If you love coconut, you got to try these Coconut Pecan Cookie Bars this holiday season. A brown sugar shortcrust base topped with a chewy coconut topping studded with pecans.
Well friends, we are nearing the end of 2025 and I almost cannot believe it. Julia’s Cuisine would like to thank all of you for being here this year and trusting in the recipes you find. This year, we added another 102 new recipes to the ever growing collection. All recipes are 100% made, photographed, tested and written by me. There is NO AI used ever! It’s very important for me to state that in an ever growing AI internet. Thank you all for being here, I appreciate every single one of you. Happy holidays and enjoy this last cookie recipe before the Christmas break. xx
What Are These Cookie Bars Like
- Difficulty – I consider these cookie bars pretty easy to make. They are a bit time consuming as they have two layers that are baked separately.
- Taste – These have a crisp buttery base followed by a chewy coconut cookie. Fantastic flavour
- Serving – This recipe will make approximately 42 cookie bars. These were baked in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Remember you can always adjust the recipe size in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredients
This bar cookie recipe is broken into two parts, the base and the filling.
✅ Here’s what you need for the base
- Butter – The butter for the cookie base in melted butter.
- Brown sugar – I used packed brown sugar for the cookie base.
- Flour – All purpose or plain flour works best for this base.
- Salt – Just a pinch of salt helps enhance the flavours in the cookie base. If you do use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
✅ Here’s what you need for the filling
- Eggs – I always use large eggs at room temperature for baking.
- Condensed milk – I used sweetened condensed milk for these cookie bars. If you have never used it, you can usually find it in the baking isle of your local supermarket.
- Flour – Just like the base, the filling uses all purpose flour.
- Brown sugar – Again, I used packed brown sugar for the filling.
- Butter – Melted butter is also used in the filling.
- Vanilla extract – This is used as a flavour enhancer.
- Salt – Just a little salt helps enhance the flavour of the filling.
- Coconut – I used sweetened shredded coconut.
- Pecans – I used raw pecans and roughly chopped them up.
NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Instructions
- Grease baking sheet – Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C..
- Make cookie base – Make the base by combining the flour, salt, brown sugar and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Bake cookie base – Pour into prepared pan and flatten out evenly with your hands or a large spoon. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature – Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.
- Make filling – Make the filling by combining the eggs, condensed milk, flour, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Whisk for about 2 minutes to combine. Pour in 3 cups/300 grams of the coconut and stir to combine. Stir in chopped pecans.
- Top cookie base and bake – Pour filling over cooled base and evenly spread out. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Store and or serve – Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Line the baking tray – I recommend lining the baking tray with parchment paper. This will make the cookie bars easier to cut out.
- Watch the baking time – Baking time will vary between 20 – 25 minutes. They should still be a little wobbly when they come out of the oven. If they bake too long, they may dry out a little.
Substitutions
For most of my recipes, I recommend what substitutions will work on the recipe. For these Chewy Coconut Bars, I recommend you stick to the recipe. I have not tested with other variations or pan sizes, so cannot state results if you change anything.
Serving and Storage
- In the fridge – These cookie bars will keep in the fridge up to 5 days. Just remember to have them stored in an airtight container.
- In the freezer – Alternatively, you can store these cookie bars in the freezer in an freezer proof container. Just make sure they have completely cooled down. Layer parchment paper between the layers of cookies so they don’t stick together.
- On a cookie tray or as a gift – These are great cookies to give as a gift or make part of a cookie tray. Just make sure to tell the recipient that they need to be refrigerated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Condensed milk can be made from either fresh milk or powdered milk. It is thickened milk, almost caramel like. It’s made with milk, milk fats and sugar. It’s used in many cookies and deserts.
Evaporated milk is a shelf life milk sold in cans. It is not sweet and isn’t as thick as condensed milk. Although they are often sold in similar packaging, evaporated milk and condensed milk are not the same.
Coconut Christmas Crack
Brown Sugar Pecan Cookie Bars
Chewy Coconut Squares
Coconut Pecan Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the base:
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
Instructions
- Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
- Make the base by combining the flour, salt, brown sugar and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Pour into prepared pan and flatten out evenly with your hands or a large spoon. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.
- Make the filling by combining the eggs, condensed milk, flour, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Whisk for about 2 minutes to combine. Pour in 3 cups/300 grams of the coconut and stir to combine. Stir in chopped pecans.
- Pour filling over cooled base and evenly spread out. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.
- Store in an airtight container.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
