Coconut Dream Bars

I stumbled on this recipe a few years ago – quite by accident. I was actually trying to make a cake from a recipe that I found online – but in my hurry that day I hadn’t realized all of my cake pans were dirty. So, I grabbed a sheet cake tray and hoped for the best. To this day, I can’t locate the original source, but I have found some that are very similar. I may soon give those a try as well! They look absolutely delicious and I can’t get enough coconut in my life.

I was so delighted with the results of my mistake that I have never tried to make this in a regular cake pan – but feel free to give it a try if you’d like something a bit more cake-like. And do let me know how it turns out!

So, this quickly became one of our favorite treats to gift, bring to pitch-ins, and to just have around the kitchen.  They’re so creamy, sweet, and coconutty. I really should rename these to – Coconut Bars of Deliciousness!

Even though it’s a favorite of mine, I try not to have it around if I don’t have an activity where I can take and share it. Because these babies melt in your mouth and I could go through a tray in an embarrassingly short time. By myself.

These Coconut Dream Bars are incredibly simple to make and they’re so yummy, that everyone will think you spent a lot of time preparing them.

Remember the old commercial where the woman dusts a bit of flour onto her face before she brings the oh-so-simple but delicious meal out of the kitchen and places it onto the dining room table?  Same with these bars of goodness!

Coconut Dream Bars Ingredients

½ cup butter

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

½ cup shortening

2 cups flour and 2 Tablespoon flour

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 eggs

¼ cup shredded coconut

Coconut Frosting Ingredients

½ cup butter

6 Tablespoons milk

3½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon coconut extract

Topping Ingredients

Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Coconut Dreams Bars Directions

Over medium heat, mix butter, water, sugar, and shortening. Heat just until it begins to boil.

In a bowl, mix together butter mixture from step one with flour. Blend until thoroughly combined.

Add buttermilk and baking soda. Blend until thoroughly combined and until the butter mixture has cooled slightly.

Add vanilla, and coconut flavoring.

Add eggs. Mixing after each.

Stir in coconut.

Grease a pan and pour mixture evenly into the pan. I use a sheet cake pan. You can use a slightly different size for this recipe – but adjust your baking time accordingly.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Coconut Frosting Directions

Bring milk and butter to a boil. Add coconut extract. Add powdered sugar. Mix until the powdered sugar is thoroughly incorporated.

Using a fork, poke holes into the baked bars. Pour frosting over and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle coconut over the top.

Top with shredded coconut. I put a generous layer on top because the bottom portion of that layer will slightly melt into the warm frosting.

Additionally, you could toast the coconut if you would prefer that texture and taste.

(Wait and let it cool a bit before you cut and serve.)

Don’t forget to tag us on social media when you’ve made these!

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