Today, I’ve got the most scrumptious and perfectly crisp Nutella shortbread crumb bars. Crumbly, buttery shortbread with tons of Nutella stuffed in the middle, I mean what could be better?
These bars are my oldest absolute favourite and he literally jumps for joy whenever I make them. My kids love Nutella anyways but pair it with shortbread and you’ve got a pretty delicious combination. If you need an amazing dessert to bring to families house or got a birthday coming up, give these a whirl.
Shortbread is one of my favourite things to eat, between my Irish ancestry and growing up in Newfoundland, I thinks it’s just in my blood, and these bars definitely hit the spot. These Nutella shortbread crumb bars are also great cause they don’t require any chilling unlike a lot of shortbread recipes and you don’t need to roll or cut anything. A nice and simple recipe.
For another variation of shortbread bars, try my pumpkin pie shortbread crumb bars, especially in the Fall. For something even more basic and simple, try my graham cracker pecan cookie bars which don’t even require a mixer.
Are These Bars Egg Free?
Yes, no egg is required in the shortbread and Nutella shouldn’t contain any egg.
Can I Just Bake It All At Once?
No, in testing this recipe, I couldn’t get the crust to fully bake when just doing one bake. So I highly recommend prebaking the crust until the edges just start to turn golden. Then add the Nutella and the crumble on top and finish baking.
How to Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
Baking Tips
- Make sure not to overmix your dough or it will turn out tough.
- To ensure the crust is fully baked, make sure to pre-bake it, don’t skip this step.
- For best results, ensure all your ingredients are room temperature. This allows your ingredients to incorporate into each other leading to a much better bake and texture.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Cookie Recipes
Today’s song is one from an artist that’s produced hits nearly my entire life. Currently singing along to it as I watch Mean Girls, also a classic! Here’s God Is A Dj by P!nk.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Nutella Shortbread Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (45g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups (360g) AP flour
- 1 1/4 cup (350g) Nutella
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional for dusting)
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugars. Cream together for 4 minutes. Add in the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
- Add in the flour and mix until mixture looks dry and crumbly. It will be kind of like wet sand. If you push it together with your fingers, it will stick. Now add 2/3 of the dough to the pan and push down, making it as even as possible. Prebake the crust for 17-20 minutes, until the edges start to turn slightly golden.
- Once the crust has prebaked, let it rest for 1 minute, then add the Nutella on top, spreading it evenly. The Nutella will melt on the hot crust so it should be easy to spread. Then take the rest of your shortbread and crumble it evenly on top. You can put big crumbs or little. I like to do a mixture.
- Put it back in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the crumbs start to turn very slightly golden.
- Allow to cool in the pan before removing by the parchment paper. Dust icing sugar over the top using a mesh strainer if you want, slice into squares and enjoy!
These are my oldest’s absolute favourite and he requests them all the time!
If you give them a try, let us know what you thought with a star rating and review.
These are so scrumptious. This is a favorite along with the mug cake.
Thanks Oliva
So glad you enjoyed them!! ❤️