Here’s a classic Hungarian Fruit Squares (Gyümölcsös Szelet) recipe 🍓🍑 — a tender shortbread-like crust with jam or fresh fruit and a soft topping.
Hungarian Fruit Squares
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 1–1½ cups fruit jam (apricot, raspberry, or mixed berry) or fresh fruits (sliced peaches, berries, plums)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (if using fresh juicy fruits)
- 1–2 tbsp sugar (for fresh fruit)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- Make the dough
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Mix in egg and vanilla to form a dough.
- Reserve about 1/3 of dough for the topping.
- Press dough into pan
- Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven.
- Add fruit filling
- Spread jam evenly over the warm crust, or if using fresh fruit, toss with cornstarch and sugar and spread.
- Add topping
- Crumble the reserved dough over the fruit filling.
- Bake
- Bake another 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Cool & serve
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Nutty twist: Add chopped walnuts or almonds to the crumble topping
- Extra flavor: Mix 1 tsp cinnamon or lemon zest into the dough
- Berry version: Use a mix of raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries
- Jam option: Apricot or plum jam is traditional in Hungary
If you want, I can also give a quick fridge-set version that’s easier for busy days, or a layered Hungarian fruit slice with a cream cheese layer that’s super fancy.
Do you want the easy fridge-set version?
Here’s a classic Hungarian Fruit Squares (Gyümölcsös Szelet) recipe 🍓🍑 — a tender shortbread-like crust with jam or fresh fruit and a soft topping.
Hungarian Fruit Squares
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 1–1½ cups fruit jam (apricot, raspberry, or mixed berry) or fresh fruits (sliced peaches, berries, plums)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (if using fresh juicy fruits)
- 1–2 tbsp sugar (for fresh fruit)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- Make the dough
- In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Mix in egg and vanilla to form a dough.
- Reserve about 1/3 of dough for the topping.
- Press dough into pan
- Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 10–12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven.
- Add fruit filling
- Spread jam evenly over the warm crust, or if using fresh fruit, toss with cornstarch and sugar and spread.
- Add topping
- Crumble the reserved dough over the fruit filling.
- Bake
- Bake another 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Cool & serve
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Nutty twist: Add chopped walnuts or almonds to the crumble topping
- Extra flavor: Mix 1 tsp cinnamon or lemon zest into the dough
- Berry version: Use a mix of raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries
- Jam option: Apricot or plum jam is traditional in Hungary
If you want, I can also give a quick fridge-set version that’s easier for busy days, or a layered Hungarian fruit slice with a cream cheese layer that’s super fancy.
Do you want the easy fridge-set version?
