Coconut Butter Bars are a delightful treat for anyone who loves coconut. A buttery shortbread crust is topped with a sweet, creamy coconut filling studded with chocolate chips for a tropical, crowd-pleasing dessert.
Cookie bars are a staple at our home because they’re easy to make and easy to share. These coconut butter bars combine a tender shortbread base with a rich coconut and chocolate-chip topping, giving every bite a wonderful balance of buttery and sweet flavors.
Table of contents
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🛒Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Make Coconut Butter Bars
- 🥄 Equipment
- 🥫 Storage
- What to Serve with Coconut Butter Bars
- 💭 Tips
- ⁉️ FAQ
- 🍽 More Recipes
- 🧾Recipe Card
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples you can find at any grocery store.
- Quick and easy: Both the crust and the coconut filling are straightforward to prepare.
- Rich flavor: The combination of a buttery shortbread base and a creamy coconut topping with chocolate chips delivers decadent, well-balanced flavor.
🛒Ingredients
This ingredient list is a quick reference. Exact amounts and details are available in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – divided
- Packed brown sugar – divided
- Butter – divided
- Large eggs
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sweetened shredded coconut – divided
🔪 How to Make Coconut Butter Bars
Below is an overview of the steps. Follow the full recipe card for exact measurements and times.
- Whisk the flour and part of the brown sugar together in a medium bowl to form the crust dry mix.
- Melt the butter and combine it with the dry ingredients until evenly moistened.
- Press the crust mixture into a parchment-lined 13×9-inch baking dish and bake until lightly golden.
- Prepare the filling by whisking the remaining flour and brown sugar with eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and most of the shredded coconut, then spread the mixture over the baked crust.
- Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top and bake until the filling is set and the top is golden. Cool, slice, and serve.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- 13×9-inch baking dish
- Parchment paper
🥫 Storage
Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap individual bars and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen bars overnight in the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
What to Serve with Coconut Butter Bars
These bars pair beautifully with a glass of cold milk, a cup of hot coffee, or tea. They also work well as a sweet finish after hearty dinners.
💭 Tips
- When lining the pan with parchment, leave an overhang on the short sides to use as handles for lifting the baked bars out easily.
- Allow the crust to cool for about 10 minutes after its initial bake so it holds its shape when you add the filling.
- Cool the bars completely before cutting to ensure clean slices and to keep them from falling apart.
⁉️ FAQ
Here are answers to common questions about cookie bars and baking techniques for best results.
Yes—cookie bars use cookie-style dough but are baked in a single pan and cut into squares, which makes them quicker to prepare and easier to share.
Dry bars usually come from using too much flour. Measure flour properly—spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it for the most accurate results.
Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag or container, which can compact the flour and add extra volume.
🍽 More Recipes
If you love coconut, you might also enjoy other coconut-forward desserts and treats.
- Coconut White Chocolate Cake
- Coconut Dream Cookies Cheesecake
- Pineapple Coconut Poke Cake
🧾Recipe Card
Refer to the recipe card below for detailed measurements, step-by-step instructions, and nutrition information so you can make these bars with confidence.
Coconut Butter Bars
Equipment
-
13×9 baking dish
-
Medium mixing bowl
-
Small bowl
-
Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour divided
- 1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar divided
- 1 ¼ cup butter divided
- 3 large eggs
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut divided
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
-
Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper so the paper extends up the sides.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of packed brown sugar.
-
Melt 1 cup (or the portion called for) of butter and stir it into the flour mixture until combined.
-
Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
-
Bake at 350°F for 12–15 minutes until lightly browned, then remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
-
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
-
Melt the remaining butter and stir it into the filling mixture until smooth.
-
Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 3 cups of shredded coconut.
-
Pour the filling over the baked crust and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of coconut on top.
-
Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling is set.
-
Cool the bars in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cooling rack.
-
Cool completely to room temperature before cutting into bars and serving.
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate and can vary depending on ingredient brands and portion sizes.