These Maple Walnut Squares are delicious, sweet bites with tons of maple flavour in the filling, lots of nuts and a crispy shortbread crust.
These Maple Walnut Squares are a classic sweet treat, with a shortbread base, a sweet, maple filling and lots of nuts. They set up beautifully, so they cut nicely and are perfect for anything from a bake sale to a BBQ, to a sweets table.
And they taste just like butter tarts! (And that’s a very good thing :)
Ingredients and Substitutions
Walnuts – you can use walnuts or pecans for the squares. Sometimes I like to use a combination of pecans and walnuts. Use what you have or like.
Maple Syrup – real maple syrup is highly recommended. Specifically, I love to use Amber or Grade B maple syrup, which has the strongest maple flavour.
Recipe Tips
- If neatness of squares is important (for presentation), once cooled, remove to a cutting board and cut off all the edges by about 1/2-3/4 inch, then cut the remaining piece in to equal squares.
- While these are sweet, they are not over-the-top sweet. The nuts do a great job of tempering the sweetness, especially slightly bitter walnuts.
- If you like the sweet/salty combination, sprinkle some finishing salt (like Maldon’s/Fleur de Sel) on top as soon as the squares come out of the oven.
Storing and Freezing
I like to store these squares in the refrigerator, but they are most delicious at room temperature, so take them out of the fridge for a bit before serving. These should also freeze well for a couple of months.
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Get the Recipe: Maple Walnut Squares
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cold, unsalted, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Filling:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 35%
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 2/3-3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or pecans, or a mixture of both)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) Line an 8-inch square baking pan (with straight sides) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on at least two sides (for removing it easily after baking).
- In a food processor (or in a bowl with a pastry cutter or two knives), whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse/cut until mixture starts to come together. Stir in 1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts. Pat evenly in to prepared 8-inch pan.
- Bake crust in centre of the preheated 350 oven until golden and set, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave oven on.
- While crust is baking, whisk together all the filling ingredients except the walnuts and set aside. Scatter the walnuts evenly over a baking sheet and set aside.
- Once base crust is out of the oven, place the baking sheet with the walnuts in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove nuts from oven and scatter over the cooked crust. Re-whisk the filling, then pour over-top of the nuts/crust. Use a fork to evenly distribute the nuts floating on top, if necessary.
- Place in 350F oven and bake until filling is set, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a cooling rack, then carefully lift out of pan using the parchment paper edges. (I like to refrigerate for a bit before cutting in to squares, just to make the whole process neater, but the squares are quite sturdy without refrigerating, once cooled.) Cut in to squares. Eat as is, or serve on a dessert plate with a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of nuts.
Notes
More Squares Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I tried this old fashioned delights!!! They did NOT dissappoint!!! Such a mild maple flavor coming through the subtle walnutty goodness!!!
Try them! You won’t be able to stop eating them!
They were SOOO good, I made a batch for a weekend trip to the mountains, then another, to keep at our house for the weeks’ snacking!!!
Deliciousness!!
I’m so glad to hear, Tammy :) Thanks so much!
I made these exactly to recipe with one substitution; almond flour for the all-purpose flour. A very different but delicious result. Instead of a shortbread crust bottom layer the almond flour soaked up all the liquid and became a very gooey toffee like layer. It needs to be kept cold. I put mine in the freezer. Be sure to line pan with parchment. It comes out like an upside down cake. Fabulous surprise.
I love fabulous surprises! So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
I sent an email but don’t think it went through…oh no! Am doubling the recipe so do I bake the shortbread crust and the filling for longer? If so, for how long?
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, if you are doing a 9×13 pan, the baking time should be roughly the same. It may take just a touch longer to set the very centre.
These were very good. As a maple “addict“, I was very pleased with it showcasing maple syrup in all its glory!! The only addition I made was to add 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract; it didn’t need much! I served them with whipped cream but they would have been good alone with a cup of hot tea or a bit of vanilla ice cream. Thank you again.
So glad you enjoyed them, Jeannette :) Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer,
It’s Brenda again…I sent an email earlier today but it looks like it didn’t get through. Can I double the recipe and make in a 9×13 pan?
Hi again Jennifer,
Just wondering if I can double the recipe in a 9×13 pan?
Thank you,
Brenda
Sorry Brenda. Forgot to answer your question :) Yes! You can absolutely double it into a 9×13 pan.
Hi Jennifer,
I make these AWESOME squares for my husband all the time. He just loves them! Actually so does everyone I share them with, including myself. Yum!
Can I double the recipe and make in a 9×13 pan?
Brenda
So glad to hear, Brenda :) Thanks so much!
Wondering if the tablespoon of vanilla is a typo? Most recipes said 1 tsp or 1/2 tsp. I think that a tblsp of pure vanilla would mask the maple flavor too much??
Hi Jocelyne, a typo is not beyond the realm of possibility, but I haven’t made these recently, so I can’t say with any certainty. If you’re concerned, go with 1 tsp, as you can’t go wrong that way :)
Do these freeze well?
Hi Crys, I haven’t frozen them, but I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t freeze well.