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Raspberry Coconut Bars

5 from 55 votes
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Site Index Bars and squares Christmas baking Coconut Raspberry Vintage recipe

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If there is one bar that I remember my Grandma Marion making when I was young, it was these raspberry coconut bars. There is something so perfect about the flavour combination: the buttery shortbread base, the tart raspberry jam filling paired with the sweet, chewy coconut. Absolute flavour heaven!

stack of Raspberry Coconut Bars in a white bowl
Raspberry Coconut Bars

I would have to say that these Raspberry Coconut Bars are one of my top 5 favourite bars of all time and that’s sure saying something. Why is it that baked goods with raspberry jam are so amazing? It’s like the old-fashioned raspberry walnut thumbprint cookies that I have here on The Kitchen Magpie. Those are one of my favourite cookies ever!

close up stack of Raspberry Coconut Bars in a white bowl

I suspect that the reason my Grandma made these raspberry coconut bars so often is that they freeze so incredibly well – indeed, like most bars and squares, there’s something a little magical about eating them half-frozen. The chewiness factor increases exponentially and of course, there is that whole “not having to wait for them to defrost” thing as well.

Like I had written in my book, my Grandma always had a large selection of frozen ” dainties” in her freezer, just in case neighbours or friends stopped by for afternoon coffee and a chat. You wouldn’t get caught unawares out on the farm without a diving selection of dainties that you could serve at a moment’s notice.

stack of Raspberry Coconut Bars in a white bowl with red prints, white mug with yellow print on background

So who has made or eaten raspberry coconut bars before? Are they a favourite from days gone by? I haven’t made them in years and was inspired to bake up a batch this past week. They are happily sitting in my freezer, awaiting company to serve them to!

Happy baking!

Love you more than chocolate,

Karlynn

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Raspberry Coconut Bars, the perfect bar recipe! It freezes well and tastes amazing! Recipe from @kitchenmagpie #dessert #christmas #coconut #recipe

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Raspberry Coconut Bars

Raspberry Coconut Bars, the perfect bar recipe! It freezes well and tastes amazing! Perfect for your Christmas or holiday dessert table!
5 from 55 votes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
19
Calories
191
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

Filling

  • 1 cup raspberry jam of your choice

Topping

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan and set aside.
  • Mix the flour and sugar together, then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until crust mixture resembles crumbs. Pat the crust evenly into bottom of the baking dish.
  • Bake the crust in the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
  • Spread the jam over the top of the crust evenly.
  • Mix the topping ingredients together until there are no lumps and spread evenly over the top. Return to the oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the filling is firm and set.
  • Remove and cool completely.
  • Cool, then slice and serve! These freeze exceptionally well.

Recipe Notes

You can sub in any jam flavour that you want to!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 25g, Calories: 191kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 80mg, Potassium: 67mg, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 175IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 0.8mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Bars and squares Christmas baking Coconut Raspberry Vintage recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Julia Peters says

    Could you sprinkle some frozen raspberries on top of the jam before adding the topping & baking? Or would these be to soggy then?

  2. Jennifer says

    I will never use this site again. Recipe looks swell but I could never see it long enough to actually use because of pop ups and the eternal Get Christmas Cookie Recipes screen overlay that you can’t X out of and takes forever to leave. I know you gotta make a living and I expect ads. But jeebus, this is ridiculous.

    • Nancy says

      these raspberry squares would be good with half the jam. Made by the recipe we had
      to eat them with a spoon.

  3. Lynne says

    I make these every Christmas from my recipe written on the back of a torn envelope. I have very fond memories of studying for exams in our basement when I was in high school and stealing them out of the freezer unbeknownst to my mom who made them for Christmas entertaining. Still prefer to eat them frozen.5 stars

  4. ERIN VAN DE CAMP says

    I believe these are missing an ingredient from the original recipe. I have almost the same recipe and have been making them every Christmas for years. There should be 1 cup of white granulated sugar in the topping ingredients. The baking powder should be increased to 1/2 tbsp and reduce the flour to 1 tbsp.
    Beat the eggs until frothy before stirring in the rest of the topping ingredients.
    All the rest of the instructions and ingredients are correct.

    • JoAnn Bobier says

      I agree my grandma mother made raspberry tarts with a topping like this and it had sugar and just egg yolks. I added the sugar will see if they turn out

      • Julia Peters says

        Could you sprinkle some frozen raspberries on top of the jam before adding the topping & baking? Or would these be to soggy then?

    • Ula says

      If you already have the recipe why did you come here to criticize this one? Stick to what you have5 stars

  5. nicolthepickle says

    These were not that special. They were fine but, I found the crust to filling ratio not quite right.

    • C. Logan says

      You’re right, the crust was falling apart. Either too much flour or not enough butter. Crust crumbled. I only salvaged half the pan.

  6. Nicole Graham says

    Is there supposed to be sugar in the topping?

    • Karlynn Johnston says

      nope, you have to use sweetened coconut, that’s all you need in it!5 stars

  7. Rebecca says

    Topping tasted very eggy. Not sure what happened or if anyone else experienced this.

  8. Lizzie Streit says

    These turned out great for us! I followed the recipe exactly (used an 8×8 pan and let them cool for an hour). I added a sprinkle of coconut on top before baking. Delicious, and I love that they are not overly sweet!5 stars

  9. Brenda says

    Mine turned out too thin. I should have used an 8” pan and not 9”. I just felt it was too wet and the top coconut filling just too runny. I put it in the fridge but not what I was looking for.5 stars

  10. Judy says

    Didn’t work out although tastes good. I mixed the topping ingredients just before I spread the jam onto the cooked crust. Then by the time I went to add the topping it had thickened to the point that it would not spread. I gobbed it on but when cooked it looked just like bits of crust. Tastes ok but not a pretty site.

    • Danielle says

      Same thing happened to me. Almost like an ingredient was missing in the topping, very thick and not enough to spread over all that jam. Tasted OK.

  11. Bibi Abdulla says

    Love to bake bars because it is so easy, then it is cut into lots of serving sizes. I feel happy to bake easy things. I have never tried raspberry bars will do shortly. Thanks

  12. BevD says

    Wondered how you cut these bars to get 19 servings. I can see 6 X 3 = 18 or 4 x 5 = 20. I’m not thinking right about how you cut the bars. They sound delicious. Want to try them soon.

    • Norma says

      I expect she meant to input 9 servings, based on the total calorie count. Perhaps this is a typographical error.

  13. Danielle Renae Howatson says

    Sorry if this is answered somewhere I cannot see but 1/14 cups all purpose flour? Is this 1 1/4 cups AP flour or 1/4 cup AP…..help?

    • Karlynn Johnston says

      It’s 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour.5 stars

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