Spring is here (in theory, anyway), and it has me craving all things sunshiny: actual sunshine, of course, but also sunny scents, colors, and flavors. I pulled out my summer perfume the other day; I suddenly have an affinity for the color yellow; and I need to eat every lemony thing in sight. So in celebration of spring and my cravings, I added a slight twist to a classic lemony treat to make these utterly springy Coconut Lemon Bars.
A Tropical Twist on a Classic
I LOVE lemon bars. A shortbready cookie crust topped with a lemon curd layer that tastes like pure sunshine…what could be better? This version is just as sunny as the original, with a couple of tweaks to take it in a slightly more tropical direction:
- A little almond flour and coconut in the crust add texture and flavor.
- A sprinkle of coconut on top (that toasts a little as it bakes…yum!) adds to the tropical vibes.
They’re small, simple tweaks for sure, but they add up to more than the sum of their parts. The result is a bright, citrusy, and subtly coconutty treat I know you’ll love. In fact, a friend who helped me taste-test them said, “Those lemon bars are the best I’ve ever had!”
They’re awfully pretty too—just look at that cross-section!
Tips for Making Your Best Coconut Lemon Bars
These bars are fairly quick and easy to make: you essentially make a quick shortbread for the crust, par-bake it, pour the filling on, and finish baking. Easy peasy. Even so, there are a few little tricks that will help you make your best lemon bars ever:
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over two of the edges. That way, you can pull the finished bars out of the pan in a big slab and cut them more easily.
- Make sure your butter is cold (right from the fridge), and cut it into cubes before you add it.
- Mix in the butter cubes as you would for pie crust: cut them in with a pastry cutter, rub them in using your fingers, or use a KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment to blend them in until they’re no larger than pea-sized.
- To make your bars extra lemony, rub the lemon zest into the sugar before mixing together the rest of the filling ingredients. (I use a Microplane zester to zest the lemon.)
- Want to make these bars gluten-free? A 1:1 GF baking mix (like Bob’s Red Mill’s) should work great in place of the all-purpose flour (both in the crust and the filling).
And that’s that! If you have questions I haven’t addressed, pop them in the comments below, and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. And, of course, if you make this recipe, please consider leaving a review!
Happy Spring, everyone!
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Coconut Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c almond flour (or finely ground blanched almonds)
- 1/4 c granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 c shredded coconut
- 6 T cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Filling
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 c + 2 1/2 T lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 c shredded coconut, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8×8 square baking pan with nonstick baking spray, and line it with parchment paper so it hangs over the edge on two sides. (It's like a little hammock you'll bake your bars in so it's easy to get them out of the pan.) Spray parchment with nonstick baking spray.
Make the Crust
- Combine all the dry ingredients (including coconut) in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, Kitchen Aid mixer (with a paddle attachment), or a food processor, blend in cold butter until it is in pea-sized pieces.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then add the remaining filling ingredients (except for the coconut) and whisk together. Pour into the hot crust, and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle coconut on top, then bake again for 10 more minutes or until set.
- Let bars cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Cut into 12-16 bars and enjoy!