Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars

Name: Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 37 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cake flour; 1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ cup unsalted butter, (softened to room temperature); ¾ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg, (room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; ¼ cup sour cream, (room temperature); 1 cup unsalted butter, (softened to room temperature); 3 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; 1 pinch salt; 2-4 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk; 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, (for topping)

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A cookie crust, buttercream frosting and toasted coconut create the perfect dessert combination in these Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars!

A COCONUT BAR RECIPE

I’m a huge coconut fan! Desserts, drinks or as a coating for shrimp, I love it all. These Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars are absolutely indulgent! With a sweet coconut sugar cookie bar base, coconut flavored frosting and topped with sweetened coconut, how can you go wrong? While there is a lot of coconut elements in this recipe, the flavor is not overwhelming at all. They are soft, tasty and the perfect dessert for all the coconut lovers out there. So if you are one of those coconut lovers, then you must make this Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bar recipe.

Stacked Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars on white platter.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why do the ingredients need to be at room temperature?

This is important in any baking recipe. This helps the dessert to bake up “light” rather than dense since the room temperature allows the dough to rise up easier. Cold ingredients don’t blend together as well as room temperature and require longer baking times.

Why use cake flour instead of all-purpose?

The cake flour creates a finer and lighter texture than regular all-purpose flour. In addition, the cornstarch and sour cream help to create a bar that’s fluffy and moist. If all you have is all-purpose, you can certainly use that. Just sift it first. Cake flour is recommended for best results.

Do I have to line the pan with parchment paper?

Lining with parchment is HIGHLY recommended as opposed to greasing or spraying the dish with cooking spray. This will make it so much easier to remove and cut bars after baking.

Can I use toasted coconut?

Absolutely! Coconut for the top can be toasted, or even mixed with untoasted. For the photos in this recipe, about ¼ cup was toasted in the oven. It gives the frosting a more nutty flavor profile and adds a little crunch. To toast in the oven, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add coconut in a single layer and bake at 350℉, stirring regularly for about 8-10 minutes.

What pan is best to use: metal, ceramic or glass?

This is a matter of preference and what you have on hand. In general, I like ceramic since it gives the best even heating. Metal (depending on what you are baking) can get hot very quickly and the edges might bake faster than the middle. Pyrex glass is fine to use as well. Keep in mind, these bars are perfect when slightly underbaked and they will continue to bake after they come out of the oven.

How do I store leftover sugar cookie bars?

These can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop where they will keep for up to 3-5 days. These can also be frozen. Place bars in a freezer container with parchment in between layers and they will keep for up to 3 months. To defrost remove to the refrigerator overnight then to the countertop to come to room temperature.

Bite taken out of one of the Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars on white plate with bite taken out of it Pinterest image.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

cake flour
cornstarch
baking powder
salt
unsalted butter
granulated sugar
egg
vanilla extract
coconut extract
sour cream
powdered sugar
heavy cream or milk
sweetened coconut, for topping

Ingredients needed: cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, coconut extract, sour cream, powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk and sweetened coconut.

HOW TO MAKE FROSTED COCONUT SUGAR COOKIE BARS:

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9″x13” pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a hand mixer.

Butter and sugar creamed together in bowl.

Add egg, vanilla and coconut extracts and mix until well blended. Add in sour cream and beat until fully combined.

Sour cream added to butter, sugar mixture with extracts and eggs added.ter

Incorporate dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Drop batter by large spoonfuls into the prepared dish. Batter will be very thick. Spread batter evenly for uniform baking.

Batter spread into parchment paper lined baking pan.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Don’t overbake.

Cool completely before frosting. Beat softened butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat until desired consistency is attained, thinning with more heavy cream if needed.