Poppy Seed Bars Recipe
These poppy seed bars combine a tender, buttery shortbread base with a rich, dark poppy seed filling and a crisp crumb topping—soft, crumbly, and utterly delicious.
The base for this recipe is a classic short dough. You might wonder why it’s called “short” dough. The term refers to the shortness of the gluten strands in the dough. Because short dough contains a high proportion of fat and no leavening agents, gluten development is minimal and the strands remain short. The result is a tender, crumbly crust that melts in your mouth.
These poppy seed bars are a traditional German treat often called “Mohn Bars” or “Mohnkuchen.” The short dough is very versatile: use it for fruit bars, rugelach, or other filled pastries. If you have leftover poppy seed filling, you can use it to make rolls such as beigli.
About this poppy seed bars recipe
- Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Chilling helps the dough relax and produces a richer, crumblier texture.
- For extra brightness, add 1–2 teaspoons of lemon zest when creaming the butter and sugar.
- If you need a dairy-free option, substitute vegetable shortening for the butter in the dough and in the crumble topping.
- If the filling or streusel starts to brown too quickly while baking, tent the pan loosely with foil. Remove the foil immediately when baking is finished to prevent condensation forming on the topping.
- Ready-made poppy seed filling is commonly available in the baking aisle of many supermarkets if you prefer not to make it from scratch.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
If you enjoy Jewish bakery–style treats, try these other recipes from the same kitchen: Puff Pastry Twists with Cake Crumbs and Fig Rugelach.
Don’t forget to tag the original creator on Instagram if you make these bars—bakers always love to see photos of your finished pastries.
Mohnkuchen (Poppyseed Shortbread Bars)
Prep Time
30
Cook Time
30
Total Time
1
Servings
16 Bars
Author
Dikla Levy Frances
Ingredients
Make the Dough
- 2 Sticks Unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 1/2 Cup Sugar (100g)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 2 3/4 Cups AP Flour (340g)
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Poppy Seed Filling
- 1 Cup Whole poppy seeds (120g)
- 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar (60g)
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted butter, softened (55g)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 2 TBS Sugar (25g)
- 2 TBS Butter or shortening, softened (28g)
- 1 1/2 tsp Honey
- 1/3 Cup AP Flour (40g)
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the sugar and softened butter and process until well mixed.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the dry mixture to the food processor, then add the egg and vanilla.
- Pulse until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator 10–15 minutes before you plan to roll it out.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Roll the dough and press it evenly into the prepared pan. Prick the crust thoroughly with a fork and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling and topping.
Make the Toppings
- Place the poppy seed filling ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and spreadable. If using a store-bought filling, adjust to your preferred thickness.
- Combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork until the mixture is lumpy and coarse.
Assemble and Bake
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
- Spread the poppy seed filling evenly over the pre-baked crust, then sprinkle the crumb topping on top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the streusel is lightly golden and the edges of the crust are set. Let the bars cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Store-bought poppy seed filling works well if you prefer a shortcut; use 1–2 cups depending on how thick you want the layer.
- For a thicker poppy layer, double the filling ingredients.
- Use room-temperature ingredients and a kitchen scale for best accuracy.
- For a deeper golden color on the topping, brush lightly with beaten egg yolk before baking.
- The bars are done when the topping is golden and the crust edges are set. If unsure, test with a toothpick in the filling; it should come out mostly clean.
- Using ground poppy seeds will intensify the seeds’ bitterness—adjust sugar to taste if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Add 1/2 cup finely ground almonds to the flour mixture for a subtle nutty note.
- This recipe fits an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan and yields 12–16 bars. You can use an 8- or 9-inch springform pan as an alternative. If using a 9×13-inch pan, the bars will be thinner—consider doubling the filling for better balance. Ensure pans have at least a 2.5-inch height.