Coconut Cherry Almond Bars

Maraschino cherries, almonds, and coconut were made for each other in these sweet and gooey Coconut Cherry Almond Bars. A buttery crust is topped with a gooey, almost meringue-like filling for a treat any sweet lover will love.

If you love coconut and cherry, you’ll have to try these Coconut Cherry Cupcakes next!

I grew up in the era when neighbors exchanged cookie plates. I really do miss that tradition (maybe I need to re-start the tradition next year!) And even though I haven’t had or made an actual cookie plate in some time, every year I think about what I would add to my plate.

These Coconut Cherry Almond Bars would for sure make the cut.

You can cut them small, and they are a change up from the normal chocolate or peppermint. And I absolutely love them!

I actually posted them here on Taste and Tell back in 2014 as a Valentine’s Day treat, but I’m convinced they need to go on a holiday cookie plate, as well!

Ingredients

• Flour: You will need flour for the crust and for the filling. I use all-purpose flour.
• Sugar: For the crust, you will need powdered sugar. And for the filling, granulated sugar.
• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is cold when adding it for the crust.
• Eggs: The eggs are what give the filling its meringue-like texture.
• Vanilla: Use a good quality vanilla extract for the best results.
• Baking Powder: The baking powder helps to give the filing some lift. Make sure you are using fresh baking powder.
• Salt: The salt will help to balance the flavors.
• Almonds: I use sliced almonds. I haven’t tried using another nut, but I think it would be fun to experiment with!
• Coconut: I use sweetened, shredded coconut, mainly because that is what I keep on hand. These bars are quite sweet, so you probably could swap in unsweetened coconut and they’d still be delicious!
• Maraschino Cherries: I used to make these with whole maraschino cherries, but after some new testing, I decided I like them better when the cherries are cut into smaller pieces. I like to cut them into fourths.

How to Make Coconut Cherry Almond Bars

STEP 1: Combine the flour and powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and cut it into the mixture using a fork or a pastry cutter. You should have fine crumbs when the butter is completely cut in.

STEP 2: Press the crust mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish that is sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake this for 10 minutes.

STEP 3: While the crust is baking, make the filling. Lightly beat the eggs, then mix in the sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.

STEP 4: Add the almonds and coconut to the mixture, then add the cherries.

STEP 5: Gently fold the cherries in. Only mix long enough for the cherries to be evenly distributed.

STEP 6: Pour this mixture over the crust. Return to the oven and bake until the top is browned. Cut into bars once cooled completely.

Tips and Tricks

These bars are quite sweet, so you may want to cut them small. I cut them larger in the photos, but I would definitely keep the portions smaller when serving.

I stored these covered at room temperature. They may get a little sticky as they sit, especially if stored in the refrigerator, but I find that they stay good for several days.

More Cherry Desserts

Chocolate Covered Cherry Delights
Banana Split Bars
Cherry Chip Cake with Fluffy Frosting

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Coconut Cherry Almond Bars

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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Maraschino cherries, almonds, and coconut were made for each other in these sweet and gooey Coconut Cherry Almond Bars. A buttery crust is topped with a gooey, almost meringue-like filling for a treat any sweet lover will love.

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Ingredients

Crust

• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter cut into cubes

Filling

• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• ▢ 1/2 cup maraschino cherries drained and cut into fourths

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour and the powdered sugar. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or a pastry cutter until it resembles fine crumbs.
  1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt and mix to combine.
  2 large eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Add the almonds and coconut, then fold in the cherries.
  1/2 cup sliced almonds, 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, 1/2 cup maraschino cherries
• Spread the filling over the crust. Return to the oven to bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Recipe Notes:

Adapted from Betty Crocker

In the photos, I cut my bars into 9 portions, but these are really quite sweet, so you’ll want to cut them smaller than that. I would cut them into 16 bars.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 194kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 26g (9%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 9g (14%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 41mg (14%), Sodium: 75mg (3%), Potassium: 27mg (1%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 18g (20%)

Keywords: almond bars, cherry bars