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!
PrintChewy Coconut Bars
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 20 bars 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: American
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PinDescription:
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.
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
Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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These were fantastic ! But I had to leave them in for another 20 min as the centre was not quite done ..
★★★★★
So many ads I can’t see the recipe.
I’ve made these twice now- the first time I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder and they still turned out great. In fact, they were so good that I didn’t realize my mistake until I made them the second time with the correct ingredients! They are absolutely delicious. Made them as a treat for my dad and he loved them too. Definitely will make again.
★★★★★
Forgot to mention in my first comment- I halved the recipe both times I made it. I had no problems with the amount of sugar/sweetness so maybe it’s up to personal preference.
Love that they worked both ways!!
Would you be able to substitute the brown sugar out for white sugar?
That will work, the flavor will just be slightly not as deep 🙂
These are delicious!! Should I store them in the fridge?
You can, but don’t have to!
These are good but it should be noted that they take a while to set. Like other reviewers I used an 8×8 pan and baked for 30 minutes. It took hours before they could be handled. Also they’re plenty sweet. If I make again I’ll probably cut back the sugar for personal preference.
★★★★
Very sweet and much too gooey! Wish I had read the tweaks from the reviewers. I decided to convert the gooey mixture into oatmeal cookies.. I mixed in rolled oats with great difficulty .. too sticky… so I add 1/4 cup flour and then 1/2 cup rolled oats.. then baked 1 tbsp of cookie batter for each cookie… it was perfect..crispy and golden .. not too sweet. I baked on parchment paper at 370 F Tasted like lace cookies. I didn’t have the energy to do so many batches of cookies… so I froze some of the cookie mixture. I… Read more »
I made these for my daughter’s yearly cookie exchange. I wanted to make something simple as I am not a baker. After reading some of the comments, I cut the sugar down to 1 1/2 cups, used 1 tsp. Vanilla instead of 2. Also used unsweetened coconut flakes instead of the sweetened.. I had a small 8×12 oblong pan and baked it for 30 mins. After letting it cool, I made the cut and tried one. They were delicious! They were sweet enough with all the above changes. Thank you for such an easy and yummy recipe. Will definitely make… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I made these in a 375 oven, in a 9×9 glass pan, for 30 minutes, and they came out great. They are very, very sweet, even though I used unsweetened coconut. I imagine decreasing the sugar too much would change the texture, but I’d encourage people to try 1 3/4 cup sugar to start with. I also used only 1 tsp vanilla, since 2 seems like a lot. (My vanilla is has a very robust flavor.) Alternatively, look for a blondies recipe with less sugar, and trade some of the flour for coconut.
★★★★
I made these today! Great flavor but even after baking an extra 10 minutes! They stay gooey. We ate them anyway but couldn’t cut them into bars. Any thoughts as to why? I followed the recipe exactly.
★★★★
Made these bars several times and they are a favorite in our house
★★★★★
So glad you liked them!!
I wonder if adding oatmeal or substituting for some of the flour would completely change the consistency? Looking for some tasty oatmeal coconut bars.
can I substitute the butter with coconut oil?
Yes, you can… a 1:1 ratio
These are really easy and taste delicious – chewy and flavourful – a great alternative to brownies. I made the recipe “as is” (and cooked it for 20 minutes) except that I used unsweetened coconut, and the bars were plenty sweet enough. I had two kinds of unsweetened coconut on hand – shredded and large flakes (Bob’s Red Mill) – and the combination gave a great texture. They are already gone 🙂
★★★★★
The recipe is awesome but can i replace eggs with flax seed