Five Star Bars
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Send this recipe to my email.
Five Star Bars. More a confection than a cookie bar with coconut and graham crumbs suspended in chewy caramel like base, topped with chocolate. Make and bake them in only about a half hour; a real Newfoundland favourite, especially around the Holidays.
Originally published Nov 2012.
Again today, Rock Recipes is featuring another cookie by request, these scrumptious Five Star Bars. Over the last couple of years in our annual cookie march to Christmas, I have received several requests for a recipe for this particular bar cookie.
It is a local favourite here and I have seen them in many local bakeries for years but never had made them before. I don't know why?
They couldn't be easier to make or be more soft, chewy and caramel-y delicious. They freeze really well too.
The type of chocolate melted on top is completely your choice. Milk chocolate is what is traditionally used, as in the photos above. Milk Chocolate chips are an excellent easy choice.
Some older recipes even call for chopped milk chocolate bars like an Aero bar here in Canada, probably because they melt so easily.
However, I most often make them with dark chocolate on top myself because I've always preferred it.
Looking for more holiday baking inspiration?
If you like this recipe, then, you have to check out all of the recipes in this Newfoundland Classic Christmas Cookie Collection.
Like this Five Star Bars recipe?
Be sure to browse the photo index of over 200 cookies and cookie bar recipe is in our expansive Cookies Category.
To keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes plus daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals, be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You'll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Five Star Bars
Five Star Bars are more a confection than a cookie bar with coconut and graham crumbs suspended in chewy caramel like base, topped with chocolate.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut
- A 10 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (300 ml size in Canada)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the top
- 1 cup chocolate chips, use your preference of milk chocolate, semi sweet or dark
- ( Traditionally here in Newfoundland, we use melted milk chocolate candy bars. Aero bars are thee most often used but any good quality milk chocolate will suffice. Use about 6-8 oz of milk chocolate, chopped.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix together the butter, graham crumbs, coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla.
- Press into a parchment paper lined 9 x 9 pan.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until firm.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the hot cookie bars.
- Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then spread evenly over the top.
- Allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting into cookie bars or squares.
- Store in an airtight container. These cookie bars freeze well too.
Notes
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1 squareAmount Per Serving Calories 190Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 11mgSodium 72mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 3g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
What do you think I can substitute for Graham Crumbs???
I'd try digestive biscuit crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs.
Would any type of cookie crumbs be a good replacement for the graham crumbs...I was thinking of crushing 2 cups of coconut cookies.
Sounds like an interesting idea to me.
Thank you for such a fab recipe. I've made it twice now and it has become a firm favourite.
Just like Nan's. Thank you!! I made two batches, both with semi sweet chocolate chips but one batch with about a tbsp of coconut oil. It made the chocolate crunchy when cold, like that hardshell ice-cream topping stuff. Yum!!!
My bf who is from the rock told me to substitute graham crumbs with oreo crumbs if you really like chocolate. plus he suggested putting rice crisps in the melted chocolate on top of the bars. AMAZING !!
I've been making these for my son ever since he was a little boy. He is 28 now and I have just passed the recipe on to his wife. Instead of the chocolate, I use eight Aero bars and I make them in a 13 x 9 pan.
If you use a 13x9 pan, do you double the recipe?
No. As a rule, when going from a 9x9 to a 9x13 pan I always make one and a half times the recipe.
5 star squares would, t be the same if you used a different cooker or crumb,the graham wafers make them what they are .
Can I use medium sweetened coconut instead of unsweetened?
You could beat they would be sweeter.
My mother always makes these and uses aero bars on top. Very good ☺
These are delicious. I add skor bits on top as well as crunched up butterfinger bars.
Ooooooooh! Sounds terrific.
Barry, what a great idea. Do you know if they still sell the bar in NL? It was my childhood favourite bar but alas, I don't remember what they taste or look like.
Not for a very long time.
They were my favorite, too. I will make these this weekend. Btw, just ordered 2 copies each of your Christma's and 1st Rock Recipe book, one set for a gift. I hope it will help me feel a little less homesick down here in Houston.
I would imagine Christmas will be slightly different down in Texas! I’m sure they will be a welcoming bunch. Merry Christmas! 😘🎅🏼🎄
Growing up I loved the 5 Star bars. I have searched for them everywhere I could think of and found this recipe in the process. I have tried it several times and didn't like it. I did not find it tasted at all like the bars of my childhood. One day I ran across a recipe for making a pie crust which substituted digestive cookies crushed for graham cracker crumbs. I decided to try it in this recipe. The result was simply fantastic!!! They tasted a whole lot more like the bars I remembered.
Hello again Barry
These were so good. I made a batch last night to freeze for a family Christmas gathering in early Dec. and had to make another batch today. My husband could not stop eating them. I must say they are a bit addictive. Your recipes never fail me. I made the recipe exactly as state and I wouldn't change a thing. You may get another review from me later as I have a batch of your raisin bread rising at the moment.
So glad they were such a success.
These were very simple to make and a big hit. Yummy, yummy! A definite keeper. Thank-you Barry!Can't wait to see what they are like after being frozen.
Hi, 300 ml can of sweetened condensed milk enough as the recipe says a 10 oz can
@sheila ann doiron, They are the same size tin. 300 ml by volume is 10 ounces by weight. They are just labelled differently in the US.