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!
Make sure to try my Coconut Cookie Recipe too!
Easy and Delicious Chewy Coconut Bars
I bake a lot of dessert recipes…obviously. And coming from a family where everyone has a different favorite dessert recipe it’s hard to please everyone. And of course coconut is one of those ingredients that people seem to love or hate, but luckily in my house everyone happens to like love coconut! So when I made these coconut bars, and not only did everyone love them, they went back for seconds (and thirds) I knew I had a winner of a recipe on my hands!
What To Expect With This Coconut Bars Recipe:
- This recipe is simple in flavors (and prep) and undeniably delicious…crackly on the top, perfect chewy edges and loaded with coconut!
- 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of bake time means dessert in 30 minutes! Of course they will be too warm to cut immediately out of the oven, but a large spoonful topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce is also a pretty delicious option!
- The edges of these bars are chewy, so if you are an edge lover, this recipe is perfect for you. The buttery crisp edges are caramelized and outstanding while the centers stay chewy and sweet.
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- All purpose flour
- Sweetened flaked coconut
How To Make Coconut Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- 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 shredded 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.
Common Questions:
- Is 2 cups of sugar right? Yes, there are 2 full cups of light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Can I reduce that amount of sugar? The answer is yes…and no. The sugar adds to the chewiness of this recipe, and of course the flavor. You can reduce it down to 1 1/2 cups with minimal issues to the integrity of the recipe, but for the best outcome, 2 cups is how it’s written and how these bars are intended!
- My bars sunk in the middle, is that normal? Yes, these 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 golden brown edge pieces are where the chewy magic happens, and this is coming from an “I hate brownie edges” girl.
- Why are my bars are so gooey? Let them cool completely and I promise you they will firm up. The centers will be soft when right out of the oven, and while they still stay soft, they firm up as they cool, so be patient!
Can I Add In Chocolate Chips To These Bars?
Sure! I would receommend adding in 1/2 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips if you are looking for a little chocolate. I wouldn’t recommend milk chocolate or white chocolate as they are both more sweet and these bars are sweet enough!
You can even add in some chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans if you love that nutty texture!
How To Store Coconut Bars:
I store mine airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness. You can also freeze these in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Allow the bars to thaw at room temperature.
Love Coconut? Here Are More Coconut Recipes To Try:
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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 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- 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.
Notes
Store airtight for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Freeze airtight for up to 30 days for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 115.4 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.6 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 18.6 mg
I tried them and they are delicious. I found that I needed to bake them for 30 minutes as my oven must bake at a lower temp. Otherwise perfect!
I made these last night in an 8×8 pan. Added 5 minutes bake time. Delish! Like a perfect chewy brownie but not chocolate. The brown butter and brown sugar make these. I think even those that say they don’t like coconut would love these. I used dark brown sugar so my cue for done was when the batter puffed. Good job! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
Did you use cake flour or all purpose flour?
all purpose 🙂
I make coconut milk every week and I’m always looking for recipes to use of the coconut after the milk is made. I doubled this recipe and added an extra egg. I used whole wheat flour, 4 cups of coconut and NO BUTTER (the no butter was an oversight but it turned out great! Saved a ton of fat and calories.) . Delicious!
Do you have to use tin foil for this recipe
I made these last night. I didn’t get a chance to try them last night. Here’s why. I baked them according to size of pan, temperature of oven and baking time according to the recipe.
I let them cool for a couple of hours because they were to be for dessert after dinner. When I cut them, they were pretty much uncooked. The edges were cooked like shown in the picture and they were golden brown but unfortunately they were not cooked. I tried to salvage them by heating my oven again and returning them to bake. I left them in for another 20 mintues.
Today, after work, I came home and cut them. They were okay even after double baking.
They tasted very good.
I suggest a longer baking time and a bit browner than golden brown so that you don’t end up with the same dilemma that I had
I’ve had mine in the oven for going on 50 minutes now and they’re still raw in the middle.
Have you ever tried this with chocolate chips?
NO, but I’ve had feedback from some readers that they have and they’ve loved it!
Super fast and easy to make. They were delicious. My coworkers devoured them as well.
So I don’to have a 9×9 pan…can I use an 8×8 or double for a 9×13???
You could use an 8×8 and just add a bit of bake time!
Can I make it without eggs please? This looks so tempting but I am pure veg.. No eggs
You can sub in 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg.
Made these and they were a HUGE hit. I even have a coworker who doesn’t like coconut love them and wanted another. I always bake double… one for work and one for home. Doubled the recipe and made a 9×13 and an 8×8. Baking time was longer as I expected it would be but they came out great. Will be making these again.
Love hearing this!!