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Creamy Coconut Cream Pie Bars

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These creamy coconut cream pie bars feature a silky custard filling, a buttery flaky crust, and a crunchy toasted coconut topping, perfect for an easy homemade tropical dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 can (13.5 oz / 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy lifting. In a bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
  2. Add cold, cubed butter to dry ingredients. Work butter into flour with fingers or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into bottom of pan to form crust.
  3. Bake crust for about 15 minutes until edges are golden but center is still pale. Remove and let cool slightly.
  4. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Slowly pour in coconut milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbling, about 5-7 minutes.
  5. Lightly beat egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually add a few spoonfuls of hot coconut mixture to yolks while whisking to temper. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan and cook for another 2 minutes until thick and creamy.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in softened butter and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy. Pour filling over cooled crust and spread evenly.
  7. Place shredded coconut on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast under broiler or in oven at 350°F (175°C) until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
  8. Sprinkle toasted coconut evenly over filling.
  9. Refrigerate bars for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight until filling is set and firm.
  10. Use parchment overhang to lift bars from pan and cut into squares. Serve chilled.

Notes

Stir custard constantly to avoid lumps or burning. Temper eggs slowly to prevent scrambling. Use softened butter for smooth filling texture. Toast coconut carefully to avoid burning. Chill bars fully before slicing for neat cuts. Can substitute almond flour for gluten-free crust and plant-based butter for dairy-free version.

Nutrition

Keywords: coconut cream pie bars, toasted coconut, creamy dessert, easy coconut bars, homemade dessert, tropical dessert

Find it online: https://katedishes.com/creamy-coconut-cream-pie-bars-recipe-easy-homemade-toasted-coconut-topping/