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!!!
Dani
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! ❤️”
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.
Only a Few Essentials (The Rest Are Probably in Your Pantry)
- 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
Step 2: Soften and sweeten
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
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.
Stash ‘Em, Ship ‘Em, Share ‘Em
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
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried apricots (11/2 cups) chopped
- 1 ¾ cups sugar divided
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened coconut toasted
- ½ cup pecans chopped
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.
Nutrition
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Margaret in Texas says
This tasty apricot recipe was apparently adapted for Turkish/Mediterranean style apricots, which tend to be larger and blander when dried compared to California apricots. They also typically have a higher concentration of the preservative sulfur dioxide, which is physically intolerable for some of us. I only buy and consume dried apricots from California.
Please be aware the difference does affect this recipe. For those who commented that the finished product was too bland or too sweet, consider the source of your dried apricots. Not sure how much fruit the 12 ounces of Turkish apricots yielded (1.5 cups were mentioned in the recipe). The 12 ounces of my Californian dried apricots yielded 2.5 cups before chopping, 2 1/4 cups after chopping, and 3.5 cups once simmered in the water, as directed in the recipe. Yields will vary, depending on degrees of dryness of the fruit.
Other than add about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to the reconstituted apricots, no changes were made. Several friends who sampled the bars agreed that the yummy shortbread crust and pronounced apricot filling were perfectly sweetened. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you, Barbara
Barbara Curry says
Thanks for that helpful information about apricots, I had no idea.
ROBBIE says
Can I use Apricot Pie Filling in the can?? If so, how much do I need?? Do I need to add any spices or sugar?
Can hardly wait to try your recipe.
Barbara Curry says
I don’t think this would work with canned apricots or apricot pie filling. It will be too runny.
Tiff says
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I found that 12oz of chopped apricots is significantly more than the volume listed. I used the weight not the volume and it made for a beautiful thick fruit layer. I added a sprinkle of cardamom and ginger to the apricot filling which added zingy earthy notes. I’m definitely adding this wonderful recipe to my repertoire.
Barbara Curry says
Thanks for the great review, I love cardamom but would not have thought of adding ginger. Thanks for the suggestions.
Helen says
Can this be frozen or how long can I store it please? Thanks
Barbara Curry says
Yes, these can easily be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Marie says
Can these be frozen after baking?
Barbara Curry says
Yes, just let them cool first.
Soledad says
My bars stuck to the parchment paper and couldn’t cut right , anyone else have this problem , don’t know what I did wrong , am going to bake again but this time I think I will grease and flour pan .
Barbara Curry says
The parchment paper just makes it easier to remove from the pan. You may not have added enough of the shortbread to the bottom layer so that the apricot filling seeped through sticking to the paper. Try making the bottom layer thicker and reserve less for the top.