Loaded with pecans, walnuts and chocolate chips, these super-easy bars are the perfect rainy day treat. Homemade condensed milk is simple to make, and we think it gives the bars great flavour, not to mention an extra sprinkling of fairy dust.
Makes 24 bars
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK:
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
COCONUT CHOCOLATE BARS:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup mixed unsalted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds and/or hazelnuts)
- 1 ¾ cups Homemade Condensed Milk
INSTRUCTIONS
HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK:
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the milk and sugar. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn down the heat to very low. Cook the milk, stirring often, until it has reduced by about half, 1 to 2 hours.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter melts. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thickened, 2 to 4 hours. (The condensed milk can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)
COCONUT CHOCOLATE BARS:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the base and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of paper on two facing sides. (This will help you remove the bars from the pan.) Set aside.
- Pour the melted butter into the lined pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Sprinkle evenly with the coconut, then the chocolate chips, then the nuts.
- Drizzle the condensed milk over the top. Bake until the edges of the bars are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Using the parchment paper overhang, remove the bars from the pan to a cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 10 days.)
