Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares

I love recipes like this – you can whip this up in no time at all, but it looks pretty impressive and tastes even better. In fact, these easy-to-make Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares are one of our favorites.

Toast the coconut to make the best Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares

The only even slightly fussy part is toasting the coconut.  You can sometimes buy it already toasted, but it’s not hard to do.  You just spread a couple of cups of regular sweetened coconut on a sheet pan [line with parchment or foil for easy clean-up], set in a 350° oven, and stay close.  It only takes about 5 minutes to achieve golden perfection.  I mentioned not wandering away, right?  Once it gets toasted, it can rapidly burn, so stick with it and check often.  It should look like the photo below.

The coconut won’t take long to cool off, so if you like, you can use the same sheet pan and parchment paper to bake the cookies.

How to make Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares

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5 from 2 votes

Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares

Author: Donalyn

Delicious, chewy and rich squares. Easy to make and everyone is going to adore them!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 30 bars

Equipment

• Offset Spatula
• Long sharp knife
• Heavy Sheet Pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups toasted coconut see post for details
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter the edges of a heavy sheet pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to come just above the edges of the pan. This is for removing the squares neatly for cutting. You can just butter the whole pan, but the squares won't look as neat.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and eggs and beat again until creamy.
• Add the flour, coconut, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined. It will be thick.
• Spread evenly in the pan. You may have to wet your hands and pat it out – if it begins to stick to your hands, just wet them again, until the dough is spread out to the edges.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs.
• Remove from the oven and immediately distribute 2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes, which will melt the chips, and then spread evenly over the bars, with an offset spatula. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes or so [longer is fine, but the edges might stick a tad more in that case].
• After 30 minutes, loosen the edges and use the parchment paper to lift the squares out in one piece. Place on a cutting board, and before they cool completly, use a large sharp knife to cut straight down through the bars. Dragging the knife will make the chocolate look messy.
• Cut in whatever shape you prefer. They're on the rich side so don't make them huge. Allow to cool completely before storing in a sealed container.

I love bars like this for cookie platters.  This recipe makes a lot, which is a plus, they look yummy and contrast well with other kinds of cookies you might be baking during the holidays.

A total win!  Looking for more recipes for the holidays?  Check out Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies or Lime Butter Cookies.  Alone, or sharing the spotlight with other sweet treats, the Chewy Toasted Coconut Squares are something you will want to make again and again. And if you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like Potato Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread.