Guava Bars Coconut Macadamia (Printable)

Buttery bars layered with sweet guava and topped with golden coconut and macadamia oat crumble.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust and Crumble

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
09 - 1/2 cup roasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

→ Filling

10 - 1 cup guava jam or guava paste, softened
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until the mixture forms moist crumbles. Add coconut and chopped macadamia nuts, mixing to combine.
03 - Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
04 - In a small bowl, stir together guava jam and lime juice until smooth. Spread evenly over the crust.
05 - Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the jam layer.
06 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the jam is bubbling at the edges.
07 - Let cool completely in the pan. Lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The tropical-to-comfort ratio is spot-on, hitting both cravings at once without feeling confused about what it wants to be.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a vacation, and the bars stay soft for days because the jam keeps everything moist.
  • They're legitimately impressive to bring somewhere, but nobody needs to know how simple the actual technique is.
02 -
  • Cooling completely is non-negotiable; rushing to cut warm bars will give you crumbled disappointment instead of clean edges.
  • If your guava jam is very thick from the jar, softening it with lime juice before spreading saves your sanity and prevents bare crust spots.
03 -
  • Weight your dry ingredients if you can, because the difference between a cup of flour scooped versus spooned and leveled is shocking.
  • The parchment paper overhang is worth looking silly for—lifting the whole sheet out and cutting on a board keeps your pan clean and your bars intact.
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