Watch the final 5 minutes carefully: sesame and honey can darken quickly at the pan edges.
A shortbread base baked twice under a thin honey-sesame crunch topping.
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Sesame Brittle Shortbread Bars Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- 8-inch square metal pan
- parchment
- bowl
- spatula
- skillet
- saucepan
- knife
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the base
- Mix the base: Stir dough butter and sugar smooth, add flour and salt and mix just until clumps hold. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat 3–4 minutes, stirring until fragrant; keep them separate for the topping.
Press the base
- Press the base: Line one 8-inch square metal pan with parchment overhang. Press all dough flat and dock lightly. No chilling is required.
Bake and top
- Bake and top: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Bake the base 18–20 minutes until pale gold. Meanwhile simmer honey, topping sugar, topping butter and cream in a small pan for 2 minutes, stirring, then fold in sesame. Spread over the hot base, return to oven for 15–18 minutes until bubbling across the center and amber at the edges. Whole-batch oven time is up to 38 minutes.
Cool and cut
- Cool and cut: Cool 20 minutes in the pan, then another 40 minutes until the topping has firmed. Lift and cut a 4 x 4 grid with a sharp knife. The 60-minute allowance includes the pan rest; do not cut the bubbling hot topping.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 30 min hands-on + 0 min required chill/rest + 38 min whole-batch oven baking + 60 min cooling/setting = 128 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
A separately parbaked base resists moisture from the honey topping; a second bake reduces the topping into a thin crunch layer.
Technique & texture
Watch the final 5 minutes carefully: sesame and honey can darken quickly at the pan edges.
Finishing & serving
Cut fully cooled squares with a sharp straight blade so the brittle-like top does not tear the base.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | Up to 2 days. Seal fully cooled filled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; the filling gradually softens the crumb. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Prepare the filling fresh. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 16 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why bake this bar twice?
A separately parbaked base resists moisture from the honey topping; a second bake reduces the topping into a thin crunch layer.
How do I prevent bitter sesame?
Watch the final 5 minutes carefully: sesame and honey can darken quickly at the pan edges.
When is the topping ready to slice?
Cut fully cooled squares with a sharp straight blade so the brittle-like top does not tear the base.
