Caribbean Bars
Sweet Caribbean bars with rich tropical flavour and a soft, satisfying texture for an easy dessert that’s perfect for sharing.
This Caribbean bars recipe comes from Best of Bridge, with a buttery base, chewy pineapple coconut filling and colourful candied cherries beneath a smooth pineapple icing. A little optional rum flavouring adds to the tropical flavour. These rich dessert squares are lovely for Christmas baking trays, potlucks or sharing over coffee. Let the icing set before slicing for neater edges.
Easy Caribbean Bars with Tropical Dessert Flavour
These Caribbean bars are a sweet, easy dessert with a tropical feel and plenty of rich flavour. They’re simple to slice and serve, which makes them especially handy when you want something homemade without a complicated presentation. Once cooled, the bars hold together nicely and are easy to portion.
Why You’ll Love These Caribbean Dessert Bars
This is the kind of dessert that works well because it’s straightforward but still feels a little different from the usual cookie or brownie. The flavour becomes even better once the bars have had time to cool and settle. I also like that they can be made ahead, which takes some pressure off when you’re serving a crowd.
Perfect for Parties, Potlucks and Holiday Dessert Trays
Serve these Caribbean bars for potlucks, family gatherings, summer parties or holiday dessert trays. They’re easy to cut into smaller pieces for sharing and can be prepared ahead of time, making them a practical dessert when you have several dishes to organize.
How To Make Caribbean Bars
Bake and Frost the Caribbean Bars
Bake the Caribbean bars until the surface is golden and the centre is set, then let them cool completely before adding the creamy frosting. That cooling step matters — if the bars are still warm, the frosting can soften and slide. Once frosted, chill briefly if you want cleaner slices and a firmer texture for serving.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Caribbean Bars
• Cool the bars completely: Let the baked bars cool before adding the frosting. If they’re still warm, the frosting can soften and slide instead of staying thick and neat.
• Use red and green candied cherries: Both colours work really well in these Caribbean bars, and using a mix gives them a bright, festive look that’s especially nice for Christmas trays.
• Cut the cherries evenly: Smaller, similar-sized pieces spread the colour and sweetness more evenly through the bars.
• Don’t overbake: Bake just until the centre is set and the top is golden. Overbaking can make the base dry instead of soft and chewy.
• Let the frosting set before slicing: A short chill helps the topping firm up, which makes the bars much easier to cut into clean squares.
• Use a sharp knife: Wipe the blade between cuts if you want tidy edges, especially once the frosting is set.
• Store them chilled: These bars hold together nicely in the fridge and often slice even better the next day once everything has had time to settle.
Real Kitchen Tip: Chill Before Cutting for Clean Slices
For the best Caribbean bars, let them cool completely, frost them, then chill them before slicing. That extra time helps the filling and frosting firm up so the layers stay neat instead of pulling apart under the knife. Use a sharp blade and wipe it clean between cuts for the tidiest squares.
Caribbean Bars
Equipment
- 9 x 9-inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Fork or pastry cutter, for crumbling the bottom layer
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small bowl, for icing
- Hand mixer or whisk, for icing
- Cooling rack
- Sharp knife, for cutting into squares
- Parchment paper, optional for easier lifting and slicing
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Pineapple Coconut Layer
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pineapple crushed and drained
- 1 cup coconut shredded
- ⅓ cup candied cherries chopped
- 1 teaspoon rum flavouring optional
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Rum Pineapple Icing
- 1 ½ cups icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- ½ teaspoon rum flavouring optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons pineapple juice reserved from the drained pineapple
Instructions
Prepare the Bottom Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, crumble the butter, granulated sugar, and flour together until well combined. Press the mixture firmly into an ungreased 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Prepare the Pineapple Coconut Layer
- While the bottom layer is baking, lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar, drained crushed pineapple, coconut, candied cherries, rum flavouring, flour, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
- Spread the pineapple coconut mixture evenly over the baked bottom layer.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set and medium golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before icing.
Make the Icing
- In a bowl, combine the icing sugar, softened butter, rum flavouring, and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until smooth. If the icing is too stiff, add a little more pineapple juice, a few drops at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Spread the icing over the cooled bars. Allow the icing to set before cutting into 36 squares.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Drain the crushed pineapple well before adding it to the pineapple coconut filling.
- Save the drained pineapple juice to use in the icing.
- Press the bottom layer firmly into the pan so the bars hold together well.
- The bottom layer has a buttery shortbread-style texture.
- Bake the top layer until it is set in the centre and medium golden brown.
- The coconut should look lightly toasted when the bars are done.
- Let the bars cool completely before adding the icing.
- Do not ice the bars while they are warm, or the icing may melt and become too thin.
- Rum flavouring adds a classic tropical flavour, but it is optional.
- If rum flavouring is hard to find, these Caribbean Bars still work without it.
- Candied cherries give these old-fashioned dessert bars their pretty holiday colour.
- Red and green candied cherries are especially nice for Christmas baking trays.
- Cut into 36 small squares because these pineapple coconut bars are sweet and rich.
- Let the icing set before slicing for cleaner dessert squares.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate if you want the icing to stay firm and the bars to hold their shape.