Bake or Break
New to BAKE or BREAK? Start Here!

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

Coconut and chocolate are a perfect combination in these Black-Bottom Coconut Bars.

I found this recipe when I was searching for something to make for a friend’s birthday treat. Luckily for me, that just happened to be a friend who loves coconut. I don’t get many chances to bake with coconut, so I take every opportunity I get.

These bars feature a wonderfully, gooey, coconut-y mixture on top of a thin brownie. You know I’m not going to stray too far from chocolate. That little bit of chocolate is just the right amount for the topping. These are gooey, sticky little bars, but they’re worth the mess.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars feature a wonderfully, gooey, coconut-y mixture on top of a thin brownie. - Bake or Break

The only thing I might change about these would be to add some pecans to the top. I think sprinkling some coarsely chopped pecans on top for the last 10 minutes or so of baking could be interesting. These would become very much like bite-sized German chocolate cakes.

If you can exercise some patience, I recommend waiting a day to eat these. I tried one right after they cooled and was only moderately impressed. But, I decided to give them another try the next day and was pleasantly surprised to find that they were much, much better. For all you coconut fans, waiting a day to eat them would certainly be a test of your will-power. And it will be worth every minute.

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

Yield 16-24 bars
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

These Black-Bottom Coconut Bars feature a gooey, coconut-y topping baked on top of a thin brownie crust.

Coconut and chocolate are a perfect combination in these Black-Bottom Coconut Bars.

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour

For the topping:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 7 ounces (198g - about 2 & 1/3 cups) sweetened, shredded coconut

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides. Butter the lining.
  2. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in microwave. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Next, whisk in the egg, followed by the cocoa powder and flour. Mix until smooth.
  3. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes. The sides should be beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Set aside to cool.

To make the topping:

  1. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
  2. Set aside 1/2 cup of the coconut. Mix in the flour and the remaining coconut.
  3. Drop mounds of the topping onto the chocolate crust. Spread and press into the crust. (Moisten your fingers with a bit of water to make this easier.) Sprinkle the top with the reserved 1/2 cup coconut.
  4. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
  5. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then, remove from the pan using the overhanging lining. Peel off the lining and cut into bars.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

Recommended Products

Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Show off your baking masterpiece!

Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!

Share this:

    68 Comments on “Black-Bottom Coconut Bars”

  1. Dang, girl! These look divine. Seems like a perfect flavor combination. And I’m loving the lead photo!

  2. these look good! i made something like this a couple years ago, but the proportion between brownie and coconut was 50-50. i don’t think you can go wrong either way when it comes to coconut and chocolate.

  3. Haha. I’ve had this recipe printed out in my file for like almost a year now… I just haven’t gotten the nerve to try them yet. I LOVE coconut, but from the pic on Marthas website they didn’t look so gooey and yummy as your pics look.

    This recipe is officially moving from the “will maybe make one day” stack. To the “must.make.now.” Yum!

  4. I made these a month or so ago and LOVED them! They taste amazing… and now I want to make them again!

  5. I love anything coconut. These looks very delicious. Perfect with a cup of hot tea…mmmm

  6. Being a mega coconut fan, I probably couldn’t wait too long for one of these beauties.

    All things coconut….mmmm. And you had me at “black-bottomed!”

  7. I just came to your site yesterday while I was looking for a cherry and chocolate chip cookie. Your’s are great. I was looking around your site today and you have some super looking recipes. I happen to be a chocolate, coconut, well almost any nut, lover. And all the brownies, I can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks for sharing.

  8. these would be far superior to german chocolate cake. why, you ask? more coconut shtuff, less cake! lovely work. 🙂

  9. Mmmmm…..These look divine. I love chocolate and coconut together. It’s just the best combination. I can’t wait to make this.

  10. That is gorgeous. As it happens, I love the chocolate coconut combo but even if I didn’t , that would still make me look twice! I might add chopped dried cherries to the coconut too – you know what they say, “Too much of a good thing can be be wonderful” 😀 Beatiful photos!

  11. Remember Hello Dollies? They have a graham cracker crust but this elevates that. And of course, they cut out the fuss of measuring sugar and flour and just go straight to the Eagle Brand. And yes, some chopped pecans and a few Belgian chocolate chips in the last minutes could certainly be a FABULOUS thing.

  12. These look so great! I love coconut and have had it on the brain for the past week!

  13. Those look so yummy. I love coconut and I love chocolate but I like that the chocolate layer on these is really thin so it enhances the coconut but doesn’t overwhelm it.

  14. I also always grab a coconut baking opportunity, as my family are not great coconut fans (I know – weird!) and only rarely feel like eating it. These sticky little bars look delicious – it would be a severe willpower test to wait until the next day to try one!

  15. WOW! thats all i can say! i wish i had a pan sitting next to me right now!!! yummo! thanks for the recipe!

  16. They look delicious! Good to see you updating more often! 🙂

  17. Can I like the screen? Can’t wait to try these. Thanks for posting!

  18. Coconut and brownie?! I’ve never thought to put those together. YUM.

  19. I always like coconut flavored things–it reminds me of some of my tropical vacations–pairing it with chocolate is even better! 🙂

  20. Normally I don’t like coconut flavored things, but this looks supremely good!

  21. Oooh wow these look so good, making me hungry hehe!

  22. These are beautiful, and look so tasty!

  23. Just ran into your website! You give me a new idea of cupcake flavor, I have blackbottom cupcakes! http://www.flickr.com/photos/polkadotsaustin/2921644263/ Thank you!

  24. oh man – i love all things coconut and these have my name written all over them. they look amazing!

  25. These look so good! Chocolate + coconut = delish.

  26. That looks divine! I love coconut but somehow the people around me don’t fancy it too much so I’m totally with you on the bake with coconut any chance you get thing. 🙂

  27. It’s like a coconut macaroon bar! Love it.

  28. I made these tonight and showcased them on my blog- YUMMY! great recipe, thanks for sharing!

  29. I love anything with coconut! These bars look great!!

  30. First time on your site. Fantastic photos! Recipes look pretty awesome too! As a matter of fact, I think I went up a pant size just browsing. I made this recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine. They were a big success. You just can’t go wrong with chocolate and coconut. Maybe some almonds and you’ve got an Almond Joy! Trick or Treat for grown ups!

  31. I made these in December and would make them again:

    1. Exactly as the recipe is written.

    2. Halving the coconut layer and doubling the brownie layer.

    3. Only using the coconut layer and baking them as the best macaroons ever.

    They were a hit at the party that I made them for.

  32. Iam new to this blog and was inspired with the recipes posted here.Will taste this soon and keep following it.Great share..

  33. Love coconut and chocolate. I will have try this for sure.

  34. this looks delicious! thank you for the useful information!

  35. these coconut bars look yummy!!

  36. These look so good. I’m not much of a coconut fan but these look like something I’m going to have to make. The next time I have enough coconut lovers gathered I’ll be sure to make them!

  37. I’ve been obsessed with coconut lately for some reason–these remind me why!! They look fantastic 🙂

  38. Pingback: I went coco-nuts! « Having My Cake And Sharing It 2

  39. This is a dangerous recipe for me. I love coconut and I love brownies. Mmmm. It’s been added to the must try list.

  40. are u really an amateur? 😛 they look awesome

  41. You have a beautiful blog. I am a newbie to the food blog world and just found your blog. I will let you know when i try some of your recipes.

  42. Okay, I could so make these tonight…well, if I had the ingredients. Gosh they look good!

  43. Totally looks delicious. I’ve got a thing for coconut desserts 🙂 Thanks a lot for the instructions.

  44. <333 Two of my favorite things in one. Coconut and brownies!!! I really wanna try this one out one of these days. btwww im so glad to see you posting again 🙂

  45. Mmmm, chocolate and coconut and excelent together. I’m sure my family would love these!

  46. Wow that second picture is torture! How hard would it be to stick some toasted marsh mellows on the bottom. Love the toasted coconut on the top.

  47. These look so fluffy! can’t wait to make them

  48. My bf LOVE peanut butter, this will make an excellent treat for him. Thanks!! love your blog

  49. These look really gooey and delcious–I’m a sucker for coconut and chocolate!

  50. Your coconut bars look really yummy. Thanks for sharing. I’ll try this out too. I love the picture.

  51. love this coconut to cake ratio here….so sold on this one

  52. Thanks for the great recipe. I also love coconut and will try it at once!

  53. Coconut is great in so many different ways! Very pretty bars!

  54. Wow, those are beautiful. Toasted coconut is my obsession now, so I’m definitely trying this!

    Kira

  55. wow these look amazing, I cant wait to try them…I love anything coconut:)

  56. wow that looks amazing, can’t wait to try it…I love anything coconut:)

  57. Pingback: Delightfully Delicious Links | GlamNest

  58. My mother used to make these. If you like coconut (which I do!) they’re absolutely delicious. Love your photo too 🙂

  59. I tried this recipe myself and it didn’t work out for me. They were really dry. But, I’m inspired to try it again!

  60. Pingback: chocococo « my sweetest day

  61. Wonder why they would be better the next day? Would imagine that they might be denser & hence more chewy once cooled down.. At any rate, they look amazing though and as a coconut lover I am definitely tempted.

  62. Pingback: 2 buckeye flavor love pic

  63. Pingback: Coconut & Chocolate Fudge Bars Recipe

  64. ymmy, let me finish my exam , definitely i will make , i love coconut

  65. These were so yummy!! Perfect blend of chocolate and coconut chewiness!!I only baked the base for 10 minutes and the top for 20. Just right.

  66. I noticed the ingredient sugar is listed twice in the directions:
    “Whisk in sugar and salt. Whisk in egg, then sugar and flour. ”

    I assume cocoa was supposed to replace one of these….could you clarify?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *