Fresh Raspberry Coconut Bars

These Fresh Raspberry Coconut Bars are ooey, gooey, and delicious!  Just imagine your favorite coconut bar brightened up with juicy fresh raspberries ~ yum!

I picked up a package of fresh raspberries on a whim the other day…they are really hard to resist, aren’t they?  They were pricey, but all I needed was one little half pint for these Raspberry Coconut Bars.  It seemed like a fair deal to me.  For those of you still stuck under piles of snow this week, I think these might be a welcome breath of spring.  Light, tropical coconut and the most delicate of all berries makes for an irresistible combination in these bars.

I used Barefeet in the Kitchen’s Cherry Coconut Bars recipe and just subbed in my fresh raspberries.  The flavor is really incredible — it’s macaroon meets tart raspberry with a brown sugar crust, and a gooey coco-nutty almond filling.  There are two full teaspoons of almond extract in that filling and it gives these bars an assertive almond edge that goes great with the coconut.

These are a departure from my regular crumble squares that I make over and over again with whatever fruit is in season.  Sometimes it’s nice to change things up, and I’m so glad I did.  These were absolute heaven with a cup of coffee in the morning, so I think they are fair game for breakfast. Or dessert. Or afternoon snack.

Looking for more raspberry recipes? Check out my NO BAKE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS recipe, or my FRESH RASPBERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM! Fresh raspberries also make a delicious and simple RASPBERRY VINEGAR to drizzle on salads, vegetables, or fish! Fresh, in-season raspberries are one of the highlights of the year, so take advantage of them when you can!

Reader Rave ~

“I’ve made these a few times now! They never last long. Super easy, always have the stuff on hand. Just go out to my garden, grab somw raspberries and I quickly have something delicious for coffee with a friend, or for us to just gobble up when the kids aren’t watching!”  ~  Vanessa

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3.18 from 17 votes

Raspberry Coconut Bars

These Fresh Raspberry Coconut Bars are ooey, gooey, and delicious!  Just imagine your favorite coconut bar brightened up with juicy fresh raspberries ~ yum!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Yield 12

Ingredients

crust

• 1/2 cup 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract optional

filling

• 6 oz 1 small package fresh raspberries
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

topping

• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

• set oven to 350F
• Mix the melted butter and the brown sugar together, using the back of a spoon to break up any lumps in the sugar. Mix in the flour and extract (if using)
• Spread the crust evenly over the surface of a 9x9 or 10x10 baking pan. Grease the pan or line with parchment paper for easier removal.
• Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.
• Gently rinse and dry the raspberries.
• Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl, and then mix in all the rest of the filling ingredients except the raspberries. Fold in the raspberries, stirring gently until they are evenly incorporated.
• Spread the filling onto the warm crust. Spread it out so that it covers the crust evenly.
• Sprinkle the remaining cup of coconut over the filling, and bake for about 25-27 minutes until the coconut is lightly golden.
• Cool before cutting.

Notes

recipe slightly adapted from Barefeet in the Kitchen

Make it your own ~

• If you can’t find raspberries you might try blueberries or strawberries.

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