Easy Apricot Shortbread
Buttery shortbread bars with a thick apricot filling and a crumbled dough topping. Let the tray cool completely before lifting it out and cutting into squares.
One dough makes both the base and the topping. Press half into the lined tin, spread the apricot filling over it, then crumble the rest across the surface. Leave some small gaps between the crumbs so the jam shows through.
The filling needs to be thick. Apricot jam is ready to use, while cooked fruit puree should be reduced and cooled before measuring. Thin puree or fresh fruit can make the base soggy. The bars are fragile while warm, so leave them in the tin until completely cool.
Questions you may have about this recipe
Should I use jam or fresh apricots?
Use 250 g thick apricot jam, or cooked puree reduced to a jam-like consistency and cooled. Fresh or dried apricot pieces are not a direct replacement. Cooking and cooling homemade puree takes extra time.
Can I freeze apricot shortbread?
Cool completely, wrap the squares and seal in a freezer container for up to three months. Thaw wrapped to keep condensation off the surface.
What if I don’t have apricots?
A thick peach or plum jam can be used in the same quantity. Avoid thin fruit sauces, which add too much moisture.
Do I need special equipment?
Use a 20 cm (8-inch) square tin, parchment paper and a scale for the gram measurements. A hand mixer helps cream the butter and sugar, but a sturdy spoon works too.
How do I know when it’s baked?
Look for golden edges and a set top with no wet-looking dough. The filling stays hot and soft in the oven; it firms as the bars cool. If the dough still looks underbaked after 30 minutes, give it more time.
What you need to make Easy Apricot Shortbread
250g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
300g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
250g apricot jam or cooked apricot puree, reduced until thick like jam and cooled
Extra sugar for sprinkling
For weighing: An Etekcity EK6015 kitchen scale (paid link) measures the butter, sugar, flour and filling in grams. Zero the scale with your bowl on it before adding an ingredient. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How to make Easy Apricot Shortbread
Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan (350°F). Line a 20 cm (8-inch) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a soft dough forms.
Press half the dough evenly into the prepared tin.
Spread the apricot jam or puree evenly over the base.
Crumble the remaining dough over the top, pressing lightly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top and edges are golden and the dough no longer looks wet. Continue baking as needed for a set center.
Sprinkle with a little sugar and cool completely in the tin, allowing about 90 minutes, before lifting out and cutting into 12 squares.
Tips
If the dough becomes too soft to crumble, chill it for 10 minutes before assembling the topping. Add that chill to the listed preparation time.
Caster sugar is superfine granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Plain flour means all-purpose flour, not self-raising.
Cool fully before lifting and slicing. Keep the squares airtight in a cool room for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to five days.
Reader reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I made this for Sunday tea and everyone loved it. My daughter asked for the recipe straight away. Mark T.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Very tasty and easy to make. I would add a little extra jam next time for more filling. James L.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The shortbread was buttery and delicious. Perfect balance with the apricot. Fiona S.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lovely recipe. Mine took a few minutes longer to bake but came out perfect. Helen K.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is going to be my go to recipe for bake sales. It was gone in minutes. Laura D.
Printable Recipe
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Easy Apricot Shortbread
Buttery shortbread bars with a thick apricot filling and a crumbled dough topping. Let the tray cool completely before lifting it out and cutting into squares.
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar
- 300g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 250g apricot jam or cooked apricot puree, reduced until thick like jam and cooled
- Extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan (350°F). Line a 20 cm (8-inch) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Press half the dough evenly into the prepared tin.
- Spread the apricot jam or puree evenly over the base.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the top, pressing lightly.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top and edges are golden and the dough no longer looks wet. Continue baking as needed for a set center.
- Sprinkle with a little sugar and cool completely in the tin, allowing about 90 minutes, before lifting out and cutting into 12 squares.
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