Chocolate Coconut Bars

If you know and love Mounds Bars then you’ll get excited about these homemade Chocolate Coconut Bars!

Using a buttery Graham cracker crust, proceed to add the next layer of creamy sweet condensed milk and shredded coconut, finished off with melted chocolate. 

Once set, cut your chocolate coconut bars into squares that can be enjoyed as a sweet indulgent treat or for Dessert alongside ice cream. 

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chocolate Coconut Bars
• Make The Crust
• Make The Coconut Filling
• Make The Chocolate Topping
• Pro Recipe Tips
• Variations
• What To Serve With Chocolate Coconut Bars
• FAQs
• Recipe
• ⭐ Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Make Ahead: Certain elements of these chocolate coconut bars can be made ahead of time such as the cracker crumb crust since this will need to be baked and cooled prior to adding the coconut filling. 
• Inexpensive treat: The chocolate coconut treats are truly irresistible and won’t require much expense at all. In fact, you probably already have the majority of the ingredients in your pantry already if you enjoy these types of sweet treats. 
• Enjoyed Year Round: Chocolate coconut bars (also known as mound bars) are often enjoyed around the holidays but can just as easily be whipped up with little effort for a midweek sweet treat, any time of the year for any occasion!

Why This Recipe Works

• Tried and True Recipe. These chocolate coconut bars are favorites in my house – tried and tested in my kitchen, and served up to family, friends, and guests with only positive feedback and numerous requests for the recipe!
• Easy To Follow Instructions. I’m going to walk you through the process of making these scrumptious coconut bars effortlessly with the aid of simple recipe instructions and step-by-step recipe images. 
• FAQs. Frequently asked questions and pro recipe tips have been included in this recipe post to ensure that your experience of making these chocolate coconut bars is easy and enjoyable. 
• Variation Ideas Included. Recipe variations are listed below should you like to add any personal twists to your treats. 

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don’t have a specific ingredient on hand. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Ingredients

• Graham cracker crumbs – original Graham crackers or even the cinnamon flavored Graham crackers would work. The cracker crumbs are an important aspect of this treat, providing a solid base for the softer filling and topping. You could use a different cracker or cookie such as vanilla wafers or digestive biscuits instead if you wish. 
• Butter – use unsalted butter. I haven’t tried this recipe with salted butter before so I’m not sure whether the salt would create an off-balance of flavors. You could definitely use margarine instead of butter, especially if you want to make these treats vegan-friendly.
• Condensed milk – not evaporated milk!
• Unsweetened shredded dried coconut – you can use sweetened shredded dried coconut instead if you want less sweetness in these chocolate coconut bars. Toasted shredded dried coconut is another option and provides a delicious nutty flavor. 
• Maple syrup – this is a great alternative to granulated sugar and helps to keep the coconut filling intact too. 
• Coconut oil – You can use unflavored coconut oil or flavored since this treat is all about the coconut in any case! The main purpose of the oil is to create a smooth texture to the melted chocolate chips. Without it, you may end up with some lumps. Canola oil or vegetable oil can be used as well.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – if you opt for Ghirardelli’s chocolate melting wafers or candy melts then you won’t need to add the coconut oil in order to get a smooth lump-free consistency.  

How To Make Chocolate Coconut Bars

Make The Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Prepare the crust by mixing the graham cracker crumbs, salt, and the melted butter. (Photos 1 and 2).
3. Add the graham cracker crumb mixture to a parchment lined baking pan.
4. Gently press using the back of a spoon to form the crust inside the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool.

Make The Coconut Filling

1. Meanwhile in a medium size bowl, add the coconut and condensed milk.
2. Add the maple syrup.
3. Next add the vanilla.
4. Mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix so the coconut doesn’t break.
5. When cool, add the coconut mixture on top of the cracker crust. Spread evenly.
6. Place the bars back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the coconut looks crispy on the edges. Do not over bake. Let it cool completely.

Make The Chocolate Topping

1. When the coconut filling is cool, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Make sure you do not burn it. Mix.
2. Make sure the coconut filling is pressed flat in the pan.
3. Pour the melted chocolate over the coconut filling.
4. Spread the melted chocolate over the coconut bars.
5. Let it set for an hour before you cut them or until the chocolate has hardened. Place the bars in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.

Pro Recipe Tips

• Thin Out Chocolate. If your melted chocolate looks and feels too thick, simply stir in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. 
• Candy melts or Ghirardelli chocolate wafers can be used for coating these chocolate coconut bars of the semi sweet chocolate chips. If you do use candy melts or wafers, it’s unlikely that you will need to add in any oil while melting the chocolate to achieve a smooth consistency since these product options don’t usually contain stabilizers as an ingredient, enabling them to melt much better into a smooth consistency without the aid of oil. 
• Decorate. While you could leave your chocolate coconut bars plain, if you do decide to get creative with decorative sprinkles, make sure to do so when the chocolate is still wet so that they have a chance to stick adequately to the tops of the bars. 
• High Quality. I always suggest using high quality chocolate for the top layer of these chocolate coconut bars. This can apply to any chocolate-covered treat. You will always get smoother melted chocolate results when using a good quality chocolate!
• Prevent Chocolate From Burning. While I’ve melted the chocolate in the microwave for this recipe, I know that a lot of people prefer melting chocolate over a double boiler since microwaving chocolate has a greater risk of burning chocolate and once burnt, there’s no going back – you’ll have to throw the chocolate away and start from the beginning. It’s totally up to you which method you choose to use. 
• Leftover Melted Chocolate. If you have any leftover melted chocolate, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can be melted again using the double boiler method when you want to make an extra batch of these chocolate coconut bars or to coat or decorate other sweet treats.
• Make Ahead. Since these chocolate coconut bars take at least 2-3 hours to properly set, I suggest planning for this recipe ahead of time, especially if you intend making these for a particular event. 

Variations

• Coconut Topping. Make use of toasted shredded coconut to add a delicious nut flavor to these chocolate coconut bars. 
• Peanut Butter. Some recipes call for the addition of nut butter like peanut butter when melting the chocolate for chocolate nut butter coconut bars. If you do, you may not need to add the coconut oil to the melting chocolate since the oil in the nut butter will do the job of creating a smooth consistency in the chocolate mixture. 
• Dark Chocolate Chips can be used for a richer treat instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

What To Serve With Chocolate Coconut Bars

These mouth-watering chocolate coconut bars can be served as a standalone sweet treat or you could serve them in a bowl with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream as a dessert.

Since chocolate coconut bars are quite popular around the holidays, consider adding them to a holiday charcuterie dessert board where you may want to cut them down in size for smaller bite-size treats. 

FAQs

IS IT NECESSARY TO ADD OIL TO THE MELTED CHOCOLATE?

Melted chocolate chips can sometimes form lumps and bumps due to stabilizer ingredients found in most brands. The addition of oil helps to smooth out the melted chocolate so that you get a lump-free consistency, perfect for coating treats such as these Chocolate Coconut Bars! 

I’ve used coconut oil (scented or unscented) but you could also use vegetable oil or canola oil. 

In cases where you have used candy melts or wafers, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to add in any oil since these melt smoothly.

HOW SHOULD I STORE CHOCOLATE COCONUT BARS?

Leftover chocolate coconut bars can be stored for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap while in the baking dish. 

You also have the option to freeze these bars for up to 3 months. It will be easier to cut the bars prior to freezing them so that you can take the exact number required without defrosting an entire tray. 

CAN I MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE COCONUT BARS AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely! In fact, since you need to allow the bars to set for a couple of hours, you can make these anywhere between 3-24 hours in advance of serving, covering the tray with plastic wrap and storing them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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