Coconut Mango Bars
These small batch coconut mango bars are a tropical dessert featuring a buttery shortbread crust, juicy mango filling, and a crunchy coconut crumb topping. Perfect for sharing with friends or enjoying throughout the week.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 200kcal
Ingredients
For the crust and topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch for the filling plus 1 tablespoon for the crust
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for crust; 2 to 3 tablespoons for filling
- 1/4 teaspoon salt for crust and a pinch for filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cool but pliable
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened if possible
For the mango filling
- 1.5 to 2 cups mango finely diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice for brightness
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla optional
- pinch ginger optional
Instructions
Preparation of Crust
- Grab an 8 inch square pan or a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the sides to hang over for easy lifting.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- Cut in cool butter with a fork until it looks sandy and clumpy.
- Press two thirds of the crust mixture into the prepared pan.
- Dock the crust with a fork to help steam escape.
- Par-bake until the edges set and the center looks matte.
Making Mango Filling
- Finely dice 1.5 to 2 cups of ripe mango. Fresh or thawed frozen mango both work.
- Toss mango with sugar, cornstarch, salt, lime juice, and optional vanilla and ginger.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes while you par-bake the crust.
- Spoon the filling onto the warm crust and gently spread to the edges.
Final Baking
- Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the mango filling.
- Bake until the top is golden and tiny bubbles form near the edges.
- Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
These bars taste better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap them individually and store in a freezer bag.