Sweet, chewy, buttery, and just a little bit nostalgic, these apricot bars are everything I want in a dessert and nothing I don’t. No fresh apricots? No problem. This old-school recipe uses dried apricots, a golden shortbread crust, and a crunchy coconut-pecan topping that might just steal the show.

There are a lot of desserts I’ve loved and left. This isn’t one of them.

These apricot bars have been a favorite since I was a kid hauling bags of dried fruit back from my granddad’s place in California. His backyard was lined with apricot trees that actually tasted like something, not like the sad, mealy ones you find at the grocery store in the South.

We’d eat as many fresh ones as we could, then can and dry the rest to take home. The East Coast never stood a chance against those West Coast apricots, but dried apricots? That’s the closest I’ve found to those childhood summers.

So here we are. Apricot shortbread bars that hit all the nostalgic notes. Buttery and crumbly on the bottom, a jammy apricot center with real texture (not goo), and a crunchy golden topping laced with toasted coconut and pecans. These bars are soft where you want softness, sturdy enough to travel, and honestly? Way more exciting than your average cookie tray.

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Featured reader review

“THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING!!!
Honestly I have never EVER made sweets, so it’s my first time and very successful! I had some dried apricots and wasn’t sure what to do with them. Looked online and found this recipe. Decided to make and if it wasn’t successful I would throw it away (since no experience in making sweets). But instead, came up great. It’s very easy to make and time consuming in moment of instead going to the store and buy cravings to make it at home. The only thing I have changed was the pecans since I did not have some and switched with walnuts, it’s great too.
Barbara, I thank you for this recipe! ❤️”
Dani

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A stack of three apricot bars with parchment in between.

What Makes These Bars So Scrumptious

No fresh apricots? No problem. This recipe uses dried, so it works year-round.
That shortbread crust, it’s buttery, golden, and barely holds back the toasted coconut and pecan goodness.

They travel well. I froze a batch and shipped them to Natalie, and they arrived looking like I just pulled them out of the oven.

A pan of cut apricot bars on parchment paper.

Only a Few Essentials (The Rest Are Probably in Your Pantry)

The ingredients for apricot bars. — Gather the ingredients.

Dried apricots — not the super tart ones, just your standard soft orange variety.
Sweetened coconut — it adds just the right chew and toasts up beautifully.
Pecans — they’re optional, but I wouldn’t skip them.

Everything else? Butter, sugar, flour, the usual suspects. Full list and instructions are down in the recipe card.

Don’t Burn the Coconut (Ask Me How I Know)

If you’ve ever burned coconut, you know it happens fast. My tip? Oven at 350º, spread it out, and don’t walk away. Stir once or twice until it’s golden and fragrant. You could do it on the stovetop too, but the oven is my go-to.

Here’s How It All Comes Together

Step 1: Start with the apricots

Dried apricots, chopped on a cutting board. — Dice the dried apricots.

Step 2: Soften and sweeten

A saucepan with cooked apricot mixture. — Cook with water and sugar.

Pro tip: By using chopped dried apricots that have been softened, you get more texture to the bar than if you just use jam.

Step 3: Make the crust

A mixing bowl of the shortbread mxiture. — Add toasted coconut and pecans to the shortbread.

Place three quarters of it in the bottom of the pan and bake it for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Assemble and finish baking

Add the apricot mixture to the partially baked crust and top with the remaining shortbread and finish baking.

Want Neat Slices? Don’t Skip This Part

Let them cool. Really cool. Room temp first, then chill them if you can. Lift them out using parchment overhang, and use a long sharp knife (cleaning between cuts if you’re fancy like that). You’ll get clean edges and no messy corners.

A batch of apricot bars on parchment paper.

Store these in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for later. If you’re mailing them, freeze first, wrap tight, and send them on their way.

I packed these up for a tailgate once and they disappeared faster than the homemade sausage balls. Sure, brown butter chocolate chip cookies or some classic fudgy brownies are always welcome, but sometimes it’s nice to show up with something a little unexpected. These bars fit the bill.

If you’ve been hunting for dried apricot recipes that don’t taste like they belong in a retirement home, give this one a try. It’s got texture, flavor, and that old-school Junior League charm (this one came straight from Nana’s copy from the ‘80s in Owensboro Ky).

Want more easy desserts with staying power? Head over to my bar recipes collection and get inspired.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

Apricot Bars with a Shortbread Crust

Author: Barbara Curry

4.50 from 81 votes

Print Pin

PREP: 40

COOK: 35

TOTAL: 1 15

Servings:

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, cover chopped apricots with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until soft. Drain, reserving ¼ cup water. Place ¼ cup water back in the saucepan and add ¾ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Add the cooked apricots back to the saucepan and turn off the heat.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together four, soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Add toasted coconut and pecans.
Place ¾ of the mixture into prepared pan, pressing it with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and spread apricot mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Video

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

Start with softened butter. If you press your finger on it it will indent but not go all the way through.
Line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to remove when cooled.
Refrigerate after cooled to make cutting into bars even easier.