Buttery Coconut Bars are a sinfully good dessert with a sweet, buttery crust and a coconut topping that will make everyone a coconut lover!
There’s no need to pull out the mixer for this super easy dessert and when you taste the flavor explosion of coconut and this rich, buttery crust, you’ll want to make this Buttery Coconut Bar treat over and over again! To wow the family with this drool worthy dessert, all you’ll need are some basic pantry staples, like butter, flour, sugar and eggs and you will also need a good amount of coconut flakes.
Our favorite bars
I love an easy-to-make dessert that really blows your socks off, otherwise known as little effort, big reward. The kids are great at mixing the butter, sugar, and flour, pressing the crust into the pan, and whisking together the filling. So it’s extra fun to spend this time with them and make something unique together. These bars always disappear too quickly, but that’s ok. It just means more fun times with the kids!
Coconut lovers everywhere also can’t help but love Almond Joy’s, and these Almond Joy Cheesecake Bars and Almond Joy Cookies are the perfect way to indulge those cravings!
Other Recipes to Serve with Buttery Coconut Bars
- Coconut is the perfect year-round ingredient, so when it’s warm outside, bend up the perfect Pina Colada to chill out with.
- Some drinks are better when the weather is frosty, like a Coconut Rum Hot Cocoa– a delicious way to warm up!
Ingredients
To make the crust
Pantry items: To make the crust, you will need all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and salt.
Refrigerated items: You will also need butter; salted or unsalted will work for this recipe. if you are worried about the crust being too salty and only have salted butter on hand, you can skip adding the salt.
To make the filling
Pantry items: For this recipe, you will need more all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
Refrigerated items: Set out a few eggs to warm up to room temperature and butter to melt.
Coconut: You will need a good amount of sweetened coconut flakes for this filling, so make sure you pick up enough.
Spices: Vanilla extract and a little more salt is needed for the filling.
How to Make Coconut Bars
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or foil. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and the brown sugar. Add the flour and salt and stir until mixed. Press the dough evenly to the bottom of the pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.
STEP TWO: Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the filling items except the coconut. Stir in 3 cups of the coconut and then spread the filling evenly over the crust.
STEP THREE: Top the filling with 1 cup of coconut flakes and bake for 25-30 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Remove the coconut bars from the oven and let them cool. They can now be sliced into squares and served.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to firmly press the dough for the crust into the pan evenly. Packing the dough well will give you a sturdy crust that won’t just crumble and fall apart, plus it’s a great shortbread texture.
- Mix in chocolate chips, almonds, or both for a candy bar-inspired treat!
- Store these coconut bars on the counter for 4 days or in the fridge for 1 week. As always, storing goods in an airtight container is best.
What flavors go well with coconut?
Coconut is one of those wonderful things that is great in both sweet and savory dishes! For sweets, coconut is delicious when paired with chocolate and almonds, as mentioned above, as well as caramel and vanilla. Combining coconut with other tropical fruits, such as pineapple, mango, papaya, lime, guava, and more is always a great idea! Coconut is also used in savory Thai and Indian dishes like curry. Coconut is a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in so many ways.
How do you use coconut flakes?
Coconut flakes are tasty to snack on, as you may have seen it included in trail mix or sprinkled over granola or yogurt, and is a popular ingredient to add to many sweet treats. When making your own trail mix or granola mix for breakfast or snacks, try toasting coconut flakes for more flavor, or the coconut can be added as is. Coconut flakes can be added to bread, cakes, and brownies and not just in the batter but sprinkled on top as well when decorating! Coconut is an excellent addition to so many recipes because of its light texture and taste.
Indulge in more sweet ways to enjoy coconut
- Easy Coconut Cream Pie
- Toasted Coconut Poke Cake
- Coconut Rum Cupcakes
- Coconut Pecan Granola
- Banana Coconut Bundt Cake
*This post was originally posted on 05/27/2017.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut divided
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
- Add the melted butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together. Then add in flour and salt, and mix until a dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Filling
- To a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sweetened condensed milk, flour, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk everything together. Stir in 3 cups of the shredded coconut.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust and spread it out evenly. Then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded coconut over the filling.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set and the coconut on top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
- Slice into 20 bars using a 4×5 grid pattern and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Sam says
I made this for my family and they loved it. The mix of the taste of butter with the sweetness is addicting. I will make again in the future. Thanks!
Heather says
Just made these! Very simple and good. I only had a dark pan so dropped th heat 25 degrees and had to guess on the baking time. Not sure if they got done all the way thru or not (still kinda soft/mushy), is that how they are supposed to be?
Marjorie Fuller says
Made these for my grandmother whose favorite dessert is “anything coconut”. She loved them! I’m not a huge coconut fan and neither are my parents but there were compliments all around and they even won me over. True to your word they were 1 bowl and super simple.
Aubrey Cota says
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed these!! Take a look around I’m sure you’ll find other recipes you’ll love. Thank you Marjorie.
Lisa Wright says
Yum!!! I needed bars for a funeral and the picture looked so good, so I went for it and made these. They are delicious and we’re so easy to prepare. I did it in one bowl, make the crust, while crust was baking made topping in same bowl, easier cleanup. I will be printing out recipe and adding to my binder. Thanks!
Anthony @ W88 says
Hi Amanda,
That looks so sweet and delicous, Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! I can’t wait to try