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These lemon coconut bars strike the perfect balance between lemon, coconut, and sweetness. Sometimes you just don’t want to fool with cookies. I understand. I have two words for you…cookie bars! They’ve got all the moist, chewy deliciousness of cookies but with the shortcut of a traybake!

I know you’re going to enjoy these coconut lemon bars. The challenge with some fruit cookies is balancing the fruit flavor with the cookie’s sweetness level. These bars bring intense, sweet, and tart lemon flavor, just like your favorite lemon cookies, on top of a perfectly sweet shortbread crust. They’re easy enough to whip up just for fun or as an everyday dessert, but they’re special enough to also hold their own for Sunday supper or any special occasion!

Looking for something a little different. I have a couple of lemon bar recipes you may like. My old-fashioned lemon bars are so good that my husband said we should think about opening a bakery. Honestly, he said that! My lemon blueberry bars are a luscious, dreamy bar that I promise your family will love! Then, my third lemon bar is my lemon brownies. They’re the delicious lemon bar you never knew you needed!

Preheat the oven, and let’s get baking!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE LEMON COCONUT BARS

Lotsa lemon flavor
The shortbread crust supports the topping without falling apart
The toasted coconut complements the lemon perfectly
Straightforward prep with simple ingredients

LEMON BARS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Flour: All-purpose flour. I use Gold Medal.
Salt: Just a pinch enhances flavors.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Powdered sugar. I like to sift this before using it in my recipes.
Butter: I use unsalted butter. You always get better baking results when you use real butter. Margarine doesn’t have the right fat content to create a flaky, delicious crust.
Eggs: I use large eggs. Bring them to room temperature before preparing the bars.
Sugar: Granulated sugar.
Lemon Juice: Honestly, I only use freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe. Please skip the plastic bottle.
Baking Powder: Lighten up the bars and gives them a little lift.
Coconut: I like Baker’s Sweetened Angel Flake Coconut. I’ve tried Trader Joe’s brand but I find that it’s dry and I don’t care for its texture.

LEMON BARS RECIPE NOTES

Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is the star of the show in this recipe. Please use fresh lemon juice, not the weird liquid in the yellow plastic lemon-shaped bottle.
No Food Processor? You can make the crust for these bars without one. You’ll need to cut the cold butter into small cubes or freeze it and grate it with a cheese grater. Then, use two butter knives, or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Stop as soon as it comes together in a crumble and press it into the pan. This is my favorite pastry blender because it’s made out of stainless steel, and the blades are sturdy, not flimsy.
Crust: We make a delicious shortbread crust to cradle the lemon coconut filling. Cutting the butter into the dry ingredients is imperative for a flaky crust.
Chill Time: This is necessary for the filling to set.
Make Them Zestier: If you’d like your bars to be a bit zestier, add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter. Here’s the microplaner I use to zest lemons. Be sure to rinse the lemons well before zesting.
Make Them Orange! This recipe is amazingly delicious when you switch the lemon juice with orange juice and make orange coconut bars. Limes are next on my list to experiment with! I can’t get enough citrus treats!
Add Almonds: As a variation, I sometimes add sliced almonds to the bars when I’m adding the coconut.
Easy Lift Out: If you’d like to make removing the bars from the pan easier, make a parchment paper sling.

1. Cut a piece of parchment long enough to extend about 3 inches beyond the length of the baking dish.
2. Lay the parchment in the pan so that it covers the bottom and goes up the sides. The excess parchment should hang over the edges of the pan.
3. If the recipe directs you to, butter the parchment. Proceed with the recipe.

STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD

This stores best in the fridge. Once the bars are cooled, put them in a well-sealed container and then store them in the fridge.

How Long Can You Keep This? These bars will hold for 3 or 4 days in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.
Can You Freeze This? Yes. For best results, wrap the bars individually in cling wrap once they are fully cooled. Put the wrapped bars in a freezer bag before putting them in the freezer.
Make-Ahead Tips: This can be made several days in advance. They’ll hold well in the fridge.
Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON COCONUT BARS

Combine flour, confectioners’ sugar, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and baking powder until the lemon filling mixture is well combined. Pour the mixture over the crust and sprinkle the coconut evenly on top. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

*** See Full Instructions On Recipe Card Below.

MORE BOUNTIFUL BARS

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