Coconut Cream Pie Bars – Funds Bytes

September 9, 2023

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These Coconut Cream Pie Bars are so decadent that I may eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (And by may, I imply I HAVE.) They’re made with a buttery vanilla cookie crust and a wealthy and velvety coconut cream filling and topped with dollops of vanilla-scented whipped cream. You get 24 slices from this straightforward Coconut Cream Pie Bars recipe, so it’s excellent for a college bake sale or a big get-to-gether. I’m obsessed!

Side view of a coconut cream pie bar being lifted out of the casserole dish.

What Are Coconut Cream Pie Bars?

Coconut Cream Pie Bars are principally a simplified Coconut Cream Pie. As an alternative of creating a pie crust and blind baking it, I exploit a cookie crust that comes collectively in seconds. I put essentially the most work into the filling, steeping coconut milk with coconut flakes to actually punch in on that tropical taste. The flakes are strained out to create the silkiest texture, and the entire thing is topped with canned whipped cream (which might face up to a sizzling summer season day with out liquifying). The ultimate contact is a beneficiant sprinkle of crunchy toasted coconut flakes.

This recipe scores a 100 for comfort. You may make the crust and fill it with custard a day forward, then refrigerate till it’s go time. You may even freeze it up for as much as three months. Simply go away the whipped cream topping and coconut flake garnish for whenever you’re able to serve. Right here’s what you should make Coconut Cream Pie Bars:

Unsweetened Flaked Coconut: helps taste the coconut milk custard and is used as a garnish. I exploit unsweetened to manage the quantity of sugar within the recipe. If you wish to use sweetened coconut flakes, skip the sugar. You don’t must pressure the coconut flakes out of the custard, however chunky custard isn’t my factor, so I do.
Coconut Milk, Condensed Milk, and Evaporated Milk: create our custard base. If two cans of coconut milk are out of your funds, substitute one can with a second can of evaporated milk and steep the combination for an hour as an alternative of 20 minutes.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: these sweeten the custard, with the brown sugar including notes of molasses to deepen the flavour.
All-Objective Flour and Cornstarch: assist thicken the custard.
Eggs: Egg yolks thicken the custard and assist deepen its colour. Reserve the white for a special preparation, or use them to make meringue!
Salted Butter: provides a velvety end to the custard.
Vanilla Extract: rounds out the flavour of the filling
Whipped Cream Topping: I exploit canned whipped cream as a result of it’s stabilized and tends to carry up on a sizzling summer season day. However if you happen to’re consuming this in a managed and funky setting, and also you’re not petrified of the cream getting a bit of soupy, attempt it with frozen whipped cream or our straightforward Selfmade Whipped Cream.

How To Retailer Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Place leftover bars in an hermetic container, high with a chunk of parchment paper, seal, and refrigerate for as much as 3 days or freeze for as much as 3 months. Should you plan on making the bars to freeze for later, skip the whipped cream topping and coconut flake garnish. Pour the custard into the cookie crust and refrigerate it till it units. Then high it with a sheet of parchment straight on the floor, wrap it in two layers of aluminum, and preserve it in an hermetic container (or wrap it in plastic.) Thaw the frozen bars within the fridge earlier than topping them with whipped cream and garnishing them with coconut flakes.

A fork cutting into a coconut cream pie bar on a plate.

Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Coconut Cream Pie Bars are made with a buttery cookie crust, a wealthy and velvety coconut cream filling, and vanilla whipped cream.

Writer: Monti – Funds Bytes

Crust

8 oz. vanilla wafers ($1.91)
8 Tbsp salted butter, melted ($1.00)
1 pinch salt ($0.01)

Filling & Topping

1.5 cups unsweetened flaked coconut, divided ($1.19)
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk ($2.19)
1 12oz. can evaporated milk ($1.50)
2 13.5oz. cans coconut milk ($5.98)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.11)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar ($0.05)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.11)
1/4 cup cornstarch ($0.12)
2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
3 giant eggs yolks, overwhelmed ($0.27)
4 Tbsp salted butter ($0.50)
1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.72)
2 cups whipped cream ($1.28)

Crust

In a blender or meals processor, mix the vanilla wafers right into a sandy consistency.
Combine within the melted butter and salt till the cookie crumbs are utterly saturated and have deepened in colour.
Press the cookie crust into an 11×7-inch baking dish in a good layer and freeze. If you do not have an 11×7-inch dish, use any sq. or rectangle dish with a 10-cup (2.5 qt) quantity.

Filling

Add the unsweetened coconut flakes to a big saucepan set over medium warmth. Toast the flakes, stirring often so they do not burn. Take away them from the pan when they’re golden brown.
Add 1 cup of the toasted coconut flakes, the condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, salt, and flour to a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium warmth. Stir till all the pieces is mixed and the milk has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Take the milk combination off the warmth and let it steep for 20 minutes. Use a fine-mesh sieve to pressure the coconut flakes from the milk combination and discard. Add the milk combination again to the pan and set over medium warmth.
In a small bowl, add the water to the egg yolks. Combine within the cornstarch to create a slurry, then add it to the milk combination within the pan. Cook dinner over medium warmth, stirring always till the custard bubbles in spurts.
Take the pan off the warmth and add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine till the butter dissolves.
Pressure the combination via a fine-mesh sieve straight into the chilled crust. Refrigerate till set, about 2 to three hours.
High with whipped cream topping and sprinkle the whipped cream with the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted coconut flakes.

See how we calculate recipe prices right here.

Serving: 1barEnergy: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFats: 14gSodium: 134mgFiber: 1g

Learn our full diet disclaimer right here.

Overhead view of coconut cream pie bars in the casserole dish.

Find out how to Make Coconut Cream Pie Bars – Step by Step Photographs

Melted butter added to crushed vanilla wafers in a bowl.

In a blender or meals processor, mix the 8 ounces of vanilla wafers right into a sandy consistency. Combine in 1/2 cup of melted butter and a pinch of salt till the cookie crumbs are utterly saturated and have deepened in colour.

Vanilla wafer crust being pressed into a baking dish.

Press the cookie crust into an 11×7-inch baking dish in a good layer and freeze. Should you don’t have an 11×7-inch dish, use any sq. or rectangle dish with a 10-cup quantity.

Add the 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes to a big saucepan set over medium warmth. Toast the flakes, stirring often in order that they don’t burn. Take away them from the pan when they’re golden brown.

Add 1 cup of toasted coconut flakes, one 14oz. can of condensed milk, one 12oz. can of evaporated milk, two 13.5oz. cans of coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and three/4 cup of flour to a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium warmth. Stir till all the pieces is mixed and the milk has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Coconut and milk mixture being strained through a sieve.

Take the milk combination off the warmth and let it steep for 20 minutes. Use a fine-mesh sieve to pressure the coconut flakes from the milk combination and discard. Add the milk combination again to the pan and set over medium warmth.

In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water to the three egg yolks. Combine within the 1/4 cup of cornstarch to create a slurry, then add it to the milk combination. Cook dinner over medium warmth, stirring always till the custard bubbles in spurts.