Maple Butter Bars
Maple butter bars are simple but irresistible buttery cake bars subtly sweetened with real maple syrup.
Sometimes simple really is best, and these maple butter bars are the perfect example. They don’t look like much and they are likely one of the least fanciest things I’ve ever baked. But I promise you, they are so good!
I like to say these are the lemon bars of fall— with a hint of cinnamon, lots of real maple syrup, and a rich buttery flavor and texture. They can be made ahead so they’re perfect for fall and holiday gatherings, but they’re also easy enough to satisfy a weeknight sweet craving.
So let’s get baking!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Real maple syrup (please don’t use the fake stuff!)
- Half and half
- Egg
- Ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
baking tip:When to bake with salted butter vs. unsalted butter
Conventional baking wisdom says to use unsalted butter because you have more control over the amount of salt in a recipe, and salt amounts in salted butter vary from brand to brand. It’s like a blank slate!
While this may be true, I have personally found that salted butter works just fine without a noticeable difference most of the time. In fact I actually prefer to use it in recipes where I want a little oomph of extra flavor and sweet and salty-ness— like cookies, caramel and rice krispie treats.
The bottom line? Use what you already have! And if you’re unsure about using salted butter in a recipe that specifically requires unsalted butter, play it safe and reduce the salt amount in the recipe by one half if you like.
How to Make Maple Butter Bars
- Prepare the crust. Combine dry ingredients, add butter, and use a pastry blender to make a crumbly dough.
- Bake crust. Press dough into a 9-inch square pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugar, then add egg and maple syrup. Add flour, alternating with the half and half and mix until smooth.
- Bake bars. Pour filling on top of crust and bake until the center is barely firm when gently shaken, about 35 minutes.
- Cool completely. For best results, let these bars cool completely before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Remove bars from the pan using the parchment as a sling and dust with powdered sugar. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
How to Make this Recipe Ahead
These maple butter bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for several months.
If storing in the fridge, keep in an airtight container. If freezing, do not slice or dust with powdered sugar and wrap well in 2 layers of plastic wrap. When ready to enjoy, let thaw overnight in the fridge, then slice and dust with powdered sugar.
More Maple Recipes to Love
- Maple Bundt Cake
- Maple Cornmeal Biscuits
- Maple Yogurt Muffins with Pecans
- Baked French Toast with Streusel Topping and Cranberry Maple Syrup
This recipe was originally published October 2017.
Maple Butter Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter , cold and cubed (75 grams)
For the filling:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature (170 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup (205 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- ½ cup half and half (125 ml)
Topping (optional):
- Powdered sugar , for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or greased foil.
- To make the crust, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender.
- Press into the prepared pan and bake for 5-7 minutes until set, but before it starts to turn brown.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachments, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, followed by maple syrup. Add the flour in 2 additions, alternating with the half and half. Mixer may appear curdled, that's okay.
- Pour mixture on top of crust. Bake until the center is barely firm when gently shaken, about 35 minutes.
- For best results, cool completely before slicing (I even like to chill it in the fridge for a bit for nice clean slices). Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for several days.
Notes
Do you have to let the crust cool completely before adding the filling?
Forgot to mention that I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 12”x18” pan.
I noticed the recipe did not have any leavening agent in it nor salt (I always use unsalted butter when baking.).
I added 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the filling and baked it approximately 15 additional minutes. The bars were delicious—not undercooked and not unpleasantly dense.
Followed recipe exactly and they were extremely undercooked. Had to dump in the trash.
These were very tasty, but also very dense. I don’t do a lot of baking so I am hesitant to leave critical comments but I followed all the directions and felt that these were undercooked. I wondered if the base layer should have a bit of water added to turn it into an actual dough, before patting it into the pan. I cooked the bars an extra 10 minutes or more but still they seemed undercooked. Also there was not a noticeable maple flavor even though I added a bit more syrup than was called for. I wondered if a maple glaze would be better than the powdered sugar topping.
These look delicious- can I double it and make in a 9×13 pan? Or 10 x 15?
Doubling the recipe will be too much for a 9×13 pan. And a 10×15 jelly roll pan probably isn’t deep enough to accommodate the recipe? But maybe yours is. I have only tested this recipe as written so I can’t give a confident recommendation, sorry!