I love finding old fashioned desserts like Coconut Dream Bars and giving them a healthier, low-carb update. A keto graham cracker crust topped with creamy sweet coconut filling and a rich chocolate topping – what could be better?
And it just tickles my fancy to know that someone, somewhere, will make them and think “that’s exactly like the sugary dessert I used to love!”. Because I work hard to get the right taste and texture and stay true to the original. It’s part of the reason recipes like Keto Texas Sheet Cake are so popular.
I had to test this recipe a few times to get it right. And I am not mad about it! Neither were my CrossFit friends who benefitted from my experiments. These delightful treats were a huge hit.
If you love coconut desserts, be sure to check out my famous Keto Coconut Cream Pie too.
Why you will love this recipe
Did you love Mounds as a kid? Or maybe your family had a recipe for Coconut Dream Bars. These bars will bring back memories! You will also love them because:
- Easy to make: This recipe has multiple layers but each of them is quite easy to make. And the results are well worth it!
- Gooey sweet filling: Simmering cream with sweetener creates a filling similar to condensed milk. Just like the real deal!
- Coconut flavor: I love coconut and chocolate together. You can play up the coconut with some extract, or just use vanilla for a milder flavor.
- Gluten-free: The almond flour crust is entirely gluten and grain-free.
- Great macros: With less than 8 grams total carbs, it’s a great option for low carb diets!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: I really prefer almond flour for this crust, for both texture and flavor. Other nut and seed flours can work but don’t look as fine and may be a bit more crumbly. Coconut flour is not a good replacement.
- Sweetener: I used brown sugar replacement in the bars for more flavor. For the filling, I used a combination of erythritol and allulose sweeteners. See the Tips for Success section for more information.
- Heavy cream: This helps create the gooey filling for the bars. You simmer it with the sweeteners, similar to making Keto Condensed Milk.
- Glucomannan: This helps thicken the filling a little more. You can also use xanthan gum.
- Coconut extract: This adds even more coconut flavor, but you can use vanilla extract instead.
- Shredded coconut: Use finely shredded, unsweetened coconut and make sure it is unsweetened.
- Sugar-free chocolate: Your favorite brand should work fine. I used Lily’s.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, cinnamon and salt.
Quick Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- For the crust: Whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to a baking pan and press firmly into the bottom. Bake until the crust is nice and golden brown around the edges.
Pro tip: I recommend a metal baking pan so that the crust bakes more evenly. - For the filling: Combine the the cream and sweeteners in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until it thickens slightly, then remove from heat and sprinkle the surface with the glucomannan while whisking continuously. Stir in the coconut extract and shredded coconut. Pro tip: The cream should reduce by about 25% while it simmers.
- Bake again: Spread the filling over the cooled crust and return to the oven. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove and let cool completely.
- Make the chocolate topping: Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Spread over the coconut filling and refrigerate to set.
Tips for Success
Although there are several different layers and baking times, these bars are quite easy to make. Just keep your eye on them in the oven so that they don’t over-brown.
Simmering the cream with the sweeteners helps it become thicker and gooier, like condensed milk. The thickener (glucomannan or xanthan gum) helps as well. If you don’t have either of these, you could try a tablespoon of collagen peptides.
For a dairy-free version, you can use coconut cream. This is the thick white portion from the top of a can of coconut milk. Try not to get any of the thinner watery stuff into the mix, as it can make it hard to thicken up.
Sweetener Options
For the proper crust texture, you will need an erythritol-based sweetener with no allulose in it. Otherwise the crust will become much too soft. I like my homemade brown sugar substitute for flavor.
For the filling, I highly recommend using mostly erythritol but with a little allulose. The first time I tried these bars, I used mostly allulose. And while they were delicious, the filling cooked down into the crust and made it too soft – there was no separation of layers.
But using only erythritol will likely make the filling re-crystallize a little bit. So it’s a fine balance, wherein the erythritol provides better structure but the allulose gives some gooeyness and keeps it from re-crystallizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dried coconut, either flaked or shredded, is a wonderful ingredient for keto recipes, as it has 4 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber per serving. Unsweetened coconut is useful in everything from Keto Coconut Macaroons to Keto Oatmeal. Just make sure you don’t accidentally purchase the sweetened versions sold at many grocery stores.
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
This keto chocolate coconut bar recipe has 7.7g of carbs and 3.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.2g net carbs per bar.
More delicious coconut recipes
Keto Chocolate Coconut Bars Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (168 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar replacement
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 ml) heavy cream
- 6 tbsp (73.04 g) powdered erythritol sweetener
- 2 tbsp (25 g) allulose
- 1/4 tsp glucomannan, or xanthan gum
- 1 tsp coconut extract, or vanilla extract
- 2 cups (160 g) shredded coconut
Topping
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) sugar free chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) butter
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and lightly grease an 8×8 inch metal baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to come together.
- Turn out the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes, until a nice golden brown. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the cream and the sweeteners. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, whisking frequently, until it thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle the surface with the glucomannan while whisking continuously. Whisk in the coconut extract. Add the shredded coconut and stir until well combined.
- Spread the filling over the cooled crust and return to the oven. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove and let cool completely.
Topping
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate and butter together in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth. Alternatively, you can melt them together in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the coconut filling, spreading all the way to the edges. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes to set the chocolate before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Absolutely delicious! You would never know these are low carb. Thank you!
One of my favorite desserts to make. If you love coconut, this is one to try.
I saw your tips on sweetners, however I was wondering about using a monk fruit/erythritol blend only or stevia/erythritol blend only but NO allulose. My body doesn’t tolerate allulose. So will this still crystallize like using only erythritol?
Yes, they will. Stevia and monkfruit only add sweetness, they don’t affect the outcome. But if that’s what works best for you, still go with it!
I made these today for a group. It was a hit & a couple people asked for the recipe. I put them onto you. I just love your work/recipes. Ty!
Delicious! Several tips:
Bake shortbread 12-15 minutes (mine nearly burned at 17 minutes)
substitute 1 Tbl coconut flour for glucomannan for thickening
Substitute canned milk for heavy cream (works in other recipes)
Microwave the cream sauce to avoid scorching on the stove.
I topped it with a cooked chocolate fudge frosting using granulated Allulose. Our favorite Keto dessert!
Turned out really well! can’t wait to eat!
So good.
Made for Father’s Day. Husband thoroughly enjoyed them. Will be making many times over. Thanks again for all your hard work.
Hard to find sugar free chocolate in Canada. Used some coco butter, coco powder, and sf powdered sugar to substitute. Tasted great. The coconut filling is en pointe!
Um… I am from Canada and I see it at most grocery store chains. It’s more expensive for sure, but it’s there!
I love this recipe!! I tweaked it and put roasted almonds on top like an almond joy candy bar. Thank you for wonderful recipes.
These are so delicious and delectable! I will make these again!!😋
what would using xylitol and allulose do to the crust? and no erythritol?
Please read the section entitled “Sweetener Options” as I discussed this at length.
I made these today for a family gathering (mainly for my mom whose favorite desserts all have coconut). When she tasted one she almost swooned, which is a very unusual response for her, but that’s how good these bars are! Everyone who tried them loved them and this recipe will go into my binder where I put low-carb recipes that I will definitely make again. Funny how almost all of the recipes in there are Carolyn’s (and that binder is getting mighty full…) 😀
I made these just as written, and in the filling she gives a choice of either a teaspoon of coconut extract or vanilla, and since I couldn’t choose, I did a half teaspoon of each and it was perfect. The cinnamon and brown sugar substitute in the crust make these even more delightful. Thanks, Carolyn, for knocking another one out of the park! Your recipes make our lives so much more enjoyable!
So glad she liked them!
Absolutely delicious. They are perfectly sweet and just melt in your mouth. Thank you for this and many other delicious recipes. Makes eating low carb sooo much easier
Absolutely delicious. Perfectly sweet and just melt in your mouth. I definitely will be making these many more times. Thank you for this and many other delicious recipes
These look delicious. I don’t have xantham gum. Would tapioca starch work in place of that?
Sorry, I don’t use tapioca starch so I can’t really advise.
just made these (the non dairy version as Im allergic to dairy.) I didnt cook the filling very long as the coconut cream seemed to separate or looked curdled. I had to drain some liquid (maybe the sweeteners?) out of it but it spread just fine. they turned out great and are delicious!
Oh, that’s weird. I haven’t had that issue when working with coconut cream before. What brand did you use?