Using template for xy_color

As you show, templates require quotes. And that might be part of why HASS is seeing a string. But I wonder if some alternate methods of expressing the data might work.
Like

xy_color: >-
    [{{states.light.bank.attributes.xy_color | first}},{{states.light.bank.attributes.xy_color | last }}]

or

xy_color: 
  - {{states.light.bank.attributes.xy_color | first}}
  - {{states.light.bank.attributes.xy_color | last }}