Prep and preheat: preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 13" pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on each side (I recommend clipping the overhang to the edge of the pan with metal binder clips!), and lightly grease with baking spray.
Whisk together most ingredients: combine butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs and beat by hand or with a mixer until everything is fully incorporated into a smooth and creamy mixture.
Add flour, then coconut: Add flour and stir until about 80% combined, then add in the 2 cups coconut (and ¾ cups chopped pecans, if using) and continue to stir by hand until fully incorporated.
Transfer and bake: transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth it evenly into all the corners. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of coconut (and ¼ cup chopped pecans, if using) evenly over the top of the batter. Bake for 26-30 minutes until surface is deep golden brown, fully set, and slightly crackled.
Cool, share, and enjoy: cool bars fully before using the parchment sling to transfer the bars to a cutting board to slice (or simply slice them right in the pan) and share them with all the other butterscotch lovers that have found there way to the kitchen, thanks to the delightful caramel-y scents wafting through your house and enjoy!
It’d mean so much to me if you could please give the recipe card a ⭐ rating on the site and leave a comment to help others find this sweet recipe! Xo, Jocelyn @ Mint+Mallow