No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars

5 (1)

One of the wonders of cooking is you always can be surprised, no matter how long you’ve been cooking for. That is exactly what occurred when we stumbled across this amazing recipe for No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars. The recipe is true to it’s word, and doesn’t require any baking at all, yet still produces a rich, flavorful dish that is perfect for a morning tea, afternoon bite, or after dinner dessert

The Inspiration behind this Dish

We stumbled across a version of this recipe which inspired the dish from the wonderful Chelsea Sugar Website. What I love about what these guys do is that they are first and foremost a sugar producing company. Yet, they spend a lot of time on their website and content creation, sharing beautiful and easy to prepare recipes using their product, which is, of course, Sugar! We’d encourage you to check out their website as they do some great work

How to make the perfect No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars

The key to a great Bar or Slice such as this one lies in the effectiveness of the crust. The crust, or base of the bar, needs to be structurally sound enough to maintain its shape while also holding the weight of the rich frosting on top. It also needs to be light enough to crumble away beautifully when bitten into

This perfect texture is achieved so simply, by combining Shredded Coconut, Plain Biscuits, Coconut, Milk, and Butter. The Milk and Butter are first melted in a saucepan until combined over low heat (which will only take a few minutes maximum). The dry ingredients are then incorporated into the liquids to create a beautiful crumbly crust

Line a baking tray with some parchment paper and then it’s simply a matter of pressing the crumb into the base of the tray to form the crust. Really try to pack that crumb in as much as you can to ensure the whole thing will stick together. There is no real rule for how big the baking pan needs to be, just ensure it is large enough that you’ve completely covered the base with the crumb

If you’ve made too much crumb, you can always make a second batch with an additional baking tray. This dish doesn’t require baking, so there will be no issues with finding space in the oven to bake anyway, so use as many pans as you like for your optimal desired shape for the Bars

Now the ‘No Bake’ aspect of the dish begins

Typically, at this point when you’re making a tart, pie, or slice, you would place it into the oven and bake it. However, for these No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars it is instead refrigerated! Yep, just place the tray straight into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set it

All the ingredients that are used to make the crumb are perfectly edible raw (Butter, Coconut, Biscuits, Milk), so there is no need to bake it. The quantities of the ingredients make for a perfect balance of sweetness and sourness which is what you want out of a good Slice!

Given there is no cooking required for the crumb, it is advisable to give the mixture a taste to ensure you are happy with the flavors before it gets refrigerated. This also makes the dish so easy, because unlike baking, once it goes in the oven there’s nothing more you can do. So, like any cooking we always recommend ample tasting of the dish as you are preparing it

Refrigerating the Crumb will achieve a very similar result to baking it making this dish a great recipe for hot weather when turning on that hot oven is the last thing you want to be doing!

Finish the dish with a Zesty, Tangy, Lemon Frosting

So far we’ve added the juice of 1 Lemon into the Base of the Bars, but why stop there? To make the frosting we combine Confectioners Sugar, Lemon Juice, and a little bit of Hot Water into a small bowl and mix well. The quantity of Hot water to use is subjective, as it is there to turn the Sugar and Lemon into a gooey, sticky Frosting

We recommend adding about 1 tsp. of Hot Water at a time to the bowl and mix well to combine. Keep doing this until the frosting is thick, but runny enough to just start to fall off a spoon. Keep mixing well to avoid any lumps in the frosting as it needs to be a smooth consistency

Once you’ve achieved the desired consistency for your frosting, smooth it all over the top of the crumb base once it has been in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Sprinkle over some more Shredded Coconut for some texture, flavor, and a striking visual appeal and then leave at room temperature to allow the frosting to set. This should take about 20 – 30 minutes. It’ll then be ready to slice up and enjoy!

When to enjoy these delicious No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars

What is so great about these Savory Sweet Bars is they can’t be put into a box when being defined. They are just as comfortable at the morning tea table alongside a warm Coffee as they are served on the table after a big dinner. The savory elements of the Bars from the Biscuits make them a perfect pairing for some morning coffee, yet the Lemon and Sugar aspects give them that much desired sweet kick after dinner

Simply put, there is no wrong time to eat these No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars! You will be able to produce about 15 individual portions with the quantities in the recipe below, so that’s more than enough for a big morning tea for 15 people. Or just be greedy and make a big batch at home and enjoy them over a few days like we’re doing!

No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g Plain Biscuits (standard size)
• 125g Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut
• 200g Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
  
  

For the Frosting

• 1 cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp. Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut
• Hot Water (as needed)
  
  

Instructions

1. Add the Condensed Milk and Butter in a medium sized Saucepan over medium low heat and melt, stirring occasionally
2. While the Milk and Butter is melting, place the Biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they form large breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place in Ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin to achieve the same result
3. Once the Milk and Butter mixture has melted, turn off the heat then add crushed biscuits along with Coconut and Lemon Zest. Mix to combine, then add the Lemon Juice and mix well
4. Place parchment paper over a baking dish and then press the mixture along the bottom to form a flat crust then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set
   
   

To make the Frosting for the No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars

1. Combine Confectioners Sugar, Lemon Juice, and enough Hot Water to get a spreadable consistency in a small bowl. Spread over the Slice after it has been refrigerated then finish with a sprinkle of Shredded Coconut
2. Leave the slice to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cut into individual slices and enjoy!
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can easily keep these Coconut Bars in the refrigerator for about 1 week after making them
• Try adding your own toppings to the Bars to make them your own. You can try making these delicious Candied Walnuts, for a sweet, crunchy texture to finish the dish
  
  

We hope you enjoy this recipe to create amazing No Bake Lemon Coconut Bars, inspired by the great people over at Chelsea Sugar

If you’ve got a craving for more delicious, sweet treats such as this one, you’re in luck! We’ve got loads of delicious, sweet goodies in our Desserts section. Head on over there and give it a browse! Here are a few of our favorites that we’d recommend giving a try:

• Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Passionfruit Cupcakes
• Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Cake
  
  

Happy Cooking!