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Lemon Coconut Walnut Bars

Aunt Franny's Coconut Walnut Lemon Bars

These wonderful bars are sweet and tangy, with a cookie base and a lemon glaze topping. They will keep for at least a week in the fridge and even longer in the freezer. Feel free to double the recipe and make them on a standard baking sheet instead of a 9x13-inch pan.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 36 bars
Calories 147 kcal
Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1/2 cup melted butter (I used salted)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut

Topping

  • 1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 9 X 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper draping over two sides. 

  2. Put the crust ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a fork until combined. Dump into the prepared baking pan and press firmly to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. If you find your fingers sticking to the dough, lay a piece of parchment over the dough as you press. Bake until it just begins get some color, about 12 minutes. 

  3. Cool for at least 12 minutes before adding the topping. Turn oven up to 350 F.

Filling

  1. Crack the eggs into the large bowl you used for the crust and whisk well. Add the brown sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt and whisk until smooth. Add the walnuts and coconut and stir to combine. 

  2. Transfer the filling on top of the par-baked crust and spread with a rubber spatula so it fills out the pan. Bake until golden brown across the surface, about 25 minutes.  

Topping

  1. Make the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. While the bars are still warm, use a rubber spatula to spread the glaze over the surface. It will just barely coat the bars. Scatter the finely chopped walnuts over the top and shower with the zest of the 1/2 lemon. 

  2. Cool for an hour, then use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into 36 bars.