I knew I would soon create and make the best, easiest coconut bar recipe ever when I saw Dolly Parton's coconut cake mix on the grocery store shelves; I had to buy it on the spot.
Why was I so sure? Because way back, more than thirty years back, Peg Bracken introduced me to the world of semi-homemade. Peg wrote a book called The I Hate To Cook Book.
With her witty, irreverent sense of humor, she made me aware that not everything had to be made from scratch. The mid-century cookbook is so good that over fifty years later, you can still buy it!
I have never hated to cook, but as a business owner and working mom, I had to learn a lot of tricks to keep up! While our girls were still in high school, I learned how to make cookies from a cake mix, and I called them Desperation Cookies.
Then, one night when I couldn't even muster the gumption to roll the dough into 36 balls, Desperation Cookies V.2 was born. I patted the dough into a pan and made the first Desperation Bar cookie. Busy Day Lemon Bars happened, and they have become a family favorite to this day!
Over the years, I've experimented with many cake mixes and add-in combos, and they've all been good. I created a list at the bottom of the lemon bars post if you want to take a peek!
You'll love it because you won't even need to get out a mixer and you can have these yummy bars in the oven in five minutes, so turn on the oven to 350 degrees before you even start!
This bar is exceptionally moist and decadent; it will make a lovely little dessert for any occasion. You can vary the add-ins and the toppings to suit your taste, and they only take about 12-15 minutes to bake!
They cut into 12 to 16 bars, a nice-sized batch for a smaller family or office goodie.
Empty the dry cake mix into a medium-sized bowl and stir in two eggs and one-half cup of neutral cooking oil. Mix well, then add 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut and 1/2 cup of white baking chips and stir until the add-ins are evenly distributed.
Pat the dough into a greased pan. You can use a nine-inch square pan or an eleven-by-seven-inch bar pan. Pop it in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown. Set the pan on a cooling rack while you stir up the glaze.
I toasted about 1/2 cup of coconut in the oven while the bars baked, but watch carefully because it will toast quickly. You do not need to toast the coconut, but I wanted a little color and crunch on top.
First of all, the glaze is optional, so it's up to you, but I am a sucker for a pretty detail on anything that leaves my kitchen. Mix a cup of powdered sugar with a half teaspoon of vanilla and about two tablespoons of milk or cream to make a glaze.
You can add some almond extract or coconut extract if you have some for extra flavor. Let the bars cool before you add the glaze, then while it's still wet, toss on the toasted or untoasted coconut. You could also use sprinkles, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips to make these coconut bars your dream come true!
A fast and easy coconut bar cookie using a cake mix and add-ins. Delicious!
I love bar cookies because they are so easy to make and because they are the perfect-sized dessert treat! I hope you'll try this easiest coconut bar recipe and my lemon bar recipe, too.
Be sure to look at the variations I suggest in my lemon bar post. You never know when you might need to provide a little dessert, and there are so many tasty options!
If you liked this recipe, you are my people! If you like this recipe, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!
If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest, where I will share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes every week!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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Betty I am LOVING the looks of these bars! I had NO idea Dolly had a line of cake mixes and now I am on the hunt!! That is awesome. I am not even a huge coconut fan but for some reason still clicked on these, that's how good they look!! Yum. Well done!
Holy hairspray!! I could not be more excited if Taylor Swift commented because you are my idol! My fave food blogger evah. Yes, she has a banana cake mix (Can't wait to play with that one!), cornbread, biscuits, brownies and frosting, too, made by Duncan Hines, available at Walmart!! I love Dolly's philanthropy Imagination Library, giving away books to encourage literacy and all the other ways she shares her resources. She could be a billionaire if she wasn't so generous. That's the only reason I aspire to wealth.
I saw you from afar at the EFC in SLC in 2019 and have been your devoted follower ever since. I am probably older than your mom, without a doubt I was the oldest living food blogger at that conference.
White baking chips? Vanilla or I am thinking white chocolate.
There are white baking chips and white chocolate chips. They are not the same.
The best explanation is what you can find online. "Are white baking chips and white chocolate chips the same?
White baking chips, often mistaken for white chocolate, indeed share a similar appearance, but that's where the resemblance ends. Here's why white baking chips fall short of the real deal: Missing Cocoa Butter: The fundamental ingredient that sets white chocolate apart from white baking chips is cocoa butter."
I use ordinary white baking chips and there are several brands to choose from! They are very tasty. Hope this helps.