Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Bars Cookie Recipe

This Chocolate Coconut Bar recipe is easy to make and produces a crowd-pleasing dessert. The flavor combination of chocolate and coconut is one requested time and again by my customers. These bars are one of my favorite desserts using this combination of flavors – who can resist the soft cookie base and the gooey, chocolaty, coconut topping?

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When cooking for a crowd it is often best to make things simple – yet tasty! For casual gatherings a table with platters of dessert bars can be made the day before. Check out my other brownies and bars recipes as it is nice to have a few different selections for your guests. When serving a selection of desserts to my guests, my preference is: one fruit dessert, one chocolate dessert and one nut dessert – so many palates to please!

Prepare the Pan for Baking:

• These bars may be made either a 10″ square pan or a 9″ x 13″ pan. My preference is to use a square pan so the bars may be cut into equal squares.
• To make removal of the dessert easier consider cutting two strips of parchment paper 10″ x 16″ (for the square pan). Butter or spray the bottom and sides of the pan, place the two strips crossing each other so the paper extends beyond the top of the pan.
• After the bars finish setting you simply pull upward on the paper and the bars will easily remove from the pan.

Ingredients

• Bring your butter and eggs to room temperature before beginning to make this recipe. Room temperature butter and eggs will incorporate into the other ingredients better.
• Use a high-quality chocolate. Yes, chocolate can be expensive but you only need 12 ounces.
• Chop the chocolate into large chunks – about twice size of a standard chocolate chip. The big chunks of chocolate make this recipe extra special.
• There is no need to toast the coconut before baking. It will have plenty of time in the oven.

Baking the Chocolate Coconut Bars:

• These bars will be baked twice: first with the cookie crust only and second with the coconut/chocolate filling. The crust needs to be partially baked first in order to ensure it is fully baked and so the topping does not blend into the crust. Trust me – this extra effort is worth it!
• Cool the bars completely before removing from the pan and slicing. Leftovers – if you have any – may be left at room temperature and covered with foil or plastic wrap for 2 – 3 days.