Easy Butterscotch Coconut Bars

Butterscotch coconut bars are a fabulously easy dessert, and today, on The Plate and The Compass, we’re dishing out how these treats are a tribute to the heritage and the epitome of zero-waste pantry cleanout extravagance.

In the spirit of The Plate and The Compass, where every recipe carries a story and every ingredient has a purpose, we present a dessert that’s as much about savoring flavors as it is about cherishing memories.

While not a traditional Italian confection, these butterscotch coconut bars embody the philosophy my Nonna brought from Sicily—making the most of what you have and never wasting ingredients, something we all are familiar with.

So, as we blend the remnants of our pantry staples for our dessert plate, our compass that brings us to this point is from Italy (my Nonna), teaching us practical innovation of extra! Andiamo (let’s go!)

5 Reasons To Love Butterscotch Coconut Bars

• They’re a clever concoction that turns surplus pantry items into a sublime treat.
• The chocolate and coconut butterscotch bars are easy to make
• Flexibility: mix in the last bits of any alternative ingredients you prefer
• The Plate: These dessert bars promise to be the new household favorite.
• The Compass: Easily transportable to any party, holiday gathering, etc.

Butterscotch Coconut Bars Kitchen Essentials

These simple kitchen essentials will help you make this simple bar with big taste.

• A reliable 13×9 inch pan, ready for the alchemy of baking.
• Parchment paper is the secret to mess-free removal and perfect cuts
• Mixing bowls, where the transformation from simple to spectacular begins.
• A spatula, to make sure you get every last morsel out of the condensed milk can
• An oven, the final gateway to golden, butterscotch-tinged perfection.

Ingredients For The Butterscotch Coconut Bars

Here is our quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to bake this fabulous chocolate and butterscotch 6-layer bars; remember, this is a flexible recipe so you can change up the basic chips or the crust.

You won’t have to dig too deep in your pantry to cleanout these ingredients, especially if you are just done with your holiday baking; there always seem to be extras.

• Unsalted butter melted.
• Vanilla wafer crumbs
• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Butterscotch chips
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Shredded coconut

How To Make Butterscotch Coconut Bars

Here’s a quick overview of how to make the butterscotch coconut bars; please note that the recipe card at the end has the exact ingredient measurements and instructions, so PIN this post and print the recipe!

1. Preheat the oven.
2. If you want less mess, we suggest lining a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, and if you want thicker bars, we suggest an 8×8 baking pan instead.
3. Place the melted butter and the vanilla wafer crumbs in a bowl and mix to combine.
4. Next, press that combination into the prepared baking pan evenly, using a spatula to press and flatten the mixture.
5. For the next layers, sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips on.
6. Next, place the butterscotch chips over the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the chip layers.
8. Add the shredded coconut as the next layer.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown and the middle is set.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Pro Baking Tips:

• You can add nuts if you want; if you add them, put them on top of the coconut and make sure to use chopped nuts. (1 cup)
• Store bars in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Substitutions: Butterscotch Coconut Bars

• Nuts about nuts: Toss in pecans or walnuts for added crunch.
• Dried fruit delight: Sprinkle in raisins or apricots for a tart contrast.
• Chocolate twist: Experiment with white, milk, or dark chocolate chips for a custom chocolate fix.
• Change the crust from vanilla wafers to graham crackers, and it will be fine!

Make Delectable Butterscotch Coconut Bars ↓↓

As we slice into these rich, layered bar cookies, we celebrate more than just the sum of their parts. We honor a culinary heritage that taught us the art of making something extraordinary from the everyday.

We hope you fill the plate in your hand with this new dessert: butterscotch coconut bars, born from the ingenuity of our compass, my Nonna, using ingenuity from another country to ours as the compass.

In this sweet ending, find the beginning of a new tradition—one that speaks to the heart of The Plate and The Compass, where heritage inspires, and sustainability is savored. ~Dana XO

The Recipe Card For Butterscotch Coconut Bars