Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

Buttery and dense vanilla shortbread bars topped with a broiled layer of crunchy cinnamon sugar spread.

time commitment: 1 hour total, 30 minutes inactive time
special equipment: stand mixer with paddle attachment, large loaf pan – 9.25 inches x 5.25 inches
yield: 16 bars

You probably have all of the ingredients for these cinnamon sugar shortbreads in your pantry already, which makes throwing them together a breeze. While these bars are denser than the traditional shortbread, the combination of powdered sugar and granulated sugar in the dough means they still come out tender without being too crumbly or crunchy.

The caramelized cinnamon sugar on top is my favorite part of this recipe, and it makes me nostalgic for cinnamon sugar toast from my childhood. It gets spread onto the shortbreads after they’ve baked and then gets broiled to add the perfect sweet and crunchy texture to otherwise simple vanilla shortbread bars.’

While some people make more traditional wedge-shaped shortbreads like the ones talked about here, I opted to make mine in a bread or loaf pan so that they can be cut into smaller, more bite-sized pieces, since these can be pretty sweet.

What’s in this Post

• What You Need (Ingredients & Equipment)
• How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads
• How to Store Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

What You Need to Make Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbread Ingredients

• Unsalted Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in my recipes because it allows me to control just how much salt is present.
• Powdered Sugar: most shortbread recipes just use granulated sugar, but I also use powdered sugar in this recipe so that the texture of the shortbread comes out perfectly tender without being crunchy.
• Granulated Sugar: we’re still going to use a few tablespoons of granulated sugar in addition to the powdered sugar to help hydrate the dough and add a little bit of structure.
• Vanilla Extract: adding vanilla to the shortbread dough and the cinnamon sugar spread really rounds out the flavor.
• Kosher Salt: if we don’t add salt to both the shortbread dough and the cinnamon sugar spread, these broiled cinnamon sugar shortbreads would turn out way too sweet. Salt brings in some much needed balance.
• Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: I almost exclusively use King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour (not sponsored – I wish). It’s reliable, high-quality, and I can find it in bulk at Costco.
• Ground Cinnamon: while there isn’t any ground cinnamon in the shortbreads themselves, there’s plenty in the butter and sugar mixture that gets spread on top.

Special Equipment

To make these cinnamon shortbread bars, you’ll need a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, a flexible spatula to scrape down the mixing bowl, a large loaf pan (9.25″ x 5.25″), parchment paper to line the pan, and a large chef’s knife or serrated knife to cut the shortbread into bars.

How to Make Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

To make broiled cinnamon sugar shortbreads, you’ll start by making the shortbread dough in your stand mixer, then press the dough into the loaf pan and bake until the edges are golden brown. When you remove it from the oven, it’s immediately topped with a cinnamon sugar spread and put back into the oven to broil for a couple of minutes until the sugar just starts to bubble.

Let the bars cool at room temperature for a few minutes and slice them into bars while they’re still warm so that they won’t be difficult or messy to cut.

Allow them to completely cool and then enjoy!

Check out the recipe card below for specific measurements and instructions.

Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

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Buttery and dense vanilla shortbread bars topped with a broiled layer of crunchy cinnamon sugar spread.

• Author: Sierra of ficklebeabakehouse.com
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Broil + Cooling Time: 7 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Vanilla Shortbread

• 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter – softened
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 + 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour – spooned and leveled, see Note*

Cinnamon Sugar Spread

• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter – softened
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Instructions

Make the Shortbread

1. Preheat your oven to 300 Fahrenheit, and grease and line the width of a large loaf pan (9.25 inches x 5.25 inches) with parchment paper.

   Tip: You can hold the parchment paper in place with metal binder clips over the rim of the loaf pan if you don’t want to trim it to fit.
   
   

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons), powdered sugar (1/4 cup), granulated sugar (3 Tablespoons), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon).
3. With the mixer on medium-high (level 4-6 on a KitchenAid mixer), cream the ingredients together until the color has lightened and the texture is fluffy and reminiscent of whipped frosting. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure everything has been creamed together evenly.
   
4. Add the all-purpose flour (1 + 3/4 cups – spooned and leveled, see Note*) to the mixing bowl and mix on low until the dough becomes a sandy texture and just starts to hold shape.
   
5. Add the dough to the prepared loaf pan and press into an even, dense layer with the back of a spoon.
   
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
   While the shortbread bakes, make the cinnamon sugar spread so that it will be ready as soon as you pull the shortbread from the oven.
   
   

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Spread

1. In a small bowl, add the softened unsalted butter (4 Tablespoons), granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons), ground cinnamon (1+1/2 teaspoons), vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon), and kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon).
2. Using a fork, mash and stir the ingredients together until a paste-like spread forms that is even in color.
   
3. Set aside and keep at room-temperature until you remove the shortbread from the oven.

Apply the Spread & Broil

1. Remove the shortbread from the oven when it is finished baking and change the oven temperature to “broil”.
2. Immediately spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top of the baked shortbread (an offset spatula or the back of a spoon will make this easier). Be careful and use an oven mitt as the pan will be very hot, and work quickly so that the sugar crystals don’t melt. The butter will soften and become easier to spread as it warms.
   
3. Put the cinnamon-sugar-topped shortbread back in the oven for 2-3 minutes and remove when the cinnamon sugar spread is starting to bubble in the middle and has started to turn a darker caramelized shade of brown.

   Tip: DO NOT WALK AWAY DURING THIS STEP! It is very easy for things to burn when the oven is on broil, especially when working with sugar.
   
   

4. Carefully run a knife between the edge of the sugar layer and the edge of the pan, then allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

   Tip: double-check that your oven is turned off, since broil is its hottest setting.

5. After 5 minutes, remove from the pan via the parchment paper tabs and, using a sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife, slice once lengthwise down the middle, and then into 8 even rows so that you have 16 evenly-sized mini-bars.

   Tip: it is easiest to cut the bars when they’re still warm, but not immediately after removing from the oven. If you wait until the bars are completely cooled to slice them, the topping will crack at the edges, and the shortbread will crumble, making it difficult to get evenly sized bars.
   
   

6. Allow to cool completely to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

*For the most accurate measurement of flour without using a scale: stir the flour with a spoon, then spoon the flour into your measuring cup, level off the top with the handle of the spoon or the spine of a knife.

If you prefer to measure flour by weight, my cup of flour typically weighs about 116 grams.

To help with your grocery shopping, I’ve listed the ingredients for this recipe below, as well as where they can generally be found in the grocery store.

Dairy

• Unsalted Butter

Pantry

• Powdered Sugar
• Granulated Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Cinnamon

How to Store Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Shortbreads

Once the cinnamon sugar shortbreads have completely cooled, they can be stored in a covered container at room temperature.

These bars are perfect to share since they stay fresh for a couple of days, and I plan to make them for next year’s Christmas cookie boxes I give out to friends and family!

Let’s Keep Baking!

If you liked this recipe for broiled cinnamon sugar shortbreads, check this recipe for my Nutella crumble bars:

Nutella Crumble Bars
I’ve never met a fickle bea recipe that I haven’t fallen in love with. This one is so simple and I had most of the ingredients on hand which was convenient. They have the perfect flavor and I could easily polish off a whole pan of these on my own!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
-Kallista