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Jump to RecipeEnjoy these sourdough almond crumble bars when you want a delicious dessert with minimal effort to make. This layered dessert has a sourdough almond cookie base, frangipane, and sliced almonds. It is light, delicate, and the perfect coffee time dessert.
There is a little bit to unpack with this recipe and the reasons behind posting. I hope you enjoy!
I recently learned about the tie of almonds and the Bible. And I have goosebumps with the outcome.
Almonds, almond blossoms and almond branches have a variety of symbolism within the Bible. From the design of the menorah, to fulfillment (of our prayers and desires) and even strength. There is a lot to unpack on the almond fruit / seed!
When praying lately about the future of this blog, I felt encouraged to post a recipe that brings me ‘hope’. This recipe is it! It is the recipe which came to mind and it felt like a little ‘promise’ or ‘nudge’ from the Lord. Knowing the symbolism about almonds, this recipe just makes sense.
Almond desserts have been a growing favorite in both our family and our blog readers. Since moving to a city with a history rich in Dutch heritage, almonds are prominent in a lot of desserts and dishes. On the blog, our sourdough almond croissant cookie recipe is one of the most clicked recipes.
When crunched on time last month, we took our sourdough almond cookie recipe and turned it into a bar. The recipe testing resulted in the same flavor and texture as the cookies, though it took significantly less time to prepare!
When I think of recipes our family will make for years to come, this is it. I picture bringing this to holiday events in the future and that this dessert will be the one my future children ask for when they come home to visit for coffee time.
When I say this recipe will not disappoint, I mean it. So enjoy a bite of this almond dessert and feel the blessings with each bite.
Why you will love these bars
Kitchen Equipment
We use a baking sheet (for the almonds), two mixing bowls and an 8×8 glass pan to make this recipe.
Ingredients for Sourdough Almond Crumble Bars
There are a few main ingredients within this recipe which make it one of a kind: almond flour, three types of sugar and sourdough discard. For the full list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe card located at the bottom of the blog.
Almond flour: Almond flour gives the recipe a light texture while also providing substance and crumble. While there is all purpose flour within this recipe, the almond flour is what provides the unique texture and a depth of flavor.
Almond flour also is the base for our homemade frangipane. There is still all purpose flour within this recipe however, this makes the texture unique all in its own. Almond flour also helps us to create a homemade frangipane.
Sugars: This recipe uses three different types of sugars to provide a variety of flavors and textures. We use white sugar for sweetness, brown sugar for a depth of flavor, and powdered sugar adds to the light and airy texture (thanks to the cornstarch).
Sourdough discard: Of course this would not be a sourdough recipe without our made from scratch sourdough starter. Because this recipe can sit in the fridge for a few days (long fermented) or be a stir and go cookie batter, it does not matter whether the sourdough is active or discard.
How to make these sourdough almond crumble bars
Step 1: Roast the sliced almonds until lightly golden – they will cook more later.
Step 2: Prepare the sourdough almond cookie dough and homemade frangipane.
Step 3: Layer the bars – almond cookie dough first.
Step 4: Next, layer the frangipane and sliced almonds.
Step 5: Finally, top with remaining sourdough almond cookie dough and more sliced almonds.
Step 6: Bake, cool and top with powdered sugar.
How to store
To store these bar, keep them at room temperature for up to three days. Alternatively, place them in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to six months. I recommend slicing before placing in the fridge and freezer to ensure they do not fall apart when cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough Almond Crumble Bars
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Small / medium mixing bowl
- 1 Baking Sheet Lined with reusable silicone mat or parchment paper
- 1 Sifter For powdered sugar
Ingredients
Homemade Almond Paste / Marzipan
- 3/4 cup almond flour Do not substitute for almond meal
- 1 egg white Reserve the egg yolk for the cookie batter
- 3/4-1 cup powdered sugar +/- based on thickness of paste. See recipe for instructions
- 1/4 tsp almond extract Optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Sourdough Almond Croissant Cookie Dough
- 1 stick unsalted butter Can substitute with salted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sourdough discard Active starter or sourdough discard can be used
- 1/2 tsp almond extract Optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar Plus extra 1-2 TBS more for dusting
- 1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour Do not substitute with almond meal
- 1/4 tsp salt Leave out if using salted butter
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds Toasted
Instructions
Stir and go
- Begin by toasting your sliced almonds in the oven. Start by placing them in the oven while it is preheating until they become golden brown and fragrant. Be sure to shake the sheet pan regularly so the almonds do not burn.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the almond paste / marzipan by combing the almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, vanilla extract and almond extract (optional) together.Save the egg yolk for the cookie dough.
- The almond paste will seem a like a thin cookie dough, though it becomes thicker when sitting in the fridge. To make thicker, you can also add more powdered sugar.We are looking for a paste which sticks to the spoon but not as stiff as a cookie dough. It should be pliable, not runny- almost like playdough consistency!
- Once the almond paste is combined, place it in the refrigerator until the cookie dough is ready (about 10 minutes).
- Next, make the sourdough almond cookie dough. Combine together the butter and sugars together. Add the egg yolk, sourdough discard, vanilla extract and almond extract (optional). To the wet ingredients, add the baking soda and salt. Stir in the flour and almond flour until just combined.
- Remove the almond paste from the fridge. Split the sourdough almond cookie dough into two section – saving 1/3 aside for the top layer.
- Use 2/3 of the cookie dough on the bottom of the pan, flattening. Spread the frangipane on top. Sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds on top.
- Put drops of the remaining 1/3 of cookie dough on as the top layer.Finally, sprinkle the sliced almonds on top and bake.
- Place into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. The bars are cooked when the top layer is a light golden brown color. This will be soft, yet firm. When touched, a fingerprint does not leave a mark.
- Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. Enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
Long Fermented
- To long ferment the cookie dough, combine the sourdough almond cookie dough ingredients together before allowing it to sit on the counter for 12 hours. Place in the fridge for up to three days. If you decide to place the cookie dough on the countertop to ferment, be sure to place in the fridge before assembling the bars to ensure the cookie dough does not spread too much when baked. You can alternatively make this cookie dough and place immediately in the fridge for three days or the freezer for six months before baking. If placed in the fridge or freezer, allow to warm up before preparing enough to spread when pressed.
Notes
- Toast the nuts
- Be sure to take the time to toast the slivered almonds. This intensifies the flavors and adds texture / bite to the recipe.
- Take the time to chill the dough!
- It is vital to chill the cookie dough. Not only will this help to ensure the cookies have distinct layers, it will also ensure the cookie dough does not spread on the pan. The cookies will also retain their shape better, too.
Nutrition
Do you know someone who would like this recipe? Be sure to share it with them and come back to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
This looks delicious — love the almond crumble + sourdough twist!
We do too – I hope you enjoy!
These sourdough almond crumble bars look so delicious! Thank you for sharing the helpful notes, I can’t wait to try your recipe!!
You are welcome – I hope you enjoy!
This sounds so delicious! I love almond recipes. In Germany almonds or hazelnuts are one of the main ingredients in many holiday cookies and I’ve always loved the recipes using frangipane most when growing up. This reminds me of my mom’s baking. Thanks for sharing this.
That makes my heart so happy to hear! Almonds are an absolute staple in our house.