Coconut Almond Bars

When it comes to baking, these bars are as healthy as they get. Due they have a decent amount of sugar? Of course. Can we taste the butter? Absolutely. But there is also coconut and almonds, which means these are the epitome of ~healthy snacking~ right?

Okay, maybe not.

But they’re delicious, which is what counts.

Even if you’re not big on coconut or almonds, you might like these! My boyfriend, who hates both coconut and almonds found himself asking for more. These reason is that they’re more about adding texture, not so much flavor. Sure, you can taste them, but these bars produce a sweet vanilla flavor, augmented by the coconut flakes and sliced almonds. Definitely a crowd pleaser!

*A quick note: I cooked these on the shortest time possible as to end up with a gooey center. I’m talking fork-and-knife potential. If you’d like a firmer filling, simply bake for 5-10 minutes longer.

What You Need

Crust

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons salted butter, softened

Filling

• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• ¾ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• ⅓ cups sliced almonds

How You Do It
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and butter an 8″ x 8″ glass dish.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Add in the butter until combined. There shouldn’t be any chunks of butter, and a ball of dough should form, able to hold its shape.
4. Press crust into glass dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. Note: the crust doesn’t have to be fully cooked at this point because it’s going to continue to bake later on.

Filling

1. Mix together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanillas until texture resembles a thin, grainy syrup
2. Add in the unsweetened coconut flakes and sliced almonds
3. Pour over crust, making sure to cover the edges. If you’d like, sprinkle on some more coconut flakes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on how gooey or firm you’d like the centers.
4. Cool for at least 20 minutes. If the bottom of the glass is still warm, don’t cut them yet! You’ll want them at least room temp–if not colder–otherwise, they’ll fall apart when you cut them. If you helps, stick them in the fridge or freezer. When they’ve finally cooled, cut and enjoy!

Look at how deliciously gooey.

That’s all for now! If you give these coconut bars a go, let me know how they turn out. Until next time,

♥Danielle

Mix it up: Not a big fan of almonds? Try it with any other nut: walnuts, pecans… Completely up to you!