Soft and chewy vanilla coconut bars are a coconut-lover’s dream come true! These simple bars have a buttery brown sugar shortbread base topped with a thick vanilla-scented coconut filling.
I’m always happy when I get to share a recipe that is a joy to make AND to eat! These coconut bars were so easy to whip up, and such fun to sink my teeth into. If it’s been a while since you’ve enjoyed a classic coconut bar take this as a reminder and fire up your oven.
what makes these coconut bars so good?
Everyone who has ever baked before knows that good ingredients are only half the story. You need a well-formulated recipe to end up with something truly special, and this one is it!
- The shortbread base ~ the buttery brown-sugar shortbread cookie base is easy to make (just mix and press-in) and gives these coconut bars a solid foundation. More importantly ~ it’s delicious enough to be a fabulous cookie on its own!
- I love making all kinds of bar desserts with a simple shortbread base, you just really can’t go wrong.
- The coconut filling ~ the filling for these bars is interesting – it’s got eggs and a tiny bit of flour, lots of sweetened shredded coconut, and a little bit of baking powder. The result is nice and chewy, and perfectly sliceable.
- The vanilla ~ we all tend to take vanilla for granted, don’t we? We dutifully add a teaspoonful into every baked good and don’t give it another thought. But vanilla is a uniquely complex flavor that I love to showcase, so I use both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste in these bars. Vanilla lovers take note!
tips for baking success
This is a simple baking project with big flavor payoff, suitable for beginner bakers all the way through experienced chefs.
- Make sure to line your baking pan for easy removal. I used a stoneware baking pan for these coconut bars but a metal baking pan will work just as well. I don’t always love glass baking dishes because they conduct heat a little bit differently.
- Let your butter cool down completely before mixing in the other shortbread ingredients. If the dough is too warm the butter will leak out during baking and you’ll have a lot of excess grease on the bottom of your pan.
- Don’t be tempted to cut these bars while they are still warm if you want to have nice, even slices. Let them cool completely and use a sharp knife to cut them. (Wipe down your knife between cuts.)
make coconut bars the base for your next creative masterpiece
- Play around with the flavoring – swap some of the vanilla extract with almond extract or coconut extract for another layer of flavor.
- Add chocolate! Coconut and chocolate are best friends. Fold chocolate chips into the filling for a chocolatey version, or make a chocolate shortbread base for some nice contrast.
- Top with speckled chocolate eggs for an Easter spin.
more coconut recipes to love
- Triple Coconut Pound Cake
- Coconut Snowball Cookies
- Pineapple Coconut Bars
- Ina Garten’s Coconut Cupcakes
Chewy Coconut Bars
Soft and chewy coconut bars you'll want to sink your teeth into!
Servings: 16
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
for the shortbread base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
for the coconut filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper with long ends. This is optional but will allow you to remove the bars for easier slicing.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop and allow to cool before proceeding.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the butter. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the flour and mix until just combined, don't over mix. You will have a lumpy mixture.
- Scatter the shortbread dough into your prepared baking pan, and using your hands or the back of a spoon, pat it into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the filling. Add the eggs, vanilla bean paste, sugar, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the baking powder and whisk well.
- Fold in the flour and 2 loosely packed cups of the shredded coconut. Again, don't over-mix, fold until the ingredients are just combined. You should have around 1/2 cup of coconut leftover for sprinkling on top.
- Spread the filling into an even layer on top of the par-baked shortbread. Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining shredded coconut.
- Return the bars to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the filling is set and just starting to turn golden brown on the edges.
- Allow the bars to completely cool before removing and slicing.
- Coconut bars will keep for several days at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 191 kcal · Carbohydrates: 22 g · Protein: 2 g · Fat: 11 g · Saturated Fat: 8 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 0.2 g · Cholesterol: 36 mg · Sodium: 116 mg · Potassium: 96 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 14 g · Vitamin A: 207 IU · Vitamin C: 0.1 mg · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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So I made this last night and I used salted butter instead of unsalted because that’s all I had, and then I soaked my unsweetened coconut shreds in almond milk so it wouldn’t dry out my chews and then added melted chocolate chips to the top and it came out amazing, thank you for this recipe!!!
Great tip about soaking your unsweetened coconut, I think that will help folks out a lot. Although for best results I still recommend sweetened shredded coconut.
I cannot recommend this recipe. Method is unusual and proportions are off. Square was hard and dry.
I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you Jane ~ did you use sweetened coconut? If not, regular shredded coconut tends to have a drying effect on baked goods.
Why do the ingredients list say 7 oz sweetened shredded coconut divided and in number 9 of instructions say add 2 cups of coconut with flour.
This recipe was too dry. The taste was really good but you really have to chew each bite for a long time. It was benefit from either putting less flour or cooking a shorter time. It’s more like a protein bar than a dessert. The edges came out almost too hard to eat. I’m giving 3 stars only because the taste is good and it’s not too sweet.
It sounds like maybe your bars baked a bit too long, that will dry out baked goods and make them chewy rather than tender at the edges. Also make sure you use the soft moist sweetened shredded coconut, unsweetened or dry coconut is very absorbent and will dry the bars out.
I kinda went left field as I do most times I bake lol I didn’t have brown sugar so I used white but melted down butterscotch candies to infuse with the short bread for some flavor lacking from the white sugar. And I also added a little milk to the coconut filling as u think I used a little to much extra coconut (if there is such a thing) 🤣 but I’m waiting for them to cool now u think I’ll be waiting a while😂
The dessert itself is fine I don’t think I would call them chewy they’re more like a cookie kind of dry not chewy at all but they do taste good
When I hear dry I think of a few things: could have over baked, of course. But be sure you used brown sugar and sweetened shredded coconut, both of which add moisture. Regular shredded coconut is very absorbent and could lead to a less chewy cookie.
Will this recipe work if I double it for a 9 x 13 pan?
That should work fine Marcy.
I’m highly allergic to eggs. Is there anyway to make this recipe without them?
You might try a good egg substitute like Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer.
These look amazing! I do want to sink my teeth into one or more! Thank-you for this recipe! I love your recipe blog!!!
I will make and post another comment. 🙂
Too, too many ads, including pop ups , interfering with the ability to read the recipe. Recipe looks good but need a cleaner version to read on the site.