Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chunk Bars
Ever have so much to do or say that you don’t know where to start? It’s been the story of my life for the last few months. I want to share so much. Like details from my first ever solo trip to London. And stories from my adventures with my bestie Teresa through Barcelona and Rome. And how I feel about the new celebrity cookbook trend as I continue to page through Gweneth Paltrow’s new cookbook and Bon Appetit with her on the cover (have quite a mouthful to share, for sure). And how I’m going to start unravelling next week.
But instead of continuing to get all worked up I’ll bring you some bars. Some really, really good ones. Slap yo mama good!
Bars are really like cookies minus the fuss of forming/cutting/portioning. Simply plop all the ingredients into a pan, spread ‘em out, bake, cool, cut and enjoy. These start off with a thin cookie layer that is baked until lightly golden which is then topped with a mixture of shredded coconut, pecans and chocolate that will knock your socks off. For this recipe, feel free to use chocolate chips from your supermarket’s baking aisle. But if you really want to elevate these bars take the extra time chop a few bars of premium dark chocolate into small chunks as the stabilizers in store-bought, bagged chocolate chips keep the chips from reaching their melty, gooey potential. And who can resist melty, gooey chocolate.
So the next time you find yourself overwhelmed stop and take a break with 1, 2, 3 … or a panful of these bars.
Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chunk Bars
Ingredients:
For The Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugarFor The Topping
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (1 - 7 ounce package) sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups (8 ounces) pecan pieces, coarsely chopped
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate cut into 1/4” to 1/2” pieces (use 60-70% cocoa)Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and set rack to the lowest position. Spray a 9x13x2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
To start the dough, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar for the dough at medium speed, in a mixer with a paddle attachment, until light and soft, about 2-3 minutes.
While mixing as the lowest speed and add the flour mixture, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix until the dough is smooth, but do not over-mix.
Place the dough into the pan, and gently press into place with your palms and fingers without compressing it too much. Bake the dough until it is slightly puffed in the center, and just starting to color, about 15 minutes.In the meantime, prepare the topping. Place the brown sugar in a large bowl, and with the rubber spatula, mix in the eggs into the sugar one at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition. Add the granulated sugar then stir in the coconut and pecan pieces. Finally, mix in the chocolate chunks. (Don’t get rid of the “chocolate dust” that you will end up with after chopping the bars. That’s good stuff. Add it all in there.)
Remove the pan from the oven when the dough is ready and spread the topping onto the partially cooked base layer. Bake until the filling is set and nicely golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Cool the pan on a rack. Slide a paring knife along the sides to loosen and lift the slab out of the pan and onto a cutting board before it has cooled completely. Once cooled completely, cut into 2-inch squares to serve.
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Megan — May 27, 2011 @ 11:44 am
I can’t wait to hear all about your travels. Sounds amazing! As do these Coconut Pecan Chocolate Chunk Bars. I remember having something similar to these once as a child, and they were something I could never forget! Thanks for the inspiration, I may just have to make these for a little get-together we are having tonight!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic — May 27, 2011 @ 12:43 pm
Coconut, pecan, and chocolate chunks make a wonderful trio of ingredients! It’s been a while since I’ve made bars, I forgot how much easier they are than cookies – thanks for the reminder!
Rosa — May 27, 2011 @ 1:09 pm
OMG, those are to die for! So devilish looking.
Cheers,
Rosa
Jessica of My Baking Heart — May 27, 2011 @ 2:35 pm
You can mail a few of those down to Texas, right?
Megan — May 27, 2011 @ 3:01 pm
I feel just like you do right now. I’m getting ready to head off on vacation and have all sorts of loose ends to take care of.
I’m interested to see what you think of Paltrow on the cover of BA. I don’t mind that they feature her inside, but it’s a little weird seeing her on the cover.
vanillasugarblog — May 27, 2011 @ 7:02 pm
wow. these are heavenly.
i am so happy that modern baking is just that.
you know?
modern is the way to go since there are no boundaries.
do you like this cookbook? other good recipes?
Brian @ A Thought For Food — May 28, 2011 @ 11:10 am
Oh dear… oh dear. Just what i love in a dessert bar. Coconut, chocolate… that’s all I need.
Janet Rudolph @ DyingforChocolate — May 28, 2011 @ 11:57 am
These are perfect for the weekend! What a great recipe. Of course, if you could drop them off on your way, it would be better.
Isabel — May 28, 2011 @ 1:56 pm
I can not wait to hear about your travels! I love, love, love Spain (i grew up there) & I hope you took lots of photos!!
Katrina — May 28, 2011 @ 2:23 pm
Yum!
Ramble away. Share. Waiting.,
dani — May 29, 2011 @ 9:04 pm
i can empathize about how hectic life can get… i feel like since 2011 rolled in i haven’t caught my breath… that must be what summer is for, right?
bars look GREAT! can’t wait to try them
La Phemme Phoodie — May 30, 2011 @ 2:33 pm
I feel overwhelmed quite often. Looking forward to having these for some comfort food. They are chunk full of all of my favorite ingredients.
Bren — May 30, 2011 @ 3:36 pm
GP on the cover of BA?? gag me now. while i love her, i just wish some artists would stay in their field… i saw her party on tv during some show pero creo que ella ni cocino. not hating at all b/c i really do love her as an actor.. but good lawd…. anyway, had no idea you had scooted to London, Spain or Rome! Way jelly. Shame on me. Imma go catch up now and read.
And, i’m putting this in queue for you to make next time I’m up there. que ridiculously delicious!
CookiePie — May 30, 2011 @ 9:29 pm
Uh oh! That’s what I thought when I saw the first pic. Then I read your great post and the fab recipe and now I say, UH OH! Obviously I have to make these! Thanks for sharing
Pamela — May 30, 2011 @ 9:30 pm
Looking forward to those posts, whenever you get them up. These bars look truly incredible!
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride — May 31, 2011 @ 10:44 am
Maybe it’s the coconut and chocolate, but these remind me of Almond Joy bars and that is my FAVORITE candy!
Spike — May 31, 2011 @ 12:16 pm
these look incredible!
Bridgett — May 31, 2011 @ 9:05 pm
Oh you know if they are Slap Yo Mama good then you know they are the best. These look awesome! Hands down, I would be all over these in a hot minute. Screw that healthy eating plan.
5 Star Foodie — May 31, 2011 @ 9:51 pm
Sounds like you’ve had some fun adventures, hope you share them here soon! The bars look so scrumptious with coconut, pecan and chocolate, what a wonderful combination!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best — May 31, 2011 @ 9:56 pm
Oh boy! Do these coconut pecan chocolate chunk bars look good! I love the different textures in these bars, and the ooey gooey chocolate that binds all of this goodness.
William Casper — June 1, 2011 @ 1:00 am
Did she say, “Slap yo mama good?” That was pretty funny. The bars look tasty. Can’t wait to hear what this chica has to say about the celebrity cookbook craze.
Sara @ Saucy Dipper — June 1, 2011 @ 9:26 am
Gwyneth Paltrow…she acts, she sings, she creates websites, she cooks…what’s next? Children’s books? Must be nice to afford an army of assistants.
Delicious looking bars. The coconut does it for me.
The Duo Dishes — June 1, 2011 @ 10:30 am
These might make you slap your mama and somebody else’s mama too! That might not be nice, but it happens.
You’ve been really busy! What a fun and whirlwind trip. Can’t wait to hear about your travels.
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction — June 1, 2011 @ 3:20 pm
These look so good… I really shouldn’t be catching up on blog reading right before dinner. I’m sooo hungry now
Julie — June 2, 2011 @ 9:40 pm
These look delicious. Anxious to hear about your travels and Gwyneth’s book.
Jackie — June 3, 2011 @ 11:58 am
Looks yummy!! I want one right now!
Tracy — June 3, 2011 @ 1:22 pm
These look SO amazing! I’d have to leave out the pecans since I’m allergic to nuts, but I can always throw in more chocolate to even things out.
Sanura @ MyLifeRunsOnFood.com — June 4, 2011 @ 12:02 am
These have all my favorite ingredients! I’m already in love with them.
sheila @ Elements — June 4, 2011 @ 1:04 am
Looks wonderful! And I like how easy it is to make too!
I’ve bookmarked it so I can try it one of these days! 
Lori — June 4, 2011 @ 9:46 am
These are beautiful. All of my favorites in one handy bar. Yum!
Emily — June 6, 2011 @ 3:21 am
Yummm. I love chocolate and coconut together.
rebecca — June 7, 2011 @ 7:40 am
I love the simplicity of bar cookies, and this one sounds great.
blackbookkitchendiaries — June 8, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
what a dynamite combo!! all of my favorite ingredients in one stunning bar:) love it!
Jennifer — June 14, 2011 @ 10:05 am
Those bars look like HEAVEN
Alexandra — July 28, 2011 @ 8:48 am
Oh, those are heaven in food form. The food blogger principles are lovely, too ~ Alexandra
Softa123 — August 1, 2011 @ 5:28 pm
Elenda, I love your website so much that I am adding it to my blogroll and I gave it a thumbs up “I like it!” on Stumble! I love your recipes and your attitude! Hope you have a great vacation and continued success with your website.
If you would like to see mine, the url for ATzimmes is http://atzimmes.wordpress.com. Let me know what you think of my site, if you do visit!
Jessica18 — December 23, 2011 @ 7:42 pm
The bars are delicious. I love coconut, and it does remind me of my favorite candy, ALMOND JOY!!!!!!!!!
Jessica18 — December 23, 2011 @ 7:44 pm
I’ve always wanted to go to Rome.
Dana23 — December 23, 2011 @ 7:48 pm
The semi sweet chocolate really brings out the flavor of coconut.isn’t that dough cookie dough?
Dana23 — December 23, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
I love coconut. Lisa @ the cooking bride is right this does remind me of my favorite candy, ALMOND JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!