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Linzer Bars
Linzertorte is from Linz, Austria, but these more casual bars were inspired by ones we tasted in Frankfurt, Germany. Whereas the classic dessert requires a tart pan, a lattice top and deftness with delicate doughs, this bar cookie comes together easily using an 8-inch square baking pan, a pat-in-the-pan bottom crust and simple cutouts for a top crust. Linzer pastry is made with nuts, which adds extra-rich flavor and a tender texture; we chose walnuts for their butteriness. Warm spices and a tablespoon of cocoa provide a little color and a lot of complexity. Seedless raspberry jam is our favorite, but cherry (make sure it’s not too chunky)—or a combination—is excellent, too. You can create a minimalist pattern in the top crust by stamping out circles and lining them up on the jam layer, or you can create a more intricate design. The bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days; the crust will soften, but the flavor blooms.
Makes
16 bars
Tip
Don’t forget to mist the parchment-lined baking pan with cooking spray. The jam becomes sticky at the edges and this ensures the paper peels away easily. Don’t forget to reduce the oven temperature to 325°F after removing the bottom crust from the oven. Finally, when placing the dough cutouts on the filling, don’t overlap them, which will create areas that are too thick. But do make sure the filling is mostly covered so the jam won’t scorch.
1¾ hours
35 minutes active, plus cooling
Ingredients
-
161
grams (¾ cup) white sugar
-
55
grams (½ cup) walnuts
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist an 8-inch square metal baking pan or glass baking dish with cooking spray, then line it with two 7-by-14-inch pieces of kitchen parchment placed perpendicular to each other and with excess hanging over the edges of the pan. Mist with cooking spray.
Reviews
February 2, 2026
EllenB
Absolutely delicious. A keeper! Easy to make, fantastic to bring to a gathering of any kind.
October 2, 2025
mmMMmm
Truly delicious Linzer bars!! I used hazelnuts instead of walnuts, since I had them, and they seemed more traditional. I'm sure walnuts are equally great. Tip: You don't really need to make the log from the batch of dough; just divide 1/3 and 2/3 by weight and go from there. Don't stress over perfecting the cutouts. Mine were wholly inartful. You could probably even strew the topping like streusel and it would be fine.
December 24, 2024
Fantastic combination of flavors.
Easy to make. Smells amazing and tastes better. This goes in the cookie rotation.
March 9, 2026
Rethink baking times
When I made this recipe the first time, I followed the advised times -- 30 minutes for the first layer at 350, and 50 minutes at 325. The result was a very hard cookie, with the jam too dried out. I made another batch using times from Linzer Tart recipes (20 min at 350, then 30 min at 325. ) Not crunchy but also not hard. Maybe I am just an American who loves her cookies softer. Delicious
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