Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Brayden turned three Tuesday. The household has been a small celebration since Friday when Mama and Cody flew in for the birthday weekend. Brayden understands birthdays now in a way he didn’t at one or two — he understood that the cake was for him, that the candles were three because he was three, that the people in the room had come specifically for him. The cognitive understanding makes the third-birthday milestone different from the earlier ones.

The book’s paperback edition is locked for September. The cover has been redesigned with a slightly more accessible font and an additional sub-headline. The publisher is targeting an October paperback re-tour with three cities.

Sunday I made chocolate and coconut cream pie bars because they were Brayden’s requested birthday-week dessert. Brayden has been into chocolate and coconut both this month and the chocolate-and-coconut-cream-pie-bar combination is the right cross-flavor format for a kid who is too young for full chocolate-pie but old enough to want chocolate-and-coconut together.

The technique: the chocolate cookie crust. A sleeve and a half of chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos) crushed in the food processor with five tablespoons of melted butter. Pressed firmly into a parchment-lined eight-inch square pan. Refrigerated thirty minutes to set.

The coconut cream filling: in a saucepan, combine one and a half cups of full-fat coconut milk, three-quarters cup of whole milk, a half-cup of sugar, a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk three large egg yolks with a quarter-cup of cornstarch and a teaspoon of vanilla. Slowly add a cup of the hot milk mixture to the yolks while whisking (tempering). Pour the tempered mixture back into the pan and whisk over medium heat for three minutes until thickened. Off the heat with a tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of coconut extract.

Pour the filling onto the chilled crust. Refrigerate at least four hours.

The topping: a layer of chocolate ganache (a half-cup of heavy cream warmed with four ounces of dark chocolate chopped, stirred until smooth) poured across the chilled coconut filling. A sprinkle of toasted shredded coconut on top.

Refrigerate another two hours. Cut into sixteen squares. Brayden had a small piece. Mama and Cody had two each.

Chocolate cookie crust. Coconut cream filling tempered. Ganache topping. Toasted coconut. Here’s the build.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full sheets)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Coconut Cream Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
For the Topping:
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coconut cream (reserved from can)
1/4 cup toasted shredded coconut, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the parchment.
Make the crust. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool slightly.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk, coconut cream, vanilla extract, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and no lumps remain. Fold in the shredded coconut.
Bake the bars. Pour the coconut cream filling evenly over the warm crust. Bake at 325°F for 22–25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has just a slight jiggle. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.
Make the chocolate topping. Combine chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons coconut cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Pour and spread evenly over the cooled filling.
Chill and set. Refrigerate the pan for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate topping is fully set. Once set, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Sprinkle with toasted shredded coconut, then slice into 16 bars.
Store and pack. Keep bars refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They travel well in a lunchbox with a small ice pack.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars