Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter. Let it melt and begin to bubble. As it cooks, swirl the pan gently and continuously to prevent burning. You’ll start to see golden flecks form at the bottom, and the butter will develop a nutty aroma. Once it turns a deep amber color, remove the pan from the heat.

While the butter is still warm, stir in the brown sugar until fully combined. The heat will melt the sugar slightly, creating a rich caramel base.

Let the butter and sugar mixture cool slightly, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick and rich.

Gently fold the shredded coconut into the batter. The sweetened coconut adds chewy texture and helps create that signature golden top when baked.

Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 40–45 minutes, covering loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning. The bars should be set in the center but still slightly soft.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares. This helps them firm up and makes for cleaner cuts.