These Chewy Coconut Bars are so simple, sweet, perfectly chewy and loaded with natural coconut flavor. I love them so much I could eat one every day!
So I bake a lot. It’s not really a huge secret. And BECAUSE I bake so much I feel like my family has a skewed version of dessert reality.
IMPRESSING my kids and husband with sweet treats has become decidedly more difficult over the years. Not that everything I make is a total winner. Of course not. But the sheer volume of dessert in my house is probably a little larger than the average home. It’s the nature of the beast.
Anyhow, what I mean to say is that when something I make, makes everyone go back for seconds (or thirds) I know I done good. Which bring me to these Chewy Coconut Bars.
They’re total simple in flavors (and prep) but undeniably delicious…crackly on the top, perfect chewy edges and loaded with coconut!
The batter goes together in a pinch.
And I know I will get questions here on this about the amount of sugar in these. There is 2 full cups. Some of you will ask if you can reduce that…the answer is yes and no.
Yes, you can reduce the sugar down, and use, say, 1 1/2 cups…but the sugar also affect the chewy texture of these bars too. So if you want the full chewy effect the answer is no. Get it?
Also note, that the bars tend to rise a little higher on the outside and sink a touch in the middle when they bake. It’s ok…actually it’s preferred. Those edge pieces are golden, and this is coming from an “I hate brownie edges” girl. So believe.
If you can stand it, let them cool all the way before you slice them.
There won’t be a crumb left. There never is in my house!
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Chewy Coconut Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Chewy Coconut Bars are so simple, sweet, perfectly chewy and loaded with natural coconut flavor. I love them so much I could eat one every day!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with foil and coat with nonstick spray.
- In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, continue cooking until it boils, swirling the pan constantly so the butter doesn’t burn. Slowly the butter will begin to brown. Once it has reached an amber color remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula stir in the eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder.
- Next stir in the flour until incorporated and then finally the coconut.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. The edges will be golden and the center will be almost set.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 115.2 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.5 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 18.6 mg
Keywords: coconut dessert, coconut recipe, coconut cookies recipe, coconut flour dessert, dessert bars recipe, dessert bars, easy dessert recipe, easy dessert recipe few ingredients, best dessert recipe
Absolutely love these bars!! I always have to cook double the time to get them done in the middle but the taste is outstanding!
★★★★★
So moist and chewy! I was craving a coconut dessert and this was just perfect. Browning the butter took a few extra minutes, but the yummy result made it worth the effort.
★★★★★
My previous review yesterday gave these a 5*. I’m back today to tell you after these cooled my hubby and I each ate 2 large squares. (Yup I hear ya :-)) ) These are fantastic.
After reading many of the reviews on here I just wanted to touch on” the baking time” of these squares. I’ve been baking for over 55 years. I tell everyone that when you read the baking time on all recipes take it as an estimate. Watch your goodies and judge accordingly, keeping in mind the authors tips. Let’s remember all ovens are different and there are at least 5 different sizes of eggs (here in Nova Scotia). These 2 factors will change the amount of time required to bake everything.
Oven thermometers, every baker should have one. They hang in your oven and are dirt cheap and worth every cent.
Eggs, I personally use XL or Jumbo eggs in everything I bake, yes everything. As a result larger eggs means more moisture and more baking time.
Personally I have never ever bake a pan of squares in 20 minutes ever. These squares took at least 35 minutes to cook in “my oven using EX-Lg eggs”. Here’s how I knew these were done baking: 1-2 minutes after the middle of these squares raised up (making them look like a cake), I took them out of the oven. Once out of the oven the middle sank, as they should have. My squares were perfectly cooked. Gooey but not runny. Moist and delicious.
I will make these again and again, there is no doubt about that.
Shelly we love your squares. It’s lovely to get a new recipe worth keeping and passing down to future generations. Thank you again. 5* all the way.
★★★★★
Darlene, this is very good information. There are a lot of variables when baking. Thanks
★★★★★
Oh my, delicious! I am waiting impatiently for these to cool. Yup cut 4 of them so they would cool quicker. Don’t do that, they really need to cool, haha. Took a nibble off one, they are so tasty. I absolutely love a googy square.
Such a quick and simple recipe to whip up too. They’re sweet but that’s the point. I think next time I’ll make a buttercream frosting for them, just because I love frosting.
Shelly thanks for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
Don’t make. Too sweet. Took forever to bake and then not all the way cooked — gooey. Throwing out
★★
We made these for home ec class. My 6 year old learned about substitutions and omissions and how they can affect flavor. For example, we didn’t have enough butter, so we used coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio. We also mixed the recipe with just 1 cup of sugar, instead of 2 (This decision was based on our taste buds and how little sugar we eat.). We tasted the mixture right before transferring it to the pan and thought it tasted great. The husband asked for seconds. We all had to stop ourselves from eating the whole pan.
★★★★★
My family has made something very similar except we add peanut butter instead of the oil and it has less sugar. It isn’t cooked just made like a cookie bar or brownie in the mixer. I ve never seen anything in a cookbook or on pinterest until this. no clue who made it up but its been in our family for three generations now .
Made this recipe today. Absolutely delicious! I cooked it about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for. It still slightly jiggled when I took it out but I think that’s bc it has to cool and then the sugars set or firm up. A lot of comments were from people who said it wasn’t cooked. I think that’s where the disconnect is. Let it cool on the stove top or cooling rack and expect it to be gooey inside like a brownie and I promise you’ll love it!
★★★★★
I just made this recipe…what a waste of good ingredients, did not like it, greasy and no flavor
★