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.
oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 t vanillaPreheat oven to 350. Combine all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the melted butter, egg and vanilla. Dump the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well blended. Oil up an 8×8 pan and pour mixture in, patting the top flat with your hands while making sure the mixture gets into the corners. Bake for 25 minutes and cool. Cut into squares.
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what temperature did you bake it at? looks yummy!!!
Doh! Thanks Kathy for reminding me of my forgetfulness! 350 degrees. Recipe has been updated. Thank you!
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
These look awesome! Thank you!
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!
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.
These look great. Good snacks for the kids! and Hubby too
Oh, yum! I’m gonna have to make these when I recover from my impending dental doom on Friday.
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.
I’ve been craving something sweet all morning… I need these!
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…
These sound and look fabulous – I will have to try them, Thanks!
Um, YUM! I need a dozen of these, stat!
Sounds awesome!
OMG, I’m slobbering here. …off to search my cupboards.
Easy bars, that look amazing. I just made some bars the other day. Love how easy they can be.
I can’t wait to try these! Your recipes are fantastic; thank you for sharing them!
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.
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.
YUM THAT LOOKS Really DEEE-LICIOUS!!
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!
just curious, why does the butter have to be unsalted?
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!
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 🙂
So many yummy textures and flavors! What a fun dessert, the combination of ingredients is delicious! 🙂
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Thanks :),
Sophie
KI Chief Blogger
sophie, it’s a great dessert. yum!
do you have any recommendations for a good coconut substitute? i’m allergic!
i’m pretty sure you meant 5 tbsp, not 5 t, right?
making these right now!
ha, and i meant to write 5 tbsp of butter. that’s what you meant too, right?
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.
Um, just made these and they’re awesome but i’m having a problem, I CANT STOP EATING IT!
Great Recipe, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Any idea how well sweetened coconut would work?
Holly, it would make the bars sweeter. Otherwise, it should be fine.