Coconut Lime Bars

This Coconut Lime Bars recipe makes for an indulgent summer dessert that is creamy, tangy, and sweet. Perfect for that after-dinner sweet tooth!

With a filling made of lime zest, lime juice and coconut milk, plus sweetened shredded coconut on top, Coconut Lime Bars are a refreshing treat on a hot summer day. Pair them with a refreshing glass of green tea or homemade lemonade for the perfect afternoon snack or end to the evening.

Ingredients

Coconut Lime Filling

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Coconut milk: use full fat canned coconut milk.
• Lime juice: freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor, but bottled when you want to make it easy.
• Lime zest
• Sour cream: can be replaced with plain Greek yogurt.
• Coconut extract (optional): this can be hard to find and expensive, so if you don't have it, skip it. 
• Green food coloring (optional): only use if you'd like to make your lime coconut bars look more festive and limey.
• Shredded coconut: used for the topping, so sweetened coconut shreds make the best taste.

Crust

• Flour: all purpose flour (or whole wheat/almond/coconut for a healthier lime bar).
• Crushed graham crackers
• White sugar: can be substituted with light brown sugar or coconut sugar.
• Melted butter

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

There are only 2 hands-on steps to making this recipe.

1. Make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, crushed graham crackers, white sugar and melted butter. Mix, then press the mixture down into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven. While the crust bakes, move onto the next step to prepare the coconut lime filling.
2. Make the filling. Mix together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest and sour cream in the mixing bowl. If using, also add the coconut extract and green food coloring. Mix until smooth, then pour the filling onto the baked crust and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and while still warm sprinkle on the sweetened shredded coconut.
3. Chill the bars in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set the filling. Once set, remove them from the pan by lifting up the parchment paper and transferring to a cutting board. Slice the bars into small squares or rectangles and serve.

How to Store and Freeze Lime Bars

Store coconut lime bars in the fridge for up to 1 week, covered. They can be frozen individually wrapped in freezer safe plastic wrap for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Tips For The Best Coconut Lime Bars

• For a more textured bar, add a cup or so of coconut shreds to the filling mixture before baking.
• Chill the bars in the refrigerator completely before serving. The longer they chill, the more firm the bars will be.
• You can use other size baking pans, such as a 9x9 or 9x13. Just make sure that the sides are raised so the filling doesn't spill over.

Enjoy!

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Recipe