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a tray of lime coconut bars with swirls of lime cream cheese frosting and curls of lime zest on top cut into slices on a white piece of parchment.

Lime-Frosted Coconut Bars

Print Recipe
My better-than-Starbucks recipe for lime-frosted coconut bars have a chewy cookie base and swirls of lime-scented cream cheese frosting.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword coconut, coconut cookies, cookie bars, cream cheese frosting, lime
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 16 bars (or 25 for smaller servings)

Ingredients

Cookie base

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter gently melted (169 grams)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (105 grams)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (210 grams)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (163 grams)
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut shreds

Lime cream cheese frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (224 grams)
  • The zest of 2 limes
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Grease a 9x9-inch baking tin and line with parchment paper, leaving some overhang so you can lift the bars out.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar.
  • Mix in one egg until fully combined, then mix in the second egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Fold in the coconut and flour.
  • Spread the dough evenly in the tin and bake for about 28 minutes.
  • Let the bars cool in their tin for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the cream cheese, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy. Do not over-mix.
  • Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled bars, then top with more lime zest, if desired.
  • You can eat the bars right away but they are better if you let them chill and set in the refrigerator for an hour or more.

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