour
  • Florida Crystals®Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar 1/3 cup 1/3 cup Florida Crystals®Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Walnut Filling

  • 2 cups Walnuts, chopped 2 cups Walnuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Plant-based butter 1/4 cup Plant-based butter
  • Florida Crystals®Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar 1/2 cup 1/2 cup Florida Crystals®Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Vanilla extract 1/2 tablespoon Vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons Non-dairy milk 3 tablespoons Non-dairy milk

Instructions

Prepare the crust

Step 1

Remove plant-based butter from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature to soften.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 3

Once the plant-based butter is softened, mix it with flour, Florida Crystals® Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar, and salt in a bowl with a mixer or food processor until crumbly.

Step 4

Press mixture into a greased 9x9-inch baking pan.

Step 5

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until the crust does not lose shape if poked with a spatula.

Step 6

 While this is baking, prepare the walnut filling.

Prepare the walnut filling

Step 7

Start by crushing walnuts in a food processor.

Step 8

Add walnuts to a large pan with plant-based butter, Florida Crystals® Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk.

Step 9

Allow this to cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes while the crust is baking. Let it cook until the sugar forms a caramel consistency, then turn off the heat.

Assemble

Step 10

Remove crust from oven and pour caramelized walnuts over top while they are still hot.

Step 11

Let sit for about 10 minutes until it firms up. Enjoy!

Additional Tip

You can break the walnuts by placing in a bag and crushing under the weight of a heavy bowl. Less clean up!

Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream while still hot.