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Sweet chewy coconut layer baked into a moist oatmeal style dessert bar. Butter, brown sugar and oats with coconut, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate marbled in. The perfect Chewy Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Bars.

Within this post, you’ll make a super chewy oatmeal bar dessert that’s quick and simple! Plus you’ll learn why chocolate chips hold their shape when you bake them. Shouldn’t they just melt into the batter?

There’s something special about combining a few ingredients and watching it transform into something else completely in the oven. The chemistry and science behind it fascinate me, and there’s always the plus of enjoying your creation once it’s baked.

How to make dessert bars chewy

The delicious chewy texture is created with the addition of brown sugar and condensed milk. Not do they give these bars wonderful flavor (brown sugar always gives a hint of caramel or butterscotch flavors to bakes compared to regular white sugar) but it makes the texture perfectly soft and chewy. You also need the right balance of wet and dry ingredients for the ideal chewy texture.

Ingredients for Making Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Butter and brown sugar – For a soft and chewy texture and wonderful sweet flavor
Eggs and milk – Helps bind everything together
Vanilla – Adds extra sweetness
Old fashioned oats & all-purpose flour – The oats also help give a chewy texture to these bars
Baking soda and salt – A rising agent and seasoning for flavor
Condensed milk – I used sweetened condensed milk for best results
Shredded coconut & mini M&M’s – delicious sweet coconut with the crunch of chocolate m&m’s, you can’t go wrong!

How to Make Chewy Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Start with a base of oats, brown sugar, egg, flour and butter. It mixes together to form a thick and gooey batter, which always leads to blissful things while baking. Pat it down to form a thick, yet soft crust-like dessert bar.

The thing that sets these over the edge is the sweet and creamy coconut chocolate mixture that marbles when baked. Sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut flakes and chocolate creates a simple (no-cooking needed) spread that goes over the oatmeal batter.

Drop it over and leave some of the bottom layer exposed. Now you have ooey gooooey Chewy Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Bars that are a real treat.

Tips for Making these Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

I used mini M&M’s for these bars but you can use regular sized ones or swap them for any chocolate chips.
Check the bars are baked all the way through by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean they’re ready.
Let them cool completely before cutting into bars.
Store these bars in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them in suitable containers

Why don’t chocolate chips melt when baking?

Ever wonder why chocolate chips don’t melt and hold their shape when you bake them? Well, they actually do melt! (sort of)

Chocolate chips heat up and become soft to the touch. The surrounding dough helps keep the shape together. While cooling, they firm up again. The added fat in chocolate chips helps reduce the melting point, and keeps them from becoming a completely melted liquid.

This is why you end of with whole chocolate pieces after you bake them into this oatmeal bar dessert. Isn’t food science fascinating?

Chewy Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Bars recipe at-a-glance:

Flavor profiles: Sweet coconut, milk and chocolate flavors, mixed with salty and mealy oat flavors.
Texture: Have I said these were chewy yet? Oh my goodness so chewy!

More delicious sweet treats you might like:

– Recipe adapted from these Deep Dish Fudgy Oatmeal Bar