Caramel Coconut Shortbread Cookie Bars Recipe
Caramel Coconut Shortbread Cookie Bars combine caramel and coconut in a perfect layer between shortbread and dark chocolate.
Servings: 48 cookies
Calories: 238kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread Layer:
Caramel Layer STOVE TOP:
- 1 cup butter
- 2¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 pound
- 1 cup honey
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
OR Caramel Layer MICROWAVE METHOD:
- 1 stick butter 8 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Chocolate Layer:
- 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet, about 2 cups
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the shortbread by combining the butter and sugar and beating until fluffy with a mixer. Stir in the vanilla, then add the flour and salt, mixing just until incorporated. Press into a 9 x 13-in pan and use a fork to prick the dough at 1-inch intervals. Bake until golden around the edges, 18-22 minutes.
- TO MAKE HOMEMADE CARAMEL:
- Stove Top Method (using the first caramel ingredient list): melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning (seriously!!).
- Use a candy themometer to heat the caramel to 240 degrees (soft ball stage). This will take a total of 10 to 15 minutes to boil and reach 240 degrees- so settle in for some stirring (take it from me- don't try to do anything else, just turn the tunes up and stir away...). Once the themometer reaches 240, turn the heat down slightly to keep the caramel at the 240 stage for 2 full minutes (keeping the caramel at the soft ball stage ensures you will have soft candy and not hard caramel that will break apart). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Place the coconut in a large bowl and pour 2/3* of the caramel over the coconut; mix together thoroughly.
- Microwave Method (using the second caramel ingredient list):Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl (like a glass 8-cup measure or larger). Add sugar, honey, milk, and salt - still well. Microwave on full power for 4-5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Test with an instant read thermometer and microwave at 1-second intervals to get it to 235-40 degrees, watching carefully so it doesn't overflow (you can test for this soft-ball stage, too: drop a tiny amount into a cup of cold tap water and if a soft ball forms it's done (you'll be able to roll it with your fingers). This can take 6-9 minutes total, depending on the strength of your microwave.
- Stir in vanilla and coconut and spread the caramel-coconut mixture over the shortbread layer.
- Melt the chocolate and spread over the caramel layer. If you want to make the chocolate pretty, run a knife through the chocolate at 1-inch intervals width-wise, then again length-wise for a chevron effect.
- Let cool completely (overnight is best) before cutting into small squares (I cut into 8 x 6) and freeze or store in airtight containers.
Notes
*Pour the rest of the caramel into a parchment-lined 8x8 or 7 x 11 pan to cool. When cool, cut into little squares and wrap in wax paper for you own homemade caramel candies. Feel free to dip some squares into melted chocolate, too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.7g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 13.5g | Saturated Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 24.8g | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
