Skip To Main ContentMasterClass logo
|Articles
At Work
Log In
Sign Up
Food

Apricot Bars Recipe: How to Make Apricot Bars at Home

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Feb 19, 2023 • 2 min read

Home cooks of all experience levels can make these buttery apricot bars using simple pantry staples in under an hour. Serve them as a brunch side dish or a summery dessert.

Learn From the Best

Sign Up

What Are Apricot Bars?

Apricot bars are a handheld dessert consisting of a buttery, shortbread-like dough base covered with apricot preserves. Apricots—which are orange, velvety-skinned stone fruits with sweet and tart inner flesh—lend a balanced freshness to these buttery bars. Serve these treats at room temperature for breakfast, or warm them up and serve with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream for a summery dessert.

3 Tips for Making Apricot Bars

Whether you’re a baking pro or a kitchen novice, follow these tips to craft the best apricot bars possible.

  1. 1. Make fresh preserves. Use fresh apricots or jammy preserves to make apricot bars. For a quick apricot mixture, chop up the fruit and cook it in a small saucepan over medium heat with a few tablespoons of water and the sweetener of your choice until the mix thickens. Cool the mixture to room temperature before adding it to your apricot bars. Home cooks can also use homemade apricot jam as a topping for these cookie bars.
  2. 2. Experiment with additions. Adapt a simple apricot bar recipe to incorporate the sweeteners, spices, extracts, and additional ingredients of your choice. Incorporate warm spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, for a fall-friendly flavor profile. Swap the sugar for honey or maple syrup for natural sweetness. Sprinkle the tops of the bars with oats, chopped walnuts or pecans for a hearty addition. Add lemon extract, orange extract, or lemon juice to the apricot preserves for some tangy citrus notes.
  3. 3. Store properly. These moist bars will keep well in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Alternatively, store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Easy Apricot Bars Recipe

email recipe
7 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

12 bars

prep time

20 min

total time

55 min

cook time

35 min

Ingredients

Note: The total time does not include 30 minutes of inactive time.

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 8x10-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.

  3. 3

    In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter until fluffy, 3–4 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add the egg and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and mix until incorporated.

  5. 5

    With the mixer running on low, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

  6. 6

    Transfer ⅔ of the dough to the prepared pan and spread it out into a single layer.

  7. 7

    Spread the apricot preserves over the first layer of dough.

  8. 8

    Using your fingers, pull off a ½-inch piece of the remaining dough and drop it over the apricot jam. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

  9. 9

    Transfer the baking pan to the oven, and bake until the top crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

  10. 10

    Remove the apricot bars from the oven and let them cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Become a better baker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Joanne Chang, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Chef Thomas Keller, Mashama Bailey, and more.