Description
These Pink Coconut Snowball Cake Bars are a fun and easy dessert recipe with a moist chocolate cake base, creamy coconut topping, and fluffy pink shredded coconut for a snowball-style finish. They are perfect for party food ideas, holiday desserts, birthday treats, easy recipe planning, dessert ideas, and make-ahead sweet snacks when you want something colorful, soft, and sliceable.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot water or hot coffee
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided
2 to 3 drops pink gel food coloring
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
4. Pour in the hot water or hot coffee and stir gently until the batter is fully combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before adding the topping.
7. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
8. Fold in the whipped topping until light and creamy, then stir in 1 cup of shredded coconut.
9. Spread the cream cheese coconut mixture evenly over the cooled chocolate cake.
10. Place the remaining 2 cups shredded coconut in a bowl and mix with pink gel food coloring until evenly tinted.
11. Sprinkle the pink coconut over the creamy layer and press gently so it sticks.
12. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then lift from the pan and slice into bars.
Notes
Make sure the chocolate cake layer is completely cool before adding the cream cheese topping so the layers stay clean and separate.
Use gel food coloring for the coconut because it gives a bright pink color without making the coconut wet.
Chill the bars before slicing and wipe the knife between cuts for neat, bakery-style squares.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 365
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg
Keywords: Pink Coconut Snowball Cake Bars, coconut cake bars, easy dessert recipe, party dessert ideas, holiday dessert, chocolate coconut bars