Blueberry Coconut Bars

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Flakes of coconut and bursts of tart berries are in every bite of these Blueberry Coconut Bars. The batter is the crust and the topping to keep it easy…and don’t forget the glaze!

Awhile back I baked a strawberry version of these gorgeous cherry bars I found on Cravings of a Lunatic. They were a hit in my house. Because after all….we are cherry lovers.

I decided we need to take that recipe and switch it up a bit with something new. And the result?? Let me tell you about these blueberry coconut bars. I’m 100% sure you’ll LOVE them.

blueberry bar on a plate

What you’ll love about this recipe:

  • The batter comes together easily, it’s a dream to work with, and best of all…it lends itself to so many possibilities.
  • coconut flakes and cream of coconut in the bars
  • sweet blueberries, macerated to bring out flavor
  • sweet glaze

The first bite is heaven. And so is the fifth. The consistency is that of a soft moist cake with bites of sweetened coconut flakes and bursts of tart blueberries. Seriously. You’re going to love them.

Make the Blueberry Coconut Bars

The dough goes into a dish or pan in two parts – A bottom layer, followed by the blueberries – Then we drop spoonfuls of dough, cobbler style over the blueberries. As it bakes the batter spreads leaving tiny peeks of blueberries in between. It’s gorgeous, I tell you. Let’s make it.

Macerate the blueberries:

What is macerating? It is a process where natural fruit juices are expelled quickly with the aid of sugar. This enhances the flavor of the blueberries.

Sprinkle sugar over the cleaned berries. Mix briefly with a spatula and set aside uncovered for about an hour or so.

Make the batter:

  • In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment over medium/high speed. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes or so.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop and scrape the mixer to incorporate. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the mixer. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and sweetened cream of coconut. Mix briefly to combine.
  • Add the flour in two parts, mixing until just combined. Stop and remove bowl from mixer. Fold in the sweetened coconut flakes but do not over mix. A couple folds is all you need. You will end up with a nice stiff batter.

Assemble the bars:

Lightly spray a 9×13 dish and line with parchment leaving a slight overhang.

  • Measure 3 ½ cups of batter and drop into prepared pan. Smooth and even out as best you can with a small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
  • Drop spoonfuls of macerated blueberries, along with any syrup, onto the batter and spread them as even as you can.
  • With a cookie scoop, drop random spoonfuls of remaining batter over the macerated blueberries. No need to smooth it out. It will spread as it bakes.

It will take about 30-35 minutes for the bars to bake. Allow the bars to cool before removing them from the pan. They will be soft and cake like!

glaze in a bowl with a whisk

Powdered sugar glaze:

Once the batter bakes and cools, you cut them into bars and drizzle a glaze that is mixed with a tiny hint of coconut. Just whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Use cream of coconut for the ultimate creaminess and extra coconut flavor.

spoon drizzling glaze on coconut bar

How to Store Blueberry Coconut Bars

Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature. You can keep them at room temperature for up to 48 hours. If you have them after that, store them in the refrigerator. These freeze well too!

stack of blueberry bars
blueberry coconut bars with glaze
blueberry coconut bars with glaze

Blueberry Coconut Bars

4.50 from 4 votes
Flakes of coconut and bursts of tart berries are in every bite of these Blueberry Coconut Bars. Spring isn’t quite here, but these bars bring us closer!
Servings 20 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

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Ingredients
 

For the macerated blueberries:

For the bars:

For the glaze:

Instructions
 

Macerate the blueberries:

  • Rinse the blueberries and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar over the berries. Mix briefly with a spatula and set aside uncovered for about an hour or so.

Bake the batter:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9×13 dish and line with parchment leaving a slight overhang. Set aside.
  • In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment over medium/high speed. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes or so.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop and scrape the mixer to incorporate. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the mixer. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and sweetened cream of coconut*. Mix briefly to combine.
  • Add the flour in two parts, mixing until just combined. Stop and remove bowl from mixer. Fold in the sweetened coconut flakes. Fold the batter a couple of times to incorporate any dry bits that remain on the bottom of the bowl, but do not over mix. A couple folds is all you need. You will end up with a nice stiff batter.
  • Measure about 3 ½ cups of batter and drop into prepared pan. Smooth and even out as best you can with a small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
  • Drop spoonfuls of macerated blueberries onto the batter and spread them as even as you can. Drizzle evenly any blueberry syrup that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl.
  • With a cookie scoop, drop random spoonfuls of remaining batter over the macerated blueberries. No need to smooth it out. It will melt and come together as it bakes.
  • Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the top is a golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling a bit. Remove dish (or pan) from the oven and allow it to cool completely before removing from the dish and glazing.

Make the glaze:

  • In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and cream of coconut. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and mix with either a small whisk or a fork until you get the desired consistency.
  • Lifting the parchment overhang, remove bars from the dish. Cut the bars into squares and drizzle glaze over the bars. Top with blueberries if desired. You know, to make this situation look purty and whatnot.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the bars being cut into 20 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 bar. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 326
Keyword fruit, summer

Other Blueberry Desserts

About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Tina K
3 years ago

4 stars
I made these today with apples. They came out well. Thank you for the recipe !

Becky Tonner
3 years ago

my husband is a diabetic can i use splenda to macerate the Blueberries

Cindi
3 years ago

In your recipe details you state about adding the vanilla extract but in your written instructions you say vanilla bean paste…which to use?

Liz
8 years ago

Another yum. Thank you. You have the best recipes.