Chocolate Coconut Bars

September 20, 2012

There aren’t a lot of dessert options when you’re eating dairy-free. Desserts that don’t include any milk, butter, buttermilk, yogurt, cream, cream cheese, etc. are not only hard to come by, but usually not too enticing. I know dairy-free margarine and several other substitutes exist. (I’ve got some and I’ll try them out eventually.) They just don’t excite me. Thankfully, not all chocolate is made with milk (especially the dark varieties). And coconut oil makes an excellent replacement for butter in some recipes.

I just discovered coconut oil and I love it. And from what I hear/read- it happens to be good for you. I’ll eat it for breakfast spread on a toasted english muffin. Yum. Anyway, its health benefits are probably negated by the copious amounts of sugar used in this recipe. But this is after all, dessert. Feel free to use butter instead. I’m sure (in fact, I know) that would be good. But the oil adds even more coconut flavor without sacrificing richness or texture in this recipe.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature (I used 1/2 cup coconut oil)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes + extra for sprinkling on top
1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine the flour and salt; whisk and set aside.

3. Stir together the melted butter (or coconut oil) and brown sugar until smooth and creamy; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.

4. Slowly beat in the flour and salt mixture until just blended. Next, stir in the coconut and chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the pan. Make sure the batter is spread evenly, smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle extra coconut on top of the bars.

5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. (Mine were almost overly done after 18 minutes- this may be due to my hot oven or replacing the butter with coconut oil.) Do not overbake the bars. Let cool slightly before cutting the bars into squares and serving.

Makes an 8×8 pan.

(Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker via Lahatchita Eats)

4 thoughts on “Chocolate Coconut Bars

  1. Jonathan and Linsi

    Yum! These look delish! I am SO happy you’re dairy-free now! I’ve been a fan of your blog for a long time, since my sister-in-law Amanda Peck showed it to me, and have made a recipe from here at least once a week. In February, I had a baby who was allergic to dairy and have since been dairy-free and trying to alter some recipes from here so that I can eat them. I’m excited that now I won’t have to! And just so you know, Bestlife spread is the best non-dairy substitute I’ve found for baking. And we still make the majority of your pizza recipes sans cheese. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Ppprmint

    When I saw these beauties, I knew I had to make them. Mine had to cook a little longer, and I had to lower the temp and cover them with foil…ovens! They are so gooey….and chewy. I love them. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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