Guava Jam Coconut Macadamia Bars (Print-Friendly)

Buttery tropical bars with sweet guava jam and a golden coconut macadamia oat topping.

# 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

# How To Make It:

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 the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until the mixture forms moist crumbles.
03 - Add coconut and chopped macadamia nuts to the mixture, stirring to combine evenly.
04 - Reserve 1 cup of the crumble mixture for topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a solid crust.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together guava jam and lime juice until smooth and well combined.
06 - Spread the guava mixture evenly over the crust layer, then sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture uniformly over the jam.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the jam is bubbling at the edges.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan. Lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into 16 equal bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The tropical flavor hits different when you taste the guava and lime together, then that buttery crunch catches you off guard.
  • These bars come together faster than you'd expect for something that tastes like you spent hours on them.
  • One batch makes sixteen pieces, so you can share or honestly just keep them all to yourself.
02 -
  • If you skip the cooling step thinking you're clever, these will crumble instead of slice—I learned this the messier way possible.
  • Toasting your coconut and macadamias for three minutes beforehand changes the flavor from pleasant to memorable, and it only takes those three minutes.
  • Guava jam can vary wildly in thickness depending on the brand, so have a spoon ready to stir it down if needed.
03 -
  • Make sure your butter is truly melted but not hot when you mix it in—hot butter will start cooking the flour and you'll lose that crumbly texture you're after.
  • Use a flexible silicone spatula when spreading jam; it lets you cover evenly without tearing into your crust underneath.
  • If you have a kitchen scale, use it for the flour and oats—volume measurements can vary wildly depending on how firmly you pack your cups.
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