Mango Bars with Coconut Oatmeal Shortbread Crust
In Miami, if you didn’t have a mango tree in your backyard, your neighbor probably did, and either way, your kitchen counter was piled high every summer, which means: more mango recipes, always.
I’ve already turned those backyard hauls into recipes like my mango coconut milkshake and this super easy mango jam, but these mango oat shortbread squares might be my new favorite.
They’ve got a silky mango filling that’s sweet with just enough tartness, and a buttery oatmeal crust with mango filling that’s flecked with shredded coconut and oats.
I like to think of them as a tropical riff on classic lemon bars.
Let me show you how to make them!
5 Star Review
“I used mango pulp from a can found in Indian grocery stores instead. Since the pulp already has sugar added, I used a bit less than what the recipe calls for. These mango squares/bars were amazing. Everyone loved them. This is such a great recipe and so easy. Love the oatmeal in the shortbread crust, too. Thank you so much!”
—Tyra
Recommended For This Recipe
Food Processor
If you are making salsas or sauces or a dessert crust, a food processor is a must have! It chops and blends so quickly, saving you so much time!
How To Make Mango Puree
For the filling, I used fresh mangoes from my backyard tree. Just peeled, chopped, and blended until smooth.
You can absolutely use canned mango pulp if that’s easier, and frozen mango works too in a pinch. Just make sure to let it thaw completely and strain off any extra liquid so your bars don’t come out mushy.
That said, fresh really is best here. You’ll need about 2 cups of cubed mango (roughly two large ones). Toss them in a food processor, pulse until smooth, and boom—homemade mango puree ready for your filling.
How To Make Mango Bars
The crust comes together in a food processor with oats, coconut, flour, and butter, then gets baked until lightly golden.
After that, it’s just a matter of whisking the mango puree with eggs, sugar, lime juice, and flour, and then pouring it over the crust.
🥭 Use parchment paper or foil. As you can see from these photos, I didn’t use parchment paper, and removing the bars from the baking dish was a bit messy. Do as I say, not as I do. Ha! Make sure to line your baking dish with parchment paper hanging over the sides of the dish for easy removal. You can also use aluminum foil if you prefer.
Careful not to overbake the mango bars. I know it may be tempting to want to continue to bake these bars because of the “jiggle,” but trust me, don’t do it.
The bars will continue to bake with the residual heat as they cool, so if you continue to bake them, they may end up with a rubbery texture.
These mango bars are bright, buttery, and totally worth turning on the oven for. The hardest part is trying not to eat three in a row!
Mango Bars with Coconut Oatmeal Shortbread Crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup mango purée, from 2 cups cubed fresh mango
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
- Confectioner’s sugar for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly grease and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, making sure the parchment is hanging over the sides of the baking dish. This will help you easily remove the bars after baking. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse together oats, flour, butter, sugar, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and salt until blended. The mixture should be crumbly but still stick together when pressed together with your hands.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish using the bottom of a cup. Make sure the layer is as even as possible so it bakes evenly.
- Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, using a fork, gently poke holes all over the top of crust. Set aside.
- Bake for 32-34 minutes or until the outer rim of the baking dish is set while the middle will be jiggly like jello. Don’t over bake! Let the bars cool completely (the bars will continue to bake/solidify as it cools) then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and remove the mango bars from the baking dish. Dust with confectioners sugar then cut into squares wiping the knife clean between each cut. Enjoy!
I used mango pulp from a can found in Indian grocery stores instead. Since the pulp already has sugar added, I used a bit less than what the recipe calls for. These mango squares/bars were amazing. Everyone loved them. This is such a great recipe and so easy. Love the oatmeal in the shortbread crust, too. Thank you so much!
So happy you loved it, Tyra! Thank you for your comment!
Have you ever added diced mango to the puree just before baking?
No, but sounds delicious! Try it!
These look amazing. Can I use canned mango puree found in cans in Indian stores instead of making the puree from scratch?
I think so! I’ve never done it that way before but try it out! :)
These look delicious! If I want to make it in a larger quantity, a 9×13 dish, should I simply double the recipe?
You can try! I’ve never used a 9×13 dish so I can only assume that doubling the recipe would be perfect or slightly thicker. Try it out and report back! :)
Hi. I double the recipe in a 9×13 pan and it came out looking delicious. My only comment is that the mango doesn’t have a strong taste. Seems to be lacking mango flavour. Maybe using a bit of mango extract would do the trick. I haven’t been able to find some in my neighborhood so I’ll have to keep on looking.