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These cookie bars with a Caribbean twist have a coconut fudge flavor that can’t be beat! A soft oatmeal cookie crust with chocolate fudge and gooey coconut topping will make for an instant favorite!
Featured with this recipe
This recipe comes from our sister, Elise, who just got back from a week in the Caribbean (uh… jealous!) She had these yummy cookie bars in a little coffee shop while visiting Caneel Bay on St. John’s. She loved these so much, she came home and duplicated the recipe (and was nice enough to share).
These bars are delicious! I love the layer of the oatmeal cookie crust combined with the fudge and chewy coconut. I can see why it is so popular in the Caribbean.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Oats
- Brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter – melted
Fudge:
- Chocolate chips
- Can of sweetened condensed milk
- Butter
- Vanilla
Coconut Topping:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Flaked or shredded coconut
Make These Cookie Bars for a Potluck
Each time we have made these, they are devoured within minutes. Seriously. We took them to a potluck and I kid you not, they were the first things cleared from the table. They are so decadent, yet easy to make.
Fair warning, make sure to have the recipe ready to pass out. You will have everyone begging you for instructions to make these cookie bars.
The other reason I like making these cookie bars for parties is that you can cut them into servings as big or as small as you need to make sure everyone gets a treat.
Plus, these bars can be made extra festive for holidays. You can add chocolate eggs (like Cadbury mini eggs) to the top to make these into a fun Easter treat, or red and green sprinkles for Christmas. Or you can add nuts for a crunchy addition, just for fun.
Make-Ahead Dessert
These bars are also easy to make ahead. Just bake and then cut them into servings a day or two in advance, and store them in an air-tight container. I actually like them best after they have been refrigerated for a little while. We have cut them into servings and put them in a cooler to take on picnics, SUCH a good picnic treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, these bars can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container. To me, they actually taste best after they have been refrigerated for a few days!
Read More: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)
More Bars to Try
If you love these Cookie Bars, you are sure to love these other recipes too:
- Cream Cheese Lemon Bars: Cream cheese lemon bars are ALWAYS a crowd favorite. They are tangy, sweet, soft, chewy, and perfectly delicious!
- Oatmeal Raspberry Crumb Bars: Perfect for dessert nights, BBQs, potlucks, parties and everything in between.
- Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars: Another great “island” flavor. These have a bright, tangy, Caribbean flavor with just the right amount of coconut. Like a mix between coconut cream pie and key lime pie. So good!
- ALL our Cookie and Bars recipes: We have DOZENS of great cookie and bar recipes… try them all!
How to Make Coconut Fudge Cookie Bars
Caribbean Coconut Fudge Bars
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Ingredients
Oatmeal Crust:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oats
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter melted
Fudge:
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk can
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Coconut topping:
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk can
- 3 cups flaked or shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add melted butter and press down evenly into a 9×13 glass baking dish. Bake at 350℉ for 12-15 minutes. Cool slightly (just warm).
- Combine fudge ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until just melted and thick.
- Pour fudge over oat crust and allow to cool completely.
- Place coconut in a food processor or blender and pulse 1-2 times until coarsely chopped. Combine coconut and sweetened condensed milk.
- Gently spread evenly on top of the fudge and cool.
- Cut into 24 squares and serve.
Notes
- Adding nuts, just for fun
- Cadbury Eggs, for Easter
- Red and green sprinkles for Christmas
I’m going to make them GF using GF flour.
Came out perfect! Sent to work with my husband and they devoured it!
I’m so glad they turned out well!
This is one of the best recipes ever, it’s a cookie and candy all in one bar we lovethem!
Do NOT reduce the butter! I read the comments before I made this. People said there was too much butter in the crust, so I added less. Big mistake, my crust didn’t stick together. Follow the recipe as written. (I did reduce the pan size to 7×9). Taste great!
9×13 pan can’t be correct. Too thin and too much butter.
Hi Jackie– we have used these exact measurements with success. We will try it again just to make sure and come back to it if it isn’t working well. Thanks for the heads up!
I agree with above comments. 9×13 pan can’t be right- they are way too thin, nothing like the photo. The crust is nothing like the picture either, too much butter. They taste good, but i would tweak the crust and do it in a 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
The recipes you share are terrific–thanks!
Is there a dairy free substitute for sweetened condensed milk? This sounds great!
Hmmm that is a good question… I am not sure how to advise you. Your best bet is seeing if there is a brand that makes dairy-free
In Uk we can get vegan condensed milk who sells it not sure. Aruna
Crust had too much butter and didn’t firm up. Very thin–I would use a smaller pan.
Can you freeze these bars and if so how do I package them for the freezer?
We have never frozen them before… But I’m sure they would be fine. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Is 9×13 right? I just finished and my bars are a lot thinner than the ones in the picture.
This sounds and looks yummy, must go and make it right away!!!!!