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This recipe is near and dear to my heart because it features my Great Grandma Runion’s frosting recipe. I never had the privilege of meeting my great grandma. She passed away right before I was born. But thirty-six years later, people still talk about what an amazing baker she was. Luckily, I have a stack of recipes, and every time I make one of them, I feel like I am connecting with her. Ah, the magic of baking! There is just something about it that brings people and families together.

But going back to Great Grandma Runion’s frosting for a minute. This is Coconut Pecan frosting. You know, the kind that is meant to be on German Chocolate Cake. Here’s the deal… I love (LOVE!) German Chocolate Cake, but at the end of the day, I am really there for the frosting.

So imagine then a cookie bar filled with coconut and pecans with coconut pecan frosting on top of that. In other words, more coconut and pecans that you could possibly ever dream of. Oh yeah!

Just the other day, I got a phone call from a friend. “Hey! I heard you made So-and-So coconut pecan bars.”

“Yeah… how did you hear about that?”

“They were so good, he had to call me and tell me about them.”

That’s right! We are talking bars that are so delicious, so moist, so coconut-pecan-y that you’ll have to call your neighbor!

To make them, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 325. Next, cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit inside your 8 inch square pan. Like always, I use my Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Square Cake Pan. I love how it’s light-colored coating keeps food from browning too much on the bottom. Not to mention, that I’ve had the exact same pan for twelve years now. It gets sooo much use and still is good as new.

Next, you’ll want to combine ½ c. light brown sugar, salt, and 1 c. flour in a bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture. I always use a fork, but you can also use a pastry cutter and pretend that you are fancy. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.

Meanwhile, mix together 1 c. brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, baking powder. When combined, add in the coconut and pecans. Stir until just covered.

When the first layer is done, remove from the oven. Using a spatula, carefully cover the layer with the coconut pecan mixture.

Place back into the oven and cook for another 25 minutes.

While your second layer is baking, place is a saucepan 1 stick butter, heavy whipping cream, sugar, egg yolks, and arrowroot powder. Do not beat or cream the ingredients. Just continue to stir constantly until it begins to thicken. When it has thicken, remove from heat and stir in remaining 1½ c. coconut and 1 c. chopped pecans.

When the second layer is done, remove from the oven. Using a spatula, carefully cover the second layer with frosting. Allow to cool completely before cutting. (I have actually allowed these to cool to room temperature and then covered the pan with aluminum foil and placed in the freezer for a minimum of four hours to overnight. This makes the bars very easy to cut. If you don’t care about their ooey-gooeyness, you can cut them at room temperature.

The ones in the picture below are in all of their full oozy-gooey glory:

These may seem like a lot of steps with three different layers, but trust me, they are more than worth it. Just make sure your exhibit self-control around these coconut pecan bars. You’ll need it!

Are you ready to get started? Today is a great day to bake!

Coconut Pecan Bars

Author: Millason
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 50
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 18
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake

Ingredients

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ c. light brown sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour, plus another 2 Tbsp.

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

2 sticks butter

1 c. granulated sugar

3 tsp. arrowroot powder

3 c. shredded coconut, unsweetened

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

2 c. chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit inside a 8 inch square pan.

Combine ½ c. light brown sugar, salt, and 1 c. flour in a bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture, using a fork or pastry cutter. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.

Meanwhile, mix together 1 c. brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, baking powder. When combined, add in the coconut and pecans. Stir until just covered.

When the first layer is done, remove from the oven. Using a spatula, carefully cover the layer with the coconut pecan mixture.

Place back into the oven and cook for another 25 minutes.

When the second layer is done, remove from the oven. Using a spatula, carefully cover the second layer with frosting. Allow to cool completely before cutting or place in the freezer from 4 hours to overnight and then cut.