Cherry Coconut Bars

Name: Cherry Coconut Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 dozen.
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed; FILLING:; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup chopped walnuts; 1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries; 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

I came across these easy maraschino cherry bars while stationed at a Michigan Air Force base in 1964 and have been making the recipe ever since. My children don't think an event is special unless they are part of it. —Marguerite Emery, Orland, California

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
FILLING:
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

In a small bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a lightly greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
For filling, in a small bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts, cherries and coconut. Spread over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Test Kitchen Tips

Crack eggs one at a time into a separate small cup or bowl before adding them to the rest of your ingredients. That saves you from accidentally adding bad eggs to a batter, spoiling all your ingredients. It also makes it easier to fish out a shell if any does fall in.

Cutting butter into dry ingredients results in tiny bits of flour-coated butter throughout the dough, creating a cookie crust that is both tender and crumbly at the same time. If you don’t have a pastry blender, use 2 knives to cut in the cold butter.

Can't resist a taste before the party begins? Cut the bars and arrange them on a plate. Your guests will never guess there's a piece missing.

Hungry for more? Try our best-ever cherry desserts.

Nutrition Facts

1 bar: 94 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 56mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

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Reviews

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Average Rating:

Ann

Jun 22, 2019

This is the same as my mom's recipe, except she used almond extract and baked them in an 8 x 8 pan. I think the (resulting) thicker crust makes it easier to cut and serve them.
Leslie

Dec 25, 2017

This has also been our Christmas tradition since living at Selfridge air force base in 1964. My mom made these for my brothers boy scouts party one time and they were huge success! I wonder if you and my mom knew each other!......we have always loved these, eating one right now and have past on the recipe to all of my kids. She got the recipe out of the 1960 Betty Crocker party book. Thanks for Shari g
dcscake_OH

Aug 26, 2016

These come out great and have a great taste too. I have been wanting to try this, since it has been a long time since I had these. And they are really as good as I remember. I let them set for awhile before cutting, and they came out perfect. Yummy.
bakeitright

Apr 10, 2012

I think these cherry coconut bars were easy to make and tasted good & chewy, I baked them the full 25 min. The only problem I had was the bottom crumbled a little. How could I firm up the bottom?
rudylenak

Jun 18, 2011

Good Good Good