Coconut Pecan Dream Bars are for coconut lovers. A bit like a chewy little coconut chess pie in bar form, they’ll make you swoon.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
Raise your hand if you’re in the coconut lover’s club with me. I might be president; I’m willing to be co-president with anyone else who feels as I do. I’ll try anything that has coconut in it, and probably come back for seconds.
How to make Coconut Pecan Dream Bars
1. Assemble your ingredients and tools. This is always a good idea, no matter what you are making. That way you won’t be in the middle of the recipe and suddenly realize you’re missing something. Not that I have ever done that.
2. Toast the coconut in the oven. This makes it taste more nutty.
3. Mix crumbs for crust and press into a baking pan, then par bake.
4. Mix filling ingredients, and stir in coconut and pecans by hand.
5. Spread filling gently over par baked crust.
6. Looks good enough to eat at this point, right? Wait…bake it again.
7. Cool bars a bit, but cut them while still warm.
My Coconut Pecan Dream Bars recipe joins others today as the last day of #SpringSweetsWeek 2020, in which 27 bloggers from around the country have come together to share 100 sweet recipes perfect for spring, and coincidentally, well suited to get us through these trying days.
Coconut Pecan Dream Bars are for coconut lovers. A bit like a chewy little coconut chess pie in bar form, they'll make you swoon.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter (add a pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Spread coconut out on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven. Keep an eye on it, checking frequently, because coconut burns easily. It will only take a minute or 2.
- When any section of it begins turning light brown, take the pan out and dump the coconut onto a plate to cool. Leave oven on.
- Combine 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. I do this with an electric mixer on low, but you can do it with a pastry cutter, or a couple of forks, or even your fingers. Press these crumbs firmly into an UNgreased 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
- Bake for about 11-12 minutes.
- While crust is par baking, in the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it), beat eggs until light, a minute or 2. Add remaining cup of sugar gradually, beating constantly until mixture is light and fluffy, a couple of minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup of flour and baking powder to the bowl, and fold into egg-sugar mixture (I do this by hand). Add vanilla, coconut and nuts and fold in by hand until thoroughly mixed.
- Remove crust from oven, and spread coconut pecan mixture gently over crust. I use a small offset spatula to do this. Return pan to oven and bake 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
- Remove from oven, set pan on a heat-proof surface and allow bars to cool in pan for 15-30 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.
- Makes about 24 squares.
Notes
Recipe source: Adapted from a recipe shared with my by friend Cassy Cohen.
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Sponsor product used in this recipe
1. Millican Pecan: I used delicious, high quality pecans from family-run Millican Pecan for this recipe, grown in the “Pecan capital of the world” — where the San Saba and Colorado rivers join in Texas. Founders of this company developed many great pecan varieties in the 1880s, and their descendants are still farming the original orchards to provide pecans for retail and online sales. The founder discovered the now-famous tree known as the “Mother Pecan Tree,” and over the years this tree was used to produce many great pecan varieties — the San Saba Improved, Texas Prolific, Onliwon, Squirrel Delight, No. 60, and Western Schley, to name a few. Their website has a fascinating history of the farm, and the pecan industry, for your culinary education.
My Spring Sweets Week recipes:
Try them all!
1. Orange Posset
2. Greek Yogurt Tangerine Cake
3. Coffee Banana Breakfast Smoothie
4. Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
5. Coconut Pecan Dream Bars
Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Millican Pecan, Door County Coffee & Tea Co., Anolon, Fresh April Sprinkles, Deiss Kitchenware, and Adams Extracts for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.
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Coconut and pecans are a perfect pair. These bars look yummy.
These bars sure look dreamy! I can’t wait to make these and have my family enjoy them.
This is such an amazing flavor combo! It was really amazing!
Toni,
I am so glad you loved it!
Such a delicious looking bar! The combination in flavors is just perfect!
These bars look so good! I have to add them to my baking list!
I LOVE the flavor combo here! Looks SO GOOD!!
So perfect for my afternoon snack! Love everything pecan!
These Coconut Pecan Dream Bars are mouth watering!
These look SO good! I love the pecan & coconut combo. 🙂
You know I think my mother used to make something like this. Absolutely loved them!
Inger,
It is probably an old, old recipe. The best usually are. 🙂
These sound amazing! Love that you turned a pie into bar form!