Description
Delight in these luscious Raspberry Bars with Coconut, featuring a buttery coconut and walnut crust layered with sweet raspberry preserves and topped with white baking chips and toasted coconut. Perfectly golden and chewy, these bars are a crowd-pleasing treat for dessert or snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Filling
- 1 jar (12 ounces) raspberry preserves
- 1 cup white baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready when your bars are assembled, allowing for even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together using an electric mixer or by hand until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. This step is important for a tender, airy crust.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, which adds moisture and flavor to the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder, then gradually add this to the creamed mixture, mixing well to form a dough.
- Mix in Coconut and Walnuts: Fold in 1 1/4 cups of the shredded coconut along with the chopped walnuts evenly throughout the dough.
- Form Bottom Layer: Press about three-quarters of the dough evenly into the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch baking pan, creating the base layer for your bars.
- Spread Raspberry Preserves: Evenly spread the entire jar of raspberry preserves over the dough base, making sure to cover the surface to the edges.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the white baking chips over the raspberry layer, then scatter the remaining 3/4 cup of shredded coconut on top for texture and flavor.
- Top with Remaining Dough: Crumble the remaining quarter of the dough over the coconut topping and press it lightly to adhere without compressing it too firmly.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the bars turn golden brown on top.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting them into approximately two dozen bars.
Notes
- For best results, ensure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming.
- You can substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds if preferred.
- Use raspberry preserves without seeds for a smoother filling texture.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to one week.
- For a nut-free version, omit walnuts and add an extra 1/2 cup coconut.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (based on 24 bars)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
