Description
These Raspberry Bars with Coconut are delightful treats featuring a buttery crust mixed with shredded coconut and walnuts, topped with sweet raspberry preserves and white baking chips. Baked to golden perfection, these bars offer a perfect balance of tangy fruit and rich coconut flavor, ideal for snacking or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 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
For the Topping:
- 1 jar (12 ounces) raspberry preserves
- 1 cup white baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the bars.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes, to ensure a smooth and airy dough base.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, which helps bind the dough and adds flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and baking powder, then gradually add this mixture to the creamed butter mixture, beating gently until just combined to avoid toughening the dough.
- Mix in Coconut and Walnuts: Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the shredded coconut and the chopped walnuts, distributing evenly throughout the dough for texture and flavor.
- Form Base Layer: Press about three-quarters of the dough evenly into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan, creating a solid base layer for the bars.
- Spread Raspberry Preserves: Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the dough layer, ensuring full coverage for a sweet and tangy middle layer.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the white baking chips and the remaining 3/4 cup shredded coconut over the preserves to add sweetness and coconut texture to the top.
- Crumble Remaining Dough: Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the preserves and toppings, then press lightly to secure the topping layer.
- Bake: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top is set and lightly browned.
- Cool and Cut: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into approximately 24 bars for serving.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened but not melted for the best dough consistency.
- Room temperature egg helps to blend ingredients smoothly.
- Do not overmix after adding flour to avoid tough bars.
- Allow bars to cool completely before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- Can substitute raspberry preserves with other fruit preserves as desired.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
