These classic Apricot Bars are made with a buttery shortbread crust and a rich, chewy apricot filling studded with walnuts and coconut. It’s a cherished recipe from my mom that has been part of our Christmas baking for as long as I can remember.
I associate Apricot Bars with Christmas because they were on my mom’s cookie trays each and every year. Christmas time is also when she made her phenomenal Lemon Bars. The fruity bar thing was always a nice addition to all her other classic holiday treats.
Mom wasn’t much for writing down recipe directions. I can hear her saying “Good grief, isn’t it obvious?”. Thankfully, she carefully recorded the list of ingredients but her directions were just a brief outline, at best. I’ve been able to rebuild many of her recipes, both sweet and savory, and will continue to share them as time goes on.
These bars are totally unique and absolutely delicious. There’s nothing like them. Thanks, Mom.
Ingredient Notes
- Dried apricots: Use dried, not fresh. Simmering them briefly softens them and brings out their natural sweetness.
- Sweetened flaked coconut: Use flaked, not shredded. The larger pieces add better texture and a touch of sweetness.
- Walnuts: Provide great texture and balance the sweetness. Feel free to omit them if you prefer or need a nut-free option.
- Butter: Make sure it’s softened so it blends easily into the crumb crust.
- Brown sugar: Pack it firmly for the correct measurement.
How to Make Apricot Bars
- Simmer the dried apricots until softened, then drain and chop.
- Mix the butter, sugar, and flour until coarse crumbs form.
- Press the crumb crust evenly into a parchment-lined baking pan and bake just until golden around the edges.
- While the crust is in the oven, beat the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the batter just until incorporated.
- Add the chopped apricots, walnuts, and flaked coconut to the batter and stir until the mixture is well combined.
- Spread the apricot mixture evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Bake again, until the apricot bars until golden brown and set in the center. Once cooled, cut and roll in or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
One distinct thing I remember is that instead of just sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the bars, she would remove them from the pan and roll each bar in sugar until it was completely coated. Good thinking, Mom. It’s those little things that make a recipe special.
Storage Tips
- Room temperature: Store the apricot bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate: For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let them sit at room temperature for a bit before serving for the best texture.
- Freeze: These bars freeze well. Place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Vintage Christmas Treats
- Mom’s Pecan Sandies
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Mom’s Date Pinwheel Cookies
- Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies
- Mom’s Pecan Tarts
- Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Browse my entire collection of dessert recipes for more ideas
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Apricot Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, divided
For the Apricot Filling
- ⅔ cup dried apricots
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
For Finishing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Place the dried apricots in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about 10 minutes, until softened. Drain well, let cool, and chop.
- In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer or food processor to combine the butter, granulated sugar, and 1 cup of the flour until coarse crumbs form. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
- While the crust bakes, use an electric hand mixer to beat the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ⅓ cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture just until incorporated.
- Fold in the chopped apricots, walnuts, and flaked coconut. Spread the mixture evenly over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then cut into small bars. Remove from the pan and either roll in or sprinkle with powdered sugar to coat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Holiday Baking
This is largely a good recipe EXCEPT, 1) When you change the quantity in this online recipe by selecting 1x, 2x or 3x, the recipe changes all the ingredient quantities, but it does NOT change the size of the 8×8 cooking pan. So, beware. 2) This was far too sweet for my taste. I’ll try making them again but cut the sugar in half or by two-thirds.
Hi Chris. The scaling feature is controlled by the recipe plugin and adjusts ingredient amounts only. Unfortunately, it doesn’t automatically update pan sizes. When doubling the recipe, a larger pan, like a 9×13-inch, would be needed.
As for sweetness, these bars are meant to be on the sweeter side and are typically cut into small pieces. If you prefer them less sweet, I recommend skipping the powdered sugar finish. Reducing the brown sugar in the filling would significantly alter both the flavor and texture.
I love this recipe and going to make it for. A treat during Christmas
Hi, VALERIE! sorry about the all caps! I love your recipes and also getting your daily emails. This recipe looked so good to me, but I did not want to add the coconut (personal preference), so I left it out and really enjoyed these. I know this means I did’t make “your recipe” in detail, but I used most of it and it was outstanding. Thanks so much for sharing and Happy Holidays!
That`s really cool how you use dried apricot. I wouldn`t have guessed! I definitely want to add these to my Christmas cookie trays for the future, since they look wonderful!
I love these bars, Val! The perfect sweet-fruity something between all the Christmas cookies. Wonderful recipe! Happy holidays!
I’ve made a similar recipe with maraschino cherries, which I loved. I’ll have to give it a go with apricots!
I found a Giada de Laurentis recipe a few years ago which is similar and I love. I just want to eat the entire pan when I make it, so I can’t make them often.
Val, I have never had apricot bars before and it looks like I have been missing out. Making these immediately.