Coconut Lemon Bars

Lemon bars are a favorite summer dessert, but how about adding a little coconut? These sweet, tropical bars are a wonderful summer treat.

Jump to recipe

These bars were part of my Bakers Against Racism Fundraiser which raised $350 for the Columbus Urban League! While I didn’t get to actually try a whole bar because I sold out, I did taste bits of scraps so I can confirm the rave reviews they got from people who did get to try them. I mean, how can you really go wrong with coconut lemon bars?

Obviously I had to snap some photos before I packaged them up to share with everyone who wasn’t local, and with July 4th this weekend I thought it was the perfect time to post the recipe. These sweet lemon bars are a perfect summer treat. You could also top them with berries and/or whipped cream.

For those of you who are local and did get to try one of these, thank you so much for helping me raise money for a great cause! Food is my love language so it felt great to do something that mattered by handing out my tasty creations (I’ve hosted bake sales for cause in the past but it had been a hot minute). I even traded with a couple other local bakers who participated!

I will say however if I do a bake sale like this again I will stick to offering batches of items instead of a variety all in one box. While it wasn’t a problem calculating the multipliers of each recipe needed to make the appropriate quantity ordered, it did mean that if I didn’t get even multiples of 12 orders I would have had a lot of leftovers. Thankfully I got lucky and it all worked out!

Two years ago: Grilled Nectarine Salad

Four years ago: Blackberry-Sage Pie Bars

Five years ago: Browned Butter Salty Sugar Cookies

Seven years ago: German Chocolate Brownies

COCONUT LEMON BARS

Print

Yield: 24 bars Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1/2 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus more for topping)
• 1/8 tsp salt

FILLING

• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the crust: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, coconut, and salt. With the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed.
3. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and shape into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the prepared baking pan, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill for 15-30 minutes.
4. Remove crust from fridge and bake for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack and leave the oven on.
5. For the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and coconut extract. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Dust with powdered sugar and toasted coconut and cut into squares.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE