By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1 ½ hours, plus 2 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- 4(236)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This easy recipe turns a classic Southern coconut pie recipe into wonderfully chewy bar cookies with a shortbread crust. The chocolate chips are optional, but they add a bittersweet flavor that tones down the sugary coconut, especially if you use chocolate with a high cacao percentage (72 percent to 80 percent). Or, for something crunchier, use chopped pecans instead of chocolate.
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Ingredients
Yield:12 bars
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pan
- 1½ cups/188 grams all-purpose flour
- 2tablespoons/25 grams granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter
- 3large eggs
- 1⅓cups/267 grams granulated sugar
- ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup/118 milliliters unsweetened coconut milk or whole milk
- 2teaspoons apple cider vinegar or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1packed cup/100 grams shredded sweetened coconut
- ⅓cup/54 grams bittersweet chocolate chips, preferably 72 percent to 80 percent cacao (optional)
For the Crust
For the Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
415 calories; 27 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 230 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Prepare the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment, leaving some overhanging.
Step
2
In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Pulse in butter until crumbs form and the dough starts to come together. Press mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake until firm on top and lightly golden at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack. You can bake the crust up to 6 hours ahead, or use it while it’s still hot.
Step
3
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling: Using the same food processor (no need to wash it out first), pulse together eggs, sugar, butter, coconut milk, vinegar or lemon juice, lemon zest (if using), vanilla and salt until well combined. Pulse in the coconut. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
Step
4
When the crust is baked, pour in the filling (crust can still be hot). Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is set when you jiggle it and the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
Step
5
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve.
Ratings
4
out of 5
236
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Cooking Notes
dseckler
Recipe definitely forgot to mention the chocolate. I made this and just sprinkled a layer of chips over the baked bottom crust before topping with the coconut. One addition: I topped the whole thing with nonsweetened shredded coconut, which gives it a beautiful brown crisp top.It’s better after a full night in the fridge. Coconut layer is custardy.
Jen
Did I miss the part on what to do with the chocolate chips? I guess spread the chips on the baked crust before adding the egg-coconut mixture, and then put in the oven.
Ellen of North Castle
Brilliant and reminiscent of my favorite candy = Mounds!
Judy
Yes! I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I thought it had just the right amount of sweetness. With that much sugar, I didn't think sweetened coconut was necessary. These bars are seriously delicious!
Krysten Chambrot, Associate Editor, New York Times Cooking
Thank you so much for mentioning, Jen! We've updated the recipe to reflect that update. (You fold them in as part of Step 3.)
Steve
First: everyone of our friends who tasted these (made with unsweetened coconut) asked for the recipe. Second, re FREEZING: I froze and then thawed a couple. It works, but the texture is slightly altered - still no complaints on flavor.
Lisa G.
Ok wow these were a hit. Used dark chocolate chips, which worked perfectly. Absolute family fav now.
mgrifka
This is a rare miss for me. The bar is just too sweet - it doesn't have enough coconut, and the chocolate chips overwhelm the coconut flavor. If I were to make this again, I would double the coconut, leave out the chocolate, and possibly cut down on the sugar. It's a bummer to use an entire pound of butter for something that just wasn't very tasty.
MJB
Delicious, but so much butter and sugar! I cut these into 25 squares, petit four sized. Refrigerated them to make the bars less sticky and easier to pick up with the fingers. Next time, I'll reduce the sugar slightly or use unsweetened coconut.For those commenters who wondered what to do with the chocolate chips - it's there in Step 3 - fold the into the filling mixture before you add it to the pan.
David Baker
My great grandmother Elizabeth Baker had a similar recipe sans chocolate chips… yes the Bakers of Bakers coconut. Thanks for memory and the chocolate improvement.
SE cook
Used unsweetened coconut—whirred in Cuisinart with some coconut sugar. For batter, used 1/2 coconut sugar half regular, but less than called for. Used 8x8 pan. Both phases needed to be cooked much longer. Strew chocolate chips on baked shortbread before topping with batter. Delicious. Served to Kezar crowd 9/3/2022.
CL
I have an 8x8 pan, not 9x9, and that makes a bigger difference here than in most recipes. Even after ~40 minutes baking and cooling, the filling was more soft than I’d hoped. They were loved at the dinner party, but next time I‘ll tinker with the proportions to get a bar that is thinner, more set, and less sweet.
jennifer
I cut the sugar down to 1 cup. Excellent. no too sweet.
Martha
Is it possible to substitute GF flour?
Sara G
These are excellent, didn’t change a thing except for using an 8” square baking pan (*I did add the zest). Rich and beautifully textured —silky with a little bite of chocolate and the slightly crispy coconut — exactly what I was craving! These would be great to bring to any gathering because they’re so satisfying you can cut them quite small. Great bang for the buck!
tcl
I've made these three times. The first, per the recipe because it's what I do when trying a new recipe. Good, but a bit too sweet for me. The second time I used unsweetened coconut and it was better. Third time's the charm... used unsweetened coconut, added a little bit of coconut extract and ditched the chocolate chips.
koliver
Has anyone tried making this recipe with almond flour to move it to gluten free? Thanks.
wienermom
How long will the bars keep in the refrigerator?
BansD
Used GF flour - Bob s red mill 1:1. Used vegan butter apple cider vinegar. Omitted lemon zest and chocolate. Used coconut milk. Used unsweetened organic coconut. Need to find sweetened. The commercial non organic varieties have additives. Even with the huge amount of sugar they were not too sweet. Despite not using the lemon zest people thought they tasted like lemon bars. Weird. Maybe because the filling looks yellow. They were tasty!
Nelda Pake
I had to add about 6 tablespoons of water to the crust ingredients in the food processor, to get the dough to cohere.
Dew
Has anyone made this with unsweetened coconut? Seems like the sugar is enough without adding another sweetened element but I don't want to make them gross!
Ellen
I made these bars back in June of 22 and had leftover sweetened coconut in my fridge, so I could compare tastes, but not enough for the recipe and I had dry shredded coconut to use for the rest. I used full fat coconut milk for the filling so had a 1/2 can. Online recipes call for confectioner's sugar, water and plus or minus some oil for this substitution. I think this could be added to your substitution list. I added the coconut milk, confectioner's sugar and tasted. Your ideas?
rill
Does "filling is set when you jiggle it" mean it DOESN'T move when you jiggle it? - or that it moves, but only a little? I'm using an 8x8 and have had to adjust the cooking times....
VD
I made these with Swerve and they came out great, if anyone is wondering if they can be made sugar free. Powdered form in the crust, granulated in the custard. Used sugar free chocolate chips and definitely more than the recipe calls for. I also used non-sweetened coconut and thought that was perfect.
DebT
Nice flavor but a gummy mess-collapsed after cuttingNot enough chocolate to really impact the taste or appearance would not make again
sarah
Unsweetened coconut for sure. Still a little too sweet, but I’d make it again with less sugar next time.
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