These coconut cream bars are made with a soft, buttery cookie bar base topped with a light coconut cream frosting, all topped off with toasted coconut. Simple and delicious, these coconut-infused dessert bars make a perfect springtime treat!
Despite the fact that we had a very mild winter complete with a more-than-fair share of 70-degree days and scarcely any snow, I spent most of the winter months impatiently awaiting springtime.
Longer days, blue skies and bright sunshine are finally here, there are daffodils beginning to bloom in my front yard and we’ve already had a full weekend with every window in the house open, so I think it’s safe to say that winter is behind us.
With the change of the seasons comes a shift in my baking preferences, as well. The enchantment of browned butters, caramel and even chocolate begins to fade ever so slightly as I start to crave lighter desserts, and the transition into springtime is every bit to blame for these coconut cream bars that I have for you today.
I was worried that these coconut cream bars were going to be too sweet at first, so I was relieved when I took my first bite and they weren’t at all. Definitely sweet, but not…. cloyingly so, which is exactly what I’d aimed for.
To help offset the sweetness, both the cookie bars and the frosting are slightly tempered by a small portion of cream cheese. It has an extremely subtle, nearly imperceptible tang, but keeps the taste from being too much.
The cream cheese also has a great effect on the cookie bars — making them delectably soft, melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
While you don’t have to toast some of the coconut for this recipe, I strongly recommend it.
After baking your cookie bar base, leave your oven on and spread about one cup of shredded coconut evenly over a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. It just takes a few minutes to toast the coconut, so watch it carefully and make sure you use a spatula to turn the flakes a few times so everything browns evenly and nothing burns.
The toasted coconut adds a slightly crisp texture to an otherwise soft and chewy dessert.
Additionally, you can toss everything off with a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, which I just might have done myself after I finished photographing these bars.
Hey, I said chocolate’s enchantment lessened, not disappeared completely 😉
Enjoy, and I’d love to know: what’s your favorite Springtime dessert?
Coconut Cream Bars
Ingredients
Buttery Soft Cookie Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
- 2 oz cream cheese softened (57g)
- 1 ¾ cup sugar (350g)
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (285g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Coconut Cream Frosting
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut divided (200g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 1 oz cream cheese softened (28g)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500g)
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk (59ml)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Buttery cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare a 13x9 pan by lining with parchment paper (or lightly grease and flour). Set aside.
- Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl and an electric mixer). Beat together on medium-speed until well creamed (about 1 minute).
- Add sugar and gradually increase mixer speed to high, beating until well-combined and fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, stirring well between each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure ingredients are well-combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract and coconut extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring on medium-low speed until completely combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake on 350F (177C) for 25 minutes. Allow cookie bars to cool completely in pan before covering with coconut cream frosting. -- Do not turn off the oven, you will use it to briefly toast your coconut next.
- Coconut Cream Frosting
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle 1 cup of coconut evenly over the cookie sheet. Bake in 350F (177C) oven for 3 minutes, remove, turn with spatula, and return to oven and repeat until coconut is lightly browned (about 10-15 minutes, total). Allow toasted coconut to cool while you prepare the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese.
- Gradually, slowly, add powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add milk and stir, increasing speed to high, and beat until smooth and creamy (about 30 seconds on high)
- Sprinkle in salt and add extracts, stir well.
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie bars. Press 1 ½ cups untoasted coconut over cookie bars, and then sprinkle toasted coconut overtop. Cut and serve. Frosting will set and become more stable as it sits.
- Optional: For an extra decadent treat, drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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Toby
These are VERY sweet but amazingly delicious. We loved them best the next day, cold. Sooooo good, thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed them, Toby! 😊
April
How do you suggest storing these?
Sam
Hi April! They will be good in an air tight container on the counter for 2 days and after that you will want to stick them in the refrigerator. 🙂
Bruce
Another wonderful recipe from Sam. These things are wonderful. I found that I had to bake the cookie base for 35 minutes, though. Since it used sweetened coconut, because I don’t think unsweetened has enough flavor, the cup that I toasted took far less time – 3 minutes before stirring, then just 5 minutes more. I decided to stir the untoasted coconut into the frosting, so it would stay on top better, and I think that was a good idea.
I don’t like artificial flavorings, so I used 1/8 tsp almond extract in the cookies and the frosting. I use almond extract in many things with nuts, too, such as pecan pie. A little of it complements the flavor of coconut and nuts nicely.
Sam
Thank you so much, Bruce! I’m glad you liked them! 🙂
Jen
It was a hit! I changed the frosting a little, I didn’t put as much powered sugar and used a little more cream cheese so it won’t be as sweet.
Amy
Curious what your ratio was. I just made these yesterday and thought the frosting was way too sweet.
Jen
I made these tonight and my husband rated them as the best dessert I have made. I loved them. I accidentally used coconut cream instead of milk in the frosting and they were still so yummy. I also put 3 and 1/4 cups of sugar in the frosting and again still tasted good. I always lower sugar in all frostings I make since I like them less sugary.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Jen! 🙂
Martha
I know this is supposed to be a Spring recipe, but I was in the mood for a coconut dessert and Im happy to say that I was delighted to find these coconut bars recipe, as with all your recipes I have tried, again delicious! I did miss the video, love to follow the videos as well, they give me more confidence that the recipe will turn out right 😉 I have some coconut haters in my household as well, which means more dessert for the coconut lovers😍
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Martha! Coconut Cream Bars can be enjoyed at any time of year. Since you don’t have coconut fans in your house, that just means more for you!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Irene
Can I convert these coconut bars into mini or regular cupcakes, so I can make a lot for a large crowd?They sound really good.
Thank You.
Sam
Hi Irene! I am not sure these would work as a cupcake. The texture is much different.
Karen M.
I tried to make these with cup4cup gluten free flour mix. I wish I had not done that, because they just are not the same. The frosting is delicious!. I will try again with all purpose flour. Just thought I would try.
Sam
Thank you for writing back on how it worked with the gluten free flour, Karen! I am sure this will be helpful to others.
GEETA
I like coconut bars but I don’t eat egg without egg recipe thanks
Sam
I’m sorry but I haven’t made them without egg and so can’t advise on any modifications.
Diane
For the cookie bars, is it 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder OR 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder? Recipe has a space between the 1 & /. Thank you
Sam
It’s just 1/2 tsp, I just fixed the space, thank you for pointing that out! I hope you love the bars 🙂
Ravi
I am so happy and really enjoy this. It was so yummy. Thanks for sharing it recipe here. It’s really easy to make.
Aygul
Just made them. The recipe is good but way too much sugar. Seriously. Instead of 4 cups of powdered sugar I only put just over 1 cup and that was already too sweet. Next time I will put no more than 0,5 cup. And in the buttery cookie bar I put only 1 cup of sugar, and next time will reduce that as well. Otherwise they become uneatable. Overall the bars are great)
Lois
My sister made these when we visited her recently. Delicious!!! They really do melt in your mouth. Definitely will be making these soon.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them so much, Lois!! Thank you very much for commenting to let me know how you liked them, I appreciate it!! 🙂
Joanne
Beautiful bars, and I am a huge fan of coconut!
Sam
Thank you so much, Joanne! You would definitely love these!! 🙂
Sues
Yum!!! I just posted about bars with a coconut layer, too. Coconut is so spring-like and happy to me 🙂 These look beautiful!!
Sam
I will have to check it out, Sues! Great minds think alike 😉 Thanks so much! 🙂