Description
Delight in these Vegan Cinnamon Apple Shortbread Bars featuring a buttery, tender texture enhanced with freeze-dried apple powder and warm cinnamon spice. This easy-to-make recipe uses dairy-free butter and simple pantry ingredients to create a cozy, plant-based treat perfect for sharing or enjoying with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Bars
- 2 sticks unsalted dairy-free butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 40 grams freeze-dried apples
- 2 cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (74 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch glass baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Chill Butter: Cube the cold dairy-free butter and place it in a freezer-safe dish to chill while you prepare the other ingredients, ensuring the butter stays firm for proper dough texture.
- Make Apple Powder: Add the freeze-dried apples to a food processor and pulse on high speed until they become a fine powder, which will infuse the shortbread with natural apple flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: To the food processor, add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times until the mixture is well combined.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Add the chilled cubed vegan butter and vanilla bean paste or extract to the dry mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and starts to clump together, forming the shortbread dough.
- Press Into Pan: Transfer the dough into the parchment-lined pan and press down evenly to flatten. You can use your hands directly if the dough is not too sticky, or cover with parchment or plastic wrap to press it cleanly.
- Prick and Bake: Prick the surface of the dough all over with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake until the bars are golden, about 30–35 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the shortbread bars to cool completely at room temperature before slicing into 9-12 bars. This ensures the bars set properly and develop the perfect crumbly texture.
Notes
- Storage: Store the shortbread bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days to maintain their fresh texture.
- Freezing: Leftover bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
- Butter Temperature: Keeping the dairy-free butter cold before mixing helps achieve the tender, crumbly texture classic to shortbread.
- Serving Suggestion: These bars pair beautifully with herbal tea or a cozy coffee for a perfect snack or dessert.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (assuming 9 bars per batch)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
