Did you ever notice how much our palates change as we get older? When I was younger, I hated Brussels sprouts, disliked cauliflower, and didn’t care for anything sour. Now, I enjoy all things tart, love Brussels sprouts, and eat cauliflower on a weekly basis. When it comes to desserts, I now steer away from chocolate and go for more fruity sweets like these pineapple coconut bars. These bars are the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Think of them as lemon bars but with pineapple and lime and a coconut crust. Sounds good, right?
Serves 15
45 minTotal Time
Yields 15 bars
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup coconut, shredded, sweetened
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the coconut crust. Beat together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup coconut, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Press the crust into the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Make the pineapple filling. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar with 1/3 cup flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 tsp lime zest, and 2 tbsp lime juice. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 20 minutes or until no longer runny in the center. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Garnish the pineapple coconut bars with toasted coconut and cut into 15 bars. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
If you’re making these pineapple coconut bars during the summer, I strongly advise you to use fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple juice would work just fine but there’s just something about fresh pineapple that makes it taste…fresher.
Just like lemon bars, this tropical version is just as easy to make. First, make the crust. Combine flour with softened butter, coconut, sugar, and a pinch of salt and press the mixture into a greased baking sheet. Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until golden brown and let it cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the pineapple filling. If you’re using fresh pineapple, blend up the pineapple until smooth. Whisk it together with some sugar, flour, eggs, lime zest, and lime juice. You can also add more lime juice if you want the bars to be more tart. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the center is set, about 20 minutes.
And that’s it, folks! Seriously, this has to be one of the easiest desserts I’ve posted lately. Let the bars cool and slice them into 15 bars.
Top the pineapple coconut bars with toasted coconut for that extra something special. The bars may look thin but the ratio of coconut crust and filling is just right. These bars almost remind me of Taiwanese pineapple cakes, which is possibly one of the best desserts from Taiwan. Give this a try and let me know what you think!
Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.