Chocolate Coconut Blondies are my go-to when I want a bar cookie that’s soft and chewy but still feels a little special. The brown sugar base gives them a deep, warm sweetness, and the coconut makes them more interesting than a basic blondie.
I really like the mix of toasty coconut flavor and semi-sweet chocolate here. The texture is what sells it for me: the edges set up nicely, and the centers stay tender with that classic blondie chew.
These are especially good for cookie trays, casual get-togethers, and weekend baking when I want something that slices cleanly and travels well. If you like a little contrast, a pinch of flaky salt on top is a nice touch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft and Chewy: The brown sugar base gives you that classic blondie texture with a center that stays tender.
One Bowl Friendly: You don’t need anything fancy here, and the batter comes together quickly with a whisk and spatula.
Coconut + Chocolate: Coconut adds a little bite and sweetness, and chocolate chips make sure every bar tastes like dessert.
Easy to Slice and Serve: These cut into neat squares, which makes them great for potlucks, bake sales, and cookie trays.
Simple Swaps: You can switch the chocolate chips, toast the coconut, or change the pan size depending on the thickness you want.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here. It keeps the bars sturdy enough to slice but still chewy.
- Baking powder: Just enough lift so they don’t bake up dense. Make sure yours isn’t old.
- Fine salt: Don’t skip it. It keeps the sweetness from tasting flat, especially with coconut and chocolate in the mix.
Wet Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter makes this easy, and it’s part of what gives you that glossy, chewy blondie texture. Let it cool a bit so it doesn’t scramble the eggs.
- Light brown sugar: This is where the butterscotch-y blondie flavor comes from. Dark brown sugar works too if that’s what you have.
- Eggs: Room temp is easier to whisk in smoothly. Cold eggs can make the butter tighten up.
- Vanilla extract: I like a real vanilla extract here, but use what you’ve got. It makes the bars taste more like a finished dessert.
Mix-ins and Topping
- Shredded coconut: Sweetened or unsweetened both work. Unsweetened gives you a more coconut-forward flavor without adding extra sweetness.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet is my go-to so the bars don’t get overly sweet. Chopped chocolate works too if you like pockets of melty chocolate.
- Flaky salt: Optional, but nice. I like it most when I’m using sweetened coconut.
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and fine salt together until combined.
- Mix the butter and sugar: In a mixing bowl, whisk the melted (cooled) butter and brown sugar until glossy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla: Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture looks smooth and well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until you no longer see dry flour.
- Fold in the mix-ins: Fold in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt if you want.
- Bake: Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool: Cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares.
Some of my tips!
This is the part that really makes a difference. If you only read one section, make it this one because this is where I share the little trick that helps the recipe turn out so well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Stir just until the last streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing can make blondies bake up tougher than you want.
Cool the melted butter before you start. It doesn’t need to be cold, just not piping hot. Warm butter is fine, but hot butter can make the batter greasy and weird.
Pull them when the toothpick shows moist crumbs. A clean toothpick usually means they’re overbaked. Blondies keep setting as they cool.
Use the pan size to control thickness. An 8×8 gives thicker, chewier bars. A 9×9 makes thinner bars, so start checking earlier.
Toast the coconut if you want a deeper flavor. Just let it cool before mixing it in, otherwise it can melt the chips and warm up the batter too much.
Make some touches!
There are plenty of easy ways to serve this depending on the occasion. Keep it simple, or add a few small touches to make it feel a little more special.
Serving Suggestions
- Milk: A cold glass of milk is classic with these. It’s especially nice if you go for the flaky salt on top.
- Coffee or espresso: These are great with coffee, especially if you like desserts on the richer side. I usually do black coffee or a latte.
- Ice cream: Serve a blondie with vanilla ice cream if you want to turn it into a plated dessert. A little chocolate sauce is nice too.
- Fruit: Fresh berries are a good side here. Raspberries or strawberries work well with the coconut and chocolate.
Save it for later
This section covers how to store leftovers and what parts of the recipe you can prepare ahead of time.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I usually keep them at room temperature if my kitchen isn’t too warm, but the fridge is fine too.
If you refrigerate them, the bars will firm up. Let them sit out for a bit before serving, or warm an individual square briefly so the chocolate softens again.
If you want them to last longer, freeze individual portions or freeze the whole slab (wrapped well). Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature until soft enough to slice and eat.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened?
Yes. Sweetened coconut works great here. If you use it, I’d skip any extra sweet add-ins and consider the flaky salt on top to keep the bars from tasting too sweet.
How do I know when blondies are done?
Look for lightly golden edges and a set top. A toothpick near the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Can I use white chocolate chips or chopped chocolate?
Definitely. White chocolate chips are great with coconut, and chopped chocolate gives you bigger melty pockets. Just keep the total amount of mix-ins about the same so the bars still hold together.
Can I make these in a 9×9-inch pan?
Yes, they’ll just be thinner. Start checking earlier, around 18 to 22 minutes, and pull them when the edges look set and the middle still shows moist crumbs.
Can I freeze Chocolate Coconut Blondies?
Yes, they freeze well. I like freezing them as individual squares so I can grab one at a time, then thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
You might also like
Before you go, take a look at a few other recipes below the recipe card. They use similar ingredients in a different way and are worth saving too.
MORE DINNER RECIPES TO TRY
Chocolate Coconut Blondies
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt.
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract.
Mix ins and Topping
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- flaky salt for topping optional.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- heat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment
- whisk flour baking powder and salt until combined.
Mix and Bake
- whisk melted butter and brown sugar until glossy then whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth
- fold in dry ingredients until just combined then fold in coconut and chocolate chips
- spread batter evenly in pan and bake until edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center shows moist crumbs 22 to 28 minutes
- cool completely in pan before slicing.
