Cherry Coconut Bars are the ultimate nostalgic cookie bar. A buttery shortbread crust is topped with a chewy coconut and cherry filling, baked to perfection.
Love coconut? Try my Chewy Coconut Bars too!
Why You’ll Love Cherry Coconut Bars
- Unexpectedly delicious! I know that’s a crazy take, because I wouldn’t be sharing a recipe here with you that I didn’t love. BUT I am not a huge cherry dessert person, so while I knew these bars would have their audience I just didn’t expect to fall as in love with them as I did! So even if you’re not a cherry person I urge you to give these a try!
- Chewy and irresistible! The coconut, the crackly sugar tops, and the cherries, combined with a buttery shortbread crust makes these bars chewy and perfectly sweet.
- Easy to Make! No mixer required for this easy cookie bar recipe and everything comes together quickly.
Ingredients You Will Need:
Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient list and instructions.
Shortbread Crust: The crust comes together very easily. Just use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix the ingredients together and press it into the pan, bake and cool while you make the filling.
- All purpose flour
- Powdered sugar. Using powdered sugar in the crust allows the sugar to mix and melt in quickly.
- Salted butter
For the Filling: The filling is simple, no mixer required! Simply just mix all the ingredients together and pour it over top of the crust and bake again!
- Granulated sugar. The sugar in this recipe adds sweetness but also gives the bars the crackly top and chewy texture.
- Eggs. I use large sized eggs in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients: All purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Add-ins: Chopped walnuts, chopped maraschino cherries (drained and patted dry), and sweetened flaked coconut.
But What If You Don’t Like Coconut?
Well…I think you might be out of luck here. The coconut is an essential part of the filling and the flavor profile, so I might recommend trying another recipe!
Can You Use Another Type Of Fruit?
You could try other fruits in this recipe if you want to get creative. I would recommend blueberries or raspberries. You want to choose a fruit that has a lower moisture content to not make the bars soggy.
Are the Nuts Essential?
Kind of. But you can leave them out. Or yes, you can replace them with another nut, like a pecan!
How To Store Cherry Coconut Bars
Store these airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days! You can also freeze these bars for up to 2 months, airtight either cut or uncut. Allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Here Are More Cherry Recipes You Might Like
Print
Cherry Coconut Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Cookie Bars
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
These Cherry Coconut Bars have a buttery shortbread topped with a sweet and chewy coconut cherry filling. Perfect for a BBQ, 4th of July party, or with a cup of coffee!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cubed
Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
- Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9X9-inch pan with parchment paper and coat lightly with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour and sugar. Add in the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter blend it together until it’s combined and crumbly. Then use your hands to press and squeeze the mixture until it holds together.
- Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 12-13 minutes until lightly golden.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- Filling: In a medium bowl mix together the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt using a rubber spatula until evenly combined and smooth. Add in flour and stir until just combined. Stir in walnuts, cherries, and coconut until evenly mixed.
- Spread the filling on top of the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Find more recipes like this:
PIN for later:
Ive made them every year since a kid. Im 63 now. They are a favorite
Can these cookies be iced?
I don’t see why not!
Can I use cherry pie filling
You can use the cherries from the filling, but you will need to rinse and pat the cherries dry.
Can I substitute glacé cherries? Would I need to increase the liquid?
You can, yes! And no…don’t increase the liquid, as the cherries are drained well for the recipe as written 🙂
your link isn’t taking me to Imperial Sugar. It just says Page Not Found 🙁
Sorry about that! All fixed!