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
Quick, easy and fabulous. My guests LOVED them. I used shredded unsweetened coconut and they were plenty sweet
So does everything get mixed in the saucepan after the butter is an amber color?
This turned out so good! Very buttery, coconutty and perfect texture. I used 1.5 cups sugar and unsweetened coconut. It was the perfect amount of sweetness. After reading other comments, I did adjust baking by covering it halfway and letting it sit in the oven for 5 extra mins after I turned it off at 20mins. Inside was moist and chewy after it cooled down. Would definitely make this again.
If I were to try this recipe as a dropped cookie would it need more flour to keep from spreading out of shape?
I haven’t ever tried this, but I definitely would increase the flour by at least 1/2 cup. I also have a pretty great Coconut Cookies recipe her eon my site too you should absolutely try! https://cookiesandcups.com/coconut-cookies/
Do you use an electric mixer to mix everything, or do you do it by hand -maxinemoates@gmail.com Thanks for a reply.
i generally use a stand mixer.
I had a bunch of fresh leftover (unsweetened) coconut flakes and decided to give this recipe a try. I cooked it as written except I used a silicone baking and did not line with foil, and I added 1/4 cup rum to the brown butter/sugar mixture (step 2). I anticipated a longer cook time due to the additional liquid, so I baked this at 40 minutes. At that time the sides were a nice golden brown color and it also began to brown in the middle on top, but it had a slight jiggle. So at the 40 minute mark I covered it with foil and turned the oven OFF hoping the inside might bake a little more (I read the comments about it being runny). I let it stay in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The result? I actually had a bit of a crunch on the edges but the middle was chewy in the best way, not runny at all, sweet, coconutty, with a hint of spice from the rum! A winner recipe. I would like to try this again and decrease the sugar because it feels like a lot; sweetened coconut flakes are not necessary.
I had to bake this recipe another 5-8 minutes because it wasn’t done
using your time. It still wasn’t done although there was more of a crust but the rest was still sticky and gooey. I won’t ever make this again.
Baked for 20 minutes inside was raw.
Almost doubled the back time and the inside was still very mushy but the top was starting to get too hard.
Might but it in a 9×13 so it isn’t as thick
Oh my goodness! I was just looking for a recipe using coconut and I found this one! These bars are decadently chewy, sweet and satisfying and very easy to make, too!
My go to favorite recipe for a dessert! Have made it many times. The only thing I do different is cook it for 35-40 minutes instead of 20. Perfect every time!
Great chewy, delicious recipe but I definitely have to bake 35-40 and it’s then perfect. To me it’s similar to baking brownies.