Coconut is kind of a polarizing thing, and I don't understand this because I absolutely love it. These buttery coconut bars are packed with REAL UNSWEETENED coconut and are amazing. They are simple AF to put together and you can adapt them to whatever you have on hand.

Now if you happen to be in the not-a-coconut-lover group, then this probably isn't the bar for you and I would recommend one of these:

Why I like these buttery coconut bars...

So I love coconut, but that is not the only reason I think these are great.

They are quick to throw together with ingredients (outside of maybe the unsweetened coconut) most everyone has on hand
They are sweet, buttery and salty - the perfect combination
Using unsweetened shredded coconut really brings out the true coconut flavor in these
They can be adapted to whatever I have around. For this recipe I add chocolate chips, but I have used chopped white chocolate, all kinds of nuts or dried fruits. The possibilities are endless and can be tailored to what you like and have on hand.

Simple to make?

Stupid simple. Making shortbread is, to me, one of the easiest things ever. All you have to do for this is press the shortbread into the pan and prebake, then pour the coconut mixture on top and finish baking. Prebaking the shortbread for a bit ensures a crisp-bottomed base with a chewy and gooey coconut filling. Super satisfying.

Buttery coconut bars

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Ingredients

For the shortbread

2 sticks of butter try to use unsalted if you can
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt if you use salted butter then just use ½ teaspoon of salt

For the coconut filling

4 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons of flour
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cups of unsweetened coconut
½ cup of chocolate chips or use ½ cup of anything you have or enjoy that compliments coconut.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and 8x8 square baking pan and line with parchment paper all the way up the sides. Press it up the sides to make sure it is stuck to the pan as good as possible.
Combine the butter, sugar, and flour for the crust in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, or a spatula, mix until well-combined and the mixture comes together. Take out ⅓ cup shortbread and set aside to crumble on top of the bars. Press the rest of the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack while you make the filling.
Mix all the filling ingredients together and pour over the slightly cooled crust. Crumble the ⅓ cup of the shortbread over the top of the filling. Continue baking for 40 minutes until set and slightly golden on top.
Cool completely before cutting and serving.

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