These classic lemon coconut squares have that perfect old-fashioned homemade taste.
A buttery crust layer is combined with melt-in-your-mouth lemony coconut filling. They're baked and then topped with a sweet powdered sugar frosting. These are the perfect bars to serve for an afternoon treat or as a simple dessert.
An Old Fashioned Recipe
This classic dessert square is sweet and gooey, with the perfect hint of lemon. A simple buttery crust layer is first baked in the oven for just 10 minutes. Next, the lemon coconut layer is spread on top and the dessert is baked again. Once it's cooled, powdered sugar frosting is spread on top.
- The crust layer is really simple and made with just three ingredients.
- Many traditional lemon coconut bars don't require lemon zest. However, I find it adds the perfect hint of lemon to the dessert!
- Serve these warm, soft and gooey fresh out of the oven. Or serve once they've had time to chill in the fridge. Either way will taste delicious.
If you love citrus flavors in your baking (like I do) then you may also enjoy my lemon blueberry muffins or my blueberry orange yogurt pound cake.
Recipe Ingredients
CRUST: The base of the bars is made with flour, brown sugar and melted butter. This ingredient combo will produce a simple crust that holds the squares together.
FILLING: Shredded coconut and lemon zest are the two main ingredients. When combined with sugar, eggs, and flour it produces a deliciously gooey filling.
FROSTING: Powdered sugar, lemon and melted butter are mixed together to create the frosting drizzled on top of the squares.
How To Make Lemon Coconut Squares
- Press crust ingredients into bottom of dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Beat the eggs with brown sugar. Add the rest of the filling ingredients according to the recipe below. Spread on top of crust and bake 20 minutes.
- Mix together the frosting then spread on top of the baked recipe.
- Cut into bars and serve warm or chilled.
Storing Leftovers
These bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They taste great once chilled. I don't recommend freezing them, as the coconut layer will probably end up a little mushy.
Recipe Tips
- Spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray first. This will make it easier to remove the bars once baked.
- Pack the crust firmly into the bottom of the dish. You can use your fingers to press it down or the back of a wooden spoon.
- Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness. Coconut sugar would also work! I don't recommend using white sugar as the squares will taste very different.
- You'll need two lemons for this recipe. One lemon is juiced and zested for filling. The other lemon is juiced for frosting. You can zest a lemon by washing it and then using a cheese grater until the entire outside peel has been grated.
- Eggs can be beaten with brown sugar using a hand mixer (like I did) or beaten by hand.
More Sweet Treats
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are sweet and crunchy with a hint of tartness from fresh strawberries!
- Old Fashioned Date Squares are a classic that many of us remember as kids.
- Six Ways To Make Energy Balls is everything you need to know in order to make six different flavors from one base recipe.
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp is one of the easiest desserts to make.
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Lemon Coconut Squares
Ingredients
Base of Bars:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted melted butter
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice - from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest from 1 lemon
Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice - from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the base of bars: 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup melted butter (melted in microwave). Pack the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish, pressing firmly with your fingers. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar with a hand mixer, or by hand.
- Wash and scrub the outside of a lemon. Grate the outside peel with a cheese grater. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze out juice, removing any seeds.
- Add shredded coconut, 2 tablespoon all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix together.
- Pour the coconut mixture into the dish over top of the baked base layer. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for 1 hour minimum before adding the frosting layer.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, melted butter and 3 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Spread the frosting layer evenly using a spatula.
- Slice into 15 squares, about 2" each. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray first. This will make it easier to remove the bars once baked.
- Pack the crust firmly into the bottom of the dish. You can use your fingers to press it down or the back of a wooden spoon.
- Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness. Coconut sugar would also work! I don’t recommend using white sugar as it will taste very different.
- You might need two lemons for this recipe. One is juiced and zested for filling. The other is juiced for frosting. You can zest a lemon by washing it then using a cheese grater until the entire outside peel has been grated.
- Eggs can be beaten with brown sugar using a hand mixer (like I did) or beaten by hand.
- These bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They taste great once chilled. I don’t recommend freezing them, as the coconut layer will probably end up a little mushy.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
