Mango Bars with Coconut Oatmeal Shortbread Crust

by Jamie Silva on Jul 19, 2022 (updated Oct 2, 2023)

5 from 18 reviews

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to all the readers of A Sassy Spoon for all your support! xo

With a mango tree in my childhood home, you can say I have mangos readily available all Summer long. This means I can easily add more easy mango recipes with fresh mango on the blog!

From mango milkshakes to mango cocktails, I’m determined to continue adding more recipes with each batch of mangos I receive.

Today, we’re making mango bars! Think of these bars as a close cousin to classic lemon bars.

Sweet, tart, delicious mango puree made from fresh mangos, and a buttery shortbread crust made with shredded coconut and rolled oats to seal the deal. YUM!

Let me show you how to make them!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy To Make. These mango bars use simple ingredients you can find in any local grocery store. You can even make them ahead of time and save them for up to 1 week in the fridge!

Fresh, Sweet, Tangy Mango Flavor. Duh, right? Just like the fresh lemon juice in classic lemon bars, the sweet, tart flavors of fresh mango really makes these mango bars shine.

Coconut Oatmeal Shortbread Crust. This is not your typical buttery shortbread crust – it’s better! The addition of shredded coconut and rolled oats put the cherry on top of the best mango bars in all the land!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the shortbread crust, we’re using:

Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. They are 100% whole grain, non-GMO, high fiber, and kosher. These oats are freshly milled from the highest quality oats available anywhere. Click here to learn more!

Unsalted butter. I use softened to room temperature unsalted butter.

All-purpose flour. You need flour for both the filling and the crust. This will help give structure to the bars.

Light brown sugar. This will sweeten the crust.

Unsweetened coconut flakes. For a tropical twist!

Ground cinnamon and salt. To balance all the delicious flavors.

For the mango filling, we’re using:

Eggs. Super important for structure so the mango bars don’t fall apart or get too watery.

Granulated sugar. Trust me, this won’t make them too sweet. The shortbread crust balances out the sweetness of the filling really nicely.

Fresh mango for mango puree. You can use frozen mango in a pinch but I’d recommend allowing it to thaw completely and straining any excess liquid so the bars don’t come out extra mushy. This is why fresh is best! All you need is 2 cups of cubed fresh mangoes which will roughly come from 2 large mangoes. Pulse the cubed fresh mango in a food processor and voilà, you have mango puree!

Fresh lime juice. Don’t use the bottled kind. Fresh citrus will always be more flavorful.

Confectioner’s sugar for garnish. It’s classic and pretty!

ingredients for the coconut oatmeal shortbread crust before blending in the food processor and then pressed into the 8x8 baking dish

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!

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Step-By-Step Instructions

Prep the baking dish. 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.

Make the crust mixture. In a food processor, pulse together oats, flour, butter, sugar, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and salt until blended. The mixture should be crumbly but should stick together when pressed together with your hands.

Transfer to a baking dish. 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, and gently poke holes all over the top of the crust. Set aside.

Make the mango filling. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with sugar then fold in the mango purée, lime juice, and flour until all is well combined. Pour onto the warm crust.

Bake & Chill. 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 overbake! Let the bars cool completely (the bars will continue to bake/solidify as they cool) then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Dust with sugar. Remove from the fridge and remove the mango bars from the baking dish. Dust with confectioners sugar then cut into squares.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

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.

Use room temperature ingredients (eggs, butter, and mango puree) so they incorporate easier into the crust mixture and filling.

Sift the flour to avoid any lumps in the mango filling. Sometimes, it doesn’t blend well if you don’t sift it first. You can use this flour sifter for the best results.

Don’t 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.

Use a sharp knife to cut the bars. This will help you get pretty and clean cuts of these bars. Also, make sure to wipe your knife clean between each cut.

Have leftover fresh mango sitting in your kitchen? Make my 3-ingredient mango jam recipe!

Storage Tips

In the fridge. The mango bars will keep in an airtight container for 1 week in the fridge.
In the freezer. Before adding the confectioner’s sugar, cut and individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 4 months. Just thaw in the fridge and dust them with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Desserts Mango