it’s a cinch: oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips

Summer seems to be fading here in the ol’ Northwest. Grey skies, constant rain and cooler temperatures set up shop this morning and things don’t seem to be letting up. I’m not impressed. At least I’ve got some heirloom tomatoes and some Rathtrevor cheese from yesterday’s farmer’s market to keep me company. But instead of holding onto fading memories, I decided to take this new direction out for a stroll and do a little baking. So I dug out some pantry staples and whipped up this little number. Easier to make than cookies and the results are sweet, chewy and dense. Did I mention good? Oh yeah, really good. The recipe exists in so many places online, that it’s hard to find its lineage. With so many variations, I think it’s safe to say that this recipe belongs to everyone. Here’s my stab at it.

35 comments to “it’s a cinch: oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips”

  1. 1
    Kathy Locke   August 24, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    what temperature did you bake it at? looks yummy!!!

  2. 2
    kickpleat   August 24, 2008 at 6:06 pm

    Doh! Thanks Kathy for reminding me of my forgetfulness! 350 degrees. Recipe has been updated. Thank you!

  3. 3
    ELK   August 24, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    YES you cannot go wrong with oatmeal anything….this will be a lunch staple for the redheads in this house (well not the DOG!) Happy Day

  4. 4
    Carly   August 24, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    These look awesome! Thank you!

  5. 5
    frances   August 24, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    these look wonderful and are reminiscent of a muesli or granola bar too – and i do love the melt and mix kind of baking. i will be making these at the very next gathering i can muster. thanks for the inspiration!

  6. 6
    Amanda   August 24, 2008 at 6:23 pm

    oh wow that looks damn good. I believe the magic words for me are “chocolate, oatmeal, and coconut.” that’s like music to my ears.

  7. 7
    Beth   August 25, 2008 at 3:12 am

    These look great. Good snacks for the kids! and Hubby too

  8. 8
    Jessica   August 25, 2008 at 5:28 am

    Oh, yum! I’m gonna have to make these when I recover from my impending dental doom on Friday.

  9. 9
    Bijoux   August 25, 2008 at 5:32 am

    This sounds incredibly good! I have yet to return to baking mode as it is still quite warm here but I am bookmarking this recipe for when the weather becomes cooler.

  10. 10
    Patricia Scarpin   August 25, 2008 at 9:45 am

    I’ve been craving something sweet all morning… I need these!

  11. 11
    eatme_delicious   August 25, 2008 at 11:06 am

    Ahhh these look so good! Why did you have to post them and taunt me with their deliciousness!! Now I think I’m going to have to make them this afternoon…

  12. 12
    JEWEL   August 25, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    These sound and look fabulous – I will have to try them, Thanks!

  13. 13
    Rachael M.   August 25, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    Um, YUM! I need a dozen of these, stat!

  14. 14
    jenn   August 25, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    Sounds awesome!

  15. 15
    kwr221   August 25, 2008 at 7:32 pm

    OMG, I’m slobbering here. …off to search my cupboards.

  16. 16
    Dawn   August 26, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    Easy bars, that look amazing. I just made some bars the other day. Love how easy they can be.

  17. 17
    hannah m   August 26, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    I can’t wait to try these! Your recipes are fantastic; thank you for sharing them!

  18. 18
    eatme_delicious   August 26, 2008 at 5:25 pm

    I couldn’t resist making these so I made them today and they are delicious! =) Next time I might add more coconut and use a semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used milk chocolate this time). I love how simple this recipe is.

  19. 19
    kickpleat   August 26, 2008 at 7:07 pm

    amanda, i agree about the magic words! too good 🙂

    elk, these would make an excellent afternoon break!

    thanks, carly!

    frances, lucky that these don’t take much muster at all! enjoy.

    beth, these are excellent snacks, all around!

    good luck at the dentist jessica! these would make a great recovery treat (just don’t tell your dentist).

    bijoux, i’m sure it will get cooler soon enough. boo!

    well, patricia, these are perfectly quick to whip up.

    they are, jewel. perfectly fabulous.

    totally, rachael!

    indeed, jenn.

    kwr221, good luck in the cupboard search. i hope you get rewarded 🙂

    too true, dawn. bars are awesome!

    thanks hannah 🙂

    haha, eatme, glad you whipped up a batch. i used a semi-sweet chocolate and thought they were perfect. it’s definitely a recipe where tweaking is allowed! i’m sure you’ll do something wonderful with them.

  20. 20
    Ruby Fuerza AKA Lucille Brawl   August 26, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    YUM THAT LOOKS Really DEEE-LICIOUS!!

  21. 21
    Gwynneth   August 27, 2008 at 7:57 am

    Thank you for this recipe! I needed something sweet and actually had all of these ingredients sitting around in my cupboards. I used walnuts instead of pecans, and next time I think I might throw in some dried cherries. Yum!

  22. 22
    Anonymous   August 29, 2008 at 4:10 am

    just curious, why does the butter have to be unsalted?

  23. 23
    Rosiecat   August 29, 2008 at 10:55 am

    I love your declaration, “I think it’s safe to say this recipe belongs to everyone.” What a pleasure it is to consider one’s self a member of a community of cooks who swap recipes and stories!

    Happy baking!

  24. 24
    kickpleat   September 1, 2008 at 1:11 pm

    thanks, ruby, they were super delicious!

    gwynneth, glad you enjoyed them. i’ll bet they’d be great with dried cherries!

    anon, i just used unsalted butter since that’s what i always have around. for baking, experts usually recommend unsalted. if you used salted, just cut out some of the salt.

    thanks rosiecat 🙂

  25. 25
    Sophie   September 3, 2008 at 7:07 am

    So many yummy textures and flavors! What a fun dessert, the combination of ingredients is delicious! 🙂

    We’d like to invite you to participate in our September apple and peach recipe contest. All competitors will be eligible to win one of three prizes :)! Please email me, [email protected], if you’re interested.

    Thanks :),
    Sophie
    KI Chief Blogger

  26. 26
    kickpleat   September 11, 2008 at 4:48 pm

    sophie, it’s a great dessert. yum!

  27. 27
    Wendy W.   October 9, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    do you have any recommendations for a good coconut substitute? i’m allergic!

  28. 28
    Barrie   October 12, 2008 at 6:47 pm

    i’m pretty sure you meant 5 tbsp, not 5 t, right?

    making these right now!

  29. 29
    Barrie   October 12, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    ha, and i meant to write 5 tbsp of butter. that’s what you meant too, right?

  30. 30
    kickpleat   October 12, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    wendy, you could try an equal amount of ground nuts or oats. let me know if it works out.

    barry, memory serves me correct at 5 Tablespoons. I use capital T for tbsp and small t for teaspoons.

  31. 31
    Stephanie   July 31, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    Um, just made these and they’re awesome but i’m having a problem, I CANT STOP EATING IT!

    Great Recipe, thanks for sharing! 🙂

  32. 32
    Holly   October 23, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Any idea how well sweetened coconut would work?

  33. 33
    kickpleat   October 23, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    Holly, it would make the bars sweeter. Otherwise, it should be fine.

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