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Ending the week on a salty-sweet note with these Salted Chocolate Coconut Bars. Buttery pie dough, topped with chocolate, homemade coconut caramel, and a generous drizzle of milk chocolate, for good measure. These bars are decadent, easy, and perfect for feeding your family and friends this holiday season. Everyone LOVES these simple to make bars…the combo of sweet and salty is just too good pass up!
They say everything happens for a reason, and if it weren’t for my many, many failed attempts at making a new Thanksgiving pie, I would not be sharing these ooey, gooey, salty, and delicious coconut bars with you all today.
If you follow along on Instagram, you may have seen my multiple attempts at pie making last week. I baked a lot of pies, all of the chocolate variety, and none of which ended up being post worthy. When I say a lot of pies, I mean A LOT of pies. So many that I lost count. I really wanted to create a new chocolate pie that was delicious and beautiful. But for whatever reason, it was just not happening. I had some that came out good, some that were delicious, but none that I was crazy excited about. After days of testing, and finally crafting a pretty pie crust, I finally threw in the towel.
I’m not one to give up easily, but some battles just are not worth it. And the bottom line is that if I’m not overly excited about a recipe, I don’t want to share it.
So, I bowed down to the pies and instead developed these coconut pie bars. And I’m glad I did. Because these bars are for sure one of the better recipes to come out of my kitchen this month. And you know what? They’re a lot easier than a pie, and sometimes easier is better. Especially during these busy times of the year.
After testing out a lot of chocolate pies, I was pretty over chocolate. I know that’s shocking, but again I think I made the same pie over six times. Instead I decided to test out something completely different. Something still chocolatey, but this time full of coconut and caramel.
Really, I can’t begin to describe just how good these bars are.
The base of the bar is a mix between a butter cookie and a pie crust. It’s a little thicker than a pie crust, but just as buttery, and all kinds of deliciousness. I kept the crust simple, because I really wanted the filling to stand out.
And it sure does.
The filling is coconutty, with hints of both caramel and vanilla. It’s just a little sweet, and a little salty.
Best part?
These bars are the easiest to make, and you might already have the ingredients on hand. Perfect for last-minute holiday baking.
Here are the details.
Pre bake the crust so that it has a chance to get golden and toasted before adding the coconut caramel mix. While the crust is baking, make the coconut filling. Bring a little butter, coconut milk, and brown sugar to a boil. Then remove from the heat, and add the vanilla and shredded coconut. This is the heart of the recipe and provides the sweetness and flavor. It’s also just gooey and delicious.
Now pull the crust out of the oven and top it with a layer of semi sweet chocolate. Then spread the coconut mix over the chocolate, and bake until the coconut is toasty.
Finish the bars with a drizzle of sweet milk chocolate, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
You can slice the bars while still slightly warm or let them firm up and serve at room temperature. Either way they are truly delicious, but you all know I prefer them warm and gooey.
I know that pie is traditional for Thanksgiving, but sometimes it can be fun to switch things up. Bars are great too. They feed way more people than a pie. They’re easier for people to just grab. And they’re a lot less stress to make.
So bottom line? Give these coconut bars a try this year. They’re chocolate filled, super sweet, and you will not regret making them, promise.
Also, if you need a good hostess gift for Thanksgiving, these bars will do the trick. They’re for sure better than anything you could buy from the store!
If you make these coconut bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Chocolate Coconut Bars
Servings: 18 bars
Calories Per Serving: 1970 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Coconut Filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, whatever you prefer)
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 6 ounces milk chocolate. melted
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. To make the crust. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer), beat together the butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add the flour, beating until combined.3. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Remove from the oven. 4. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a medium sauce pan, melt together the butter, the coconut milk, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and shredded coconut. 5. Scatter the semi-sweet chocolate in an even layer over the pre-baked crust. Pour the coconut mixture over the chocolate, gently spread to evenly distribute. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown and caramelize.6. Remove the bars from the oven. Drizzle the bars with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with salt. Allow the bars to cool, then slice and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
I was worried at first because my crust was pretty loose in the bowl however it pressed into the pan easily and browned well. Overall the taste was great! They fell apart a bit when I cut them, maybe I didn’t bake it enough?
Hey Sarah, I’m so sorry about that! I would say maybe they needed to be cooked a bit longer! xTieghan
Please convert this to metric! Made it yesterday and don’t think my measurements were quite right but it turned out ok – room for improvement!
Hey Rhian,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, we will add the metric measurements! xTieghan
Hi! Big fan of most of your recipes! Including this, the flavors were delicious. A bit too sweet, but also it fell apart completely. The first layer also never browned, it was white and we tried to bake it longer. Almost seemed like too much butter? Any ideas why it would be so soft and not crisp up?
Hey Kira,
Thanks so for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues with it. The crust layer should really be golden, did you adjust anything in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I will be making these tonight for a bake sale fundraiser for Capital Therapy Dogs! Very excited I think they will be a huge hit.
Aw that is so great! I hope everyone loves these and the fundraiser goes well! Thank you Kelly! xTieghan
Loved this recipe and so did everyone I shared it with. I didn’t have enough shredded coconut, so had to use a little desiccated (finer texture) and it still worked perfectly!
Thank you Julia! xTieghan
i dont have coconut milk, could i use half and half and coconut extract?
Hi Viki! I am sure that and equal amount of half and half with a splash of coconut extract will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was able to paleo-ify it for my cousin who is paleo, and my aunt who has extremely restrictive allergies (she’s allergic to so many things – from conventional sugar to rice to tomatoes – even green beans!). Thankfully, she can have coconut products so I made a coconut flour shortbread base instead of the “pie crust” above, used Enjoylife chocolate chips, and made the caramel part with coconut palm sugar instead of brown sugar! It was a HIT and everyone loved it! The textures and flavor is super amazing! My sister (not paleo) said it tasted like samoas! I bet it would taste incredible made with the original recipe as well! Kinda reminds me of those oat bars with fudge people serve at potlucks, but with coconut and caramel 🙂 Also, it was super easy to make! The prep time could easily be under 30 minutes. So amazing –
That is so amazing to hear! I love how you made it so that all your family can enjoy! Thank you Sofia! xTieghan
Made these for our family Christmas dinner, they were a hit! The coconut and chocolate combo is perfect…the crust is perfectly buttery and the flaked sea salt took the whole thing to the next level!
Thank you so much Alison! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Does one use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk? Thanks.
I use unsweetened coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
Like a few others, I had a problem with these as well. The base was no problem – the coconut filling was the issue. It was not at all gooey. Instead it was dry and crumbly. I used the exact measurements you provided. Seems like there should be a lot less shredded coconut in the butter/brown sugar/coconut milk portion of the recipe. I’d love your thoughts! Thank you.
Hey Cheryl! So odd, my mixture has never been crumbly. What brand/variety of coconut did you use? Wondering if it might be the brand that is the issue? So sorry for any trouble! Hope we can figure out the issue. xTieghan
Well…I did something wrong. Just don’t know what. Made these for a holiday cookie party and I didn’t win the award I was hoping for. #biggestflop They has to be served with a spoon…oh well. I just put them back in the oven. Maybe I didn’t cook them long enough? I followed the recipe and all the directions. Any insights?
Hey Sarah! So sorry for the trouble. Two things, thinking yes, you maybe need to cook your longer and then also, how long did you let them sit? The bars need to chill to be able to be picked up. The chocolate will harden and stiffen the bars up! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Thank you for sharing your recipe I made them for Thanksgiving and they only lasted one day… they are super yummy. This time I’m making him I’m gonna use white chocolate on top. Again thank you for sharing the recipe and did you Come up with this recipe yourself? If so great job
That is so amazing! I am so glad these turned out so amazing for you, Lea! Thank you!
I made this last night and have been taste testing all day!! This recipe is to die for!! So yummy! I hope there is enough left for my guest on Thanksgiving Day! ?
Hi Heather! I am so glad this turned out so well for you and I hope everyone loved it at your Thanksgiving dinner!!
How do you store these? Fridge or countertop?
PS – Saw you on a morning show making the autumn chicken and wild rice and have been following you ever since! That dish was the best thing I v’e ever made. My husband and I love your stuff!
HI! I like to store these on the countertop in an airtight container.
SO glad you love the wild rice chicken recipe. It is one of my favorites! 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Made these yesterday for dessert, and still munching on this morning for breakfast. These bars are good!!!
Thank you so much Kim! I am so glad you loved this recipe!