Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line your 8x8 glass baking dish with parchment paper and allow it to hang over the side for easy removal.
Combine the ingredients for the crust and press into the baking dish evenly - bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Now, to make the filling: In a saucepan on low/medium, bring the coconut milk, sweetener and vanilla to a low boil - reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring frequently.
The liquid will reduce by half.
The mixture should be thick - if not, combine 1 Tbsp arrowroot flour with a small amount of the liquid mixture in a small bowl and stir well (if you add the arrowroot to the saucepan the mixture will clump up - so your goal is to temper the arrowroot mixture to blend evenly then pour into the larger mixture).
Remove the coconut mixture once thickened and add 1/4 C. of the coconut. Pour over the crust, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the coconut mixture, topping with the remaining 1/4 C. coconut.
Bake the bars in the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven to cool for 1 hour on a baking rack.
Then, place the bars in the fridge for an additional 2 hours or overnight.
Once cooled, cut into 16 bars. The number of bars you get will ultimately depend on how large you cut them.
Store in a tightly covered container. When properly stored, bars will keep at room temp for 24 hours. Refrigerate for longer storage.