These old-fashioned Caribbean Bars have a buttery shortbread-style crust, a chewy pineapple coconut filling, sweet candied cherries, and a soft rum-flavoured icing. They are bright, tropical, sweet, and perfect for cutting into small dessert squares. If you can't find the rum flavoring don't worry. They still taste great!
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
½cupbuttersoftened
¼cupgranulated sugar
1 ¼cupsall-purpose flour
Pineapple Coconut Layer
2eggs
1cupbrown sugar
½cuppineapplecrushed and drained
1cup coconutshredded
⅓cupcandied cherrieschopped
1teaspoonrum flavouringoptional
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
½teaspoonbaking powder
Rum Pineapple Icing
1 ½cupsicing sugar
3tablespoonsbuttersoftened
½teaspoonrum flavouringoptional
1 ½tablespoonspineapple juicereserved 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.
For the best Caribbean Bars, drain the crushed pineapple well and save the juice for the icing. This keeps the pineapple coconut filling chewy and set, while giving the sweet rum pineapple icing extra tropical flavour.
Notes
Here it is in point form for the recipe card:
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.