Nutella Coconut Bars: A Sweet Retrospective

Today, we’re revisiting a recipe from our archives – the Nutella Coconut Bars. Adapted from the timeless Fannie Farmer Cookbook, this recipe offered a fascinating blend of familiar flavors and a unique texture. While my initial review was perhaps influenced by a celebratory cold (who wants sweets when they’re under the weather?), revisiting this recipe allows us to appreciate its charm and potential with fresh eyes.

These bars produce 16 delightful servings, perfect for sharing, or enjoying over a few days!

Ingredients for Our Nutella Coconut Bars

Gathering the right ingredients is the first step towards creating these rich and nutty bars. Make sure your butter is at room temperature for the best results in creaming.

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus an additional 2 tablespoons (separated for different stages)
• 1/2 cup Nutella (the star of our show!)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds (or your favorite nut)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Step-by-Step Baking Instructions for Nutella Coconut Bars

Follow these detailed steps to create your own batch of these uniquely textured and flavorful Nutella Coconut Bars.

1. Prepare Your Oven and Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to a steady 350ºF (175ºC). Generously butter and lightly flour an 8×8-inch square baking dish. This ensures your bars won’t stick and will release easily once cooled.

2. Craft the Shortbread Base: In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the first cup of flour, blending until a soft dough forms. This will be the delicious foundation of your bars.

3. First Bake of the Base: Evenly press the shortbread dough into the prepared baking dish. Ensure it’s spread from edge to edge in a uniform layer. Bake this base for 15 minutes, until it’s lightly golden around the edges and set.

4. 

   The perfectly baked shortbread base, ready for its delicious toppings.

5. Prepare the Topping Mixture: While your pastry base is baking, begin preparing the luscious topping. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until slightly frothy. Then, add the light brown sugar and vanilla extract, beating vigorously until the mixture becomes thick and pale, indicating that the sugar is well incorporated.

6. Incorporate Dry Ingredients for Topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining two tablespoons of flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to the egg and sugar mixture, incorporating it well until smooth. This adds structure to our topping.

7. Fold in Nuts and Coconut: Gently fold in the coarsely chopped almonds and the unsweetened shredded coconut. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. This creates a rich, textured topping that will sit atop the Nutella layer.

8. 

   The almond and coconut topping mixture, ready for layering.

9. Layer with Nutella: Once the shortbread base is out of the oven, spread the 1/2 cup of Nutella evenly over the warm, baked pastry. The warmth of the base will help the Nutella spread smoothly and effortlessly.

10. 

    A generous layer of Nutella coats the golden shortbread.

11. Top with Nut and Coconut Mixture: Carefully spoon and spread the nut and coconut mixture over the Nutella layer, ensuring an even distribution across the entire surface. This creates a beautiful contrast in texture and flavor.

12. 

    The final layers before their last bake.

13. Final Bake: Return the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs.

14. Cool Completely and Cut: Once baked, remove the dish from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial for the bars to firm up and hold their shape. Once thoroughly cooled, cut them into 16 even bars. These bars, due to their delicate nature, are best enjoyed with a fork or as a crumbly topping to ice cream!

15. 

    Our finished Nutella Coconut Bars, ready to be enjoyed.

Reflecting on the Nutella Coconut Bars

While my initial encounter with these bars was under the cloud of a fever and cold – certainly not the ideal conditions for a sweet treat review – I want to offer a more nuanced perspective. These Nutella Coconut Bars, though not traditionally “fudgy” or “sticky” like some bar cookies, offer a unique, almost crumbly texture, reminiscent of a delicious, deconstructed dessert best enjoyed with a fork. The flavor profile is subtly sweet, allowing the distinct tastes of Nutella, toasted coconut, and almonds to shine through without being overwhelmingly sugary.

They earned 1 1/2 rolling pins on my personal scale (which means they were good, but perhaps not life-changing at that particular moment), though my daughter, with her unbiased palate, rated them a solid 2! It goes to show how personal taste, and even your mood, can influence a culinary experience. If you appreciate desserts that aren’t overly sweet, celebrate individual ingredients, and offer a unique texture, these bars might just be a delightful surprise for you. They could also be an excellent candidate for pairing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Tips for Perfect Nutella Coconut Bars and Variations to Try

• Don’t Rush Cooling: Allowing the bars to cool completely is essential for them to set properly and make cutting easier. Patience is key!
• Nutella Temperature: If your Nutella is very firm, you can gently warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to spread.
• Nut Alternatives: Not a fan of almonds? Feel free to substitute with pecans, walnuts, or even hazelnuts to enhance the Nutella flavor further.
• Toasted Coconut: For an even deeper coconut flavor, lightly toast your shredded coconut in a dry pan before adding it to the mixture.
• Serving Suggestion: As noted, these bars have a softer, more crumbly texture. They are wonderful served warm with a scoop of ice cream, or crumbled over yogurt for a unique breakfast treat.
• Consider a Glaze: For a sweeter, more cohesive finish, a simple drizzle of melted white chocolate or a thin powdered sugar glaze could be added once the bars are cooled.

A Milestone Celebration: The 200-Day Vintage Kitchen Giveaway!

From the nuances of our Nutella Coconut Bars, we happily segue into a reflection on our spectacular 200th Day Giveaway! This wasn’t just about celebrating a number; it was about celebrating community, shared passion, and the beautiful memories we create in our kitchens. Instead of just sharing a recipe, we wanted to give back to our amazing readers with something truly special and personal.

The Heartfelt Prizes: A Nod to Grandma’s Kitchen

This giveaway held deep sentimental value for me, as the prizes were chosen to evoke warmth and nostalgia, much like my own baking inspirations. At the heart of it was a cookie cutter that holds a very special place in my heart:

This exact cookie cutter, pictured above, was my grandmother’s. She used it religiously for her famous jam-filled sugar cookies, a recipe I’ve attempted to recreate myself (with varying success, as the dough needs to be just right!). It wasn’t just a tool; it was a link to cherished childhood memories, the aroma of baking, and the love poured into every treat. The countless comments and emails I received about that cutter truly highlighted how much these simple items resonate with us.

So, for the giveaway, I was overjoyed to offer one lucky winner not just one, but a collection of vintage treasures to inspire their own kitchen memories! The grand prize included:

• A very similar vintage cookie cutter, allowing the winner to create their own baking traditions.
• Three additional unique vintage cookie cutters, each with its own charm and story waiting to be told.
• A beautiful metal scoop, perfect for flour, sugar, or cookies, all discovered at the delightful Jaanas Vintage shop on Etsy.

My immersion into collecting vintage kitchen items has brought back so many wonderful memories of being in Grandma’s kitchen – the sounds, the smells, the comfort. I truly wanted to share that feeling, hoping these items would allow the winner to forge their own treasured kitchen moments.

How Our Community Participated and the Winner Revealed!

The entry process for this special giveaway was all about connection and sharing. To enter, readers simply had to leave a comment on the post, sharing a favorite memory of being in the kitchen. It was heartwarming to read all the stories, laughter, and love that filled the comments section.

The giveaway ran from the post date until Tuesday, September 6, at 10:00 pm MST, with the winner randomly selected via Random.org on Wednesday, September 7. Extra entries were available for those who “liked” our Facebook page, became a follower of the blog, blogged about the giveaway, or subscribed to our daily updates, encouraging widespread participation and engagement across our growing community.

The excitement was palpable as we prepared to announce the winner. And the results were in!

A huge congratulations to Cindy B.! Her simple comment, “I am a follower,” sealed her fate as our lucky winner. This moment truly highlighted the joy of community and the simple act of sharing our baking journey together.

Building a Community Through Baking and Beyond

Looking back at our 200th day, it’s clear that this blog is more than just a collection of recipes. It’s a platform for sharing, learning, and connecting. We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with other talented bloggers, like Marla from Family Fresh Cooking. Marla graciously invited me to share my Secret Recipe Club Homemade Samoas post for her “Happy Post – Summer 2011: Recipes for Labor Day Weekend” series. It was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to a larger conversation about the joys of summer baking and connect with a broader audience.

Each milestone, each recipe, and every interaction with you, our amazing readers, makes this journey incredibly rewarding. It has indeed been a happy summer and an even happier 200 days of baking!

Join Our Continuing Baking Journey!

While our 200th Day giveaway has concluded, the spirit of baking, sharing, and creating memories continues. We invite you to explore our archive of recipes, discover new favorites, and become a part of our growing baking community. Don’t forget to subscribe to our feed via RSS or email to receive daily updates and never miss a new recipe or a sweet story from our kitchen!

We absolutely love reading your comments and learning about your favorite kitchen memories. Keep sharing your passion for baking with us!

Happy baking, and thank you for being an integral part of 365 Days of Baking!