Lemon Coconut White Chocolate Gooey Bars

To a large bowl, add the butter and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.

Add the cake mix, egg, and beat on low speed to combine. The batter will be very thick. If it seems crumbly after beating for a few minutes, it will likely come together if you squeeze it with your fingers.

Add between half and two-thirds of the dough to the prepared pan to form an even, smooth base layer (I used my hands); set remaining dough aside.

Evenly sprinkle the coconut over the dough.

Evenly sprinkle the white chocolate chips.

Evenly drizzle with about 60% of the can (about 8 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk; just eyeball it.

Add the rest of the dough in approximately 1-inch pieces over the sweetened condensed milk, lightly pressing it down. You won’t have complete coverage; this is okay.

Bake for about 27 to 30 minutes or until edges are set and the center is mostly set; it’s okay if it’s a little jiggly. I judged the doneness by looking at the edges and as they turned light golden brown, I removed the pan from the oven. Because coconut and white chocolate are prone to burning, keep a close eye on the bars in the final minutes of baking.

Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 to 3 hours (overnight is better) or until bars have firmed up enough to cut.