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Five Star Bars

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.

4 Five Star Bars stacked on a white plate

Five Star Bars. Just mix and bake!

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.

Desiccated coconut in white ceramic bowl.

Fine cut dried (desiccated) unsweetened coconut is the type to use in this recipe.

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.

Overhead photo of Five Star Brs being cut on a wooden board

Five Star Bars.

Five Star Bars close up photo on a wooden cutting board

Five Star Bars. So easy to make!

The type of chocolate melted on top is completely your choice. Milk chocolate is what is traditionally used, as in the photos above.

Some older recipes even call for chopped milk chocolate bars like an Aero bar here in Canada, probably because they melt so easily. I often make them with dark chocolate on top myself because I’ve always preferred it.

Five Star Bars featured image

Five Star Bars, shown with a dark chocolate topping.

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.

Newfoundland Christmas Cookie Recipes photo collage for Pinterest

Newfoundland Christmas Cookie Recipes

Originally published Nov 2012

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.

xFive Star Bars stacked on a white plate with title text added for Pinterest

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Five Star Bars on a wooden cutting board with title text added for Pinterest

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Five Star Bars featured image
Yield: 24 squares or bars

Five Star Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

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

  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut
  • A 10 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the top

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, use your preference of milk chocolate, semi sweet or dark

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix together the butter, graham crumbs, coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla.
  3. Press into a parchment paper lined 9 x 9 pan.
  4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until firm.
  5. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the hot cookie bars.
  6. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then spread evenly over the top.
  7. Allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting into cookie bars or squares.
  8. 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

24

Serving Size

1 square

Amount 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.

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Claudette

Wednesday 23rd of June 2021

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.

Carol Guite

Friday 16th of November 2018

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.

Barry C. Parsons

Saturday 17th of November 2018

So glad they were such a success.

Carolyn

Sunday 2nd of April 2017

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.

Ann

Friday 10th of February 2017

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.

Barry C. Parsons

Saturday 11th of February 2017

Not for a very long time.

ReneeMichelle

Friday 23rd of December 2016

These are delicious. I add skor bits on top as well as crunched up butterfinger bars.

Barry C. Parsons

Friday 23rd of December 2016

Ooooooooh! Sounds terrific.

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