Coconut Bars with Chocolate Shortbread Crust

If you love chocolate and coconut, do not miss these Coconut Bars with Chocolate Shortbread Crust!

I do so love coconut. That love, however, is not proportional to the number of recipes on this blog that feature coconut. Quinn doesn’t like it one bit, so I don’t use it that much.

But, every once in a while, I can resist no longer. Because it doesn’t happen often, I like to make it count. And, these bars definitely count.

One of coconut’s best complements is chocolate. These bars begin with a rich chocolate shortbread crust. I’m a sucker for shortbread in just about any form, and this crust doesn’t disappoint.

That delicious chocolate crust gets topped off with a sweet, gooey coconut topping that gets nice and toasty while it’s baking. The total package is just about perfect in my book. Simple and quick. Chocolate and coconut. Yeah. Pretty perfect.

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Coconut Bars with Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Yield 16 2-inch bars

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Chocolate and coconut are a winning combination in these Coconut Bars with Chocolate Shortbread Crust!

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Ingredients

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

For the topping:

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
• 1 & 1/2 cups (127g) sweetened flaked coconut, divided

Instructions

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and mix with a pastry blender or fork until combined. The dough will be crumbly but should hold together when pinched.
3. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

To make the topping:

1. Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat lightly. Add the sugar and vanilla, and mix well. Mix in the flour until combined. Stir in 1 cup coconut.
2. Pour the topping over the partially baked crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup coconut over the filling.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the topping has set and the coconut is lightly toasted. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Notes

For a nutty variation, mix about 3/4 cup of chopped pecans into the topping along with the coconut.

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.

• 
  USA Pan Bakeware Square Cake Pan, 8 inch
• 
  OXO Good Grips Dough Blender

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