Grapefruit Bars + Video
Grapefruit Bars are just like your favorite lemon bars with a shortbread crust and citrus curd, but with the sweeter flavor of pink or ruby red grapefruit.
There’s lemon bars and lime bars, so why not grapefruit bars?!
When I originally made this recipe in February 2012, I used ruby red grapefruit. As I tested this recipe again, I realized that it’s not quite as tart as I like my citrus desserts to be.
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Types of Grapefruit
Depending on the type of grapefruit used, it may not be as tart as its citrus counterparts (i.e. lemons or limes). You can spike up the tangy flavor by swapping some of the grapefruit juice with lemon juice. (See notes in the recipe card.)
FYI: Pink or white grapefruit is more tart than ruby red grapefruit, which is more sweet. Keep that in mind as you make this recipe. Both will work fine as far as the chemistry goes while baking.
Crust to Filling Ratio
I prefer my citrus bars to have almost equal parts of crust to filling. More like 1/3 crust, and 2/3 filling. The crust is merely to hold that luscious citrus layer, because if I had it my way, I’d eat the curd with a spoon.
The shortbread crust is still good though. A classic and sturdy base for a softer set fruit curd topping. You can always double the crust portion of the recipe if you would like a ratio of equal crust to filling.
A little dusting of powdered sugar on top with a fine mesh sieve is the icing on the cake, and oh so pretty.
Grapefruit Bars
These grapefruit bars are fashioned after the recipes for my lemon and lime bars with just a little more zest and juice. Since grapefruits are naturally more mild, they need just a little extra oomph.
If you’re a citrus fan like I am, I’m sure you will enjoy these pretty pink dessert bars. Happy Baking!
Grapefruit Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, room temperature (cut into 8 pieces)
Filling:
- 1 ½ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon grapefruit zest
- 1 cup (237 ml) grapefruit juice, (or combination or grapefruit + lemon juice*)
- pink food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease or line an 11×7-inch baking dish with parchment paper that overhangs 2-inches on both sides. (Do not overdo it on the cooking spray; just a very light coating.)
- CRUST: Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor or stand mixer. Pulse/mix until mixture resembles fine crumbs that start to clump together. Press onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350˚F for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- FILLING: Prepare filling when crust is just about done. Whisk together the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the zest, juice, and 3 drops or so of food coloring (if desired). Whisk together.
- Pour filling over HOT crust and bake an additional 20 minutes or until filling no longer jiggles, and edges brown.
- Let cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until cold. Lift bars out of pan with parchment paper for easy cutting and serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- NOTE: Grapefruits are a very mild citrus fruit compared to tangy lemons or limes. Consider using 3/4 cup of grapefruit juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice to help boost the flavor and/or use more zest (up to 1 Tbsp more).
- FYI: Pink or White Grapefruit is more tart than Ruby Red Grapefruit
- This can be made in a 9×9-inch square baking dish, but would be best made with less filling. The crust measurements can remain the same.
- To reduce the filling for a 9×9-inch pan, I would do: 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 2 tsp grapefruit zest, and 2/3 cup grapefruit juice.
- This recipe can be made in a 13×9-inch pan, but you may want to 1.5x the crust recipe, or the crust will be very thin.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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*Originally published 2/7/12. Updated 3/25/20.
OMG – these are a revelation!
I used a very deep 8×8 pan because I don’t have an 11×7. Had to bake the filling longer, but it made the entire house smell delicious. I tried one still warm, I couldn’t wait, and they were even better than they smelled.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed these grapefruit bars Michelle! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe.
Needed to make this gluten free for a guest, used Bob’s 1 to 1 baking flour, and the squares are amazing! Only had one grapefruit hanging about so not quite enough juice, supplemented with lemon and also added a couple of drops of Young Living grapefruit essential oil to boost the flavour. Could have used another drop, but overall this recipe is a win for me. I doubled the crust recipe (didn’t want to fuss around with halving the measurements) and the ratio is pretty good. I look forward to trying these with regular flour, but the gluten free is not bad. I’m sure my friend will love them!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe!
These were pretty good, but I’m not going to lie, they turned out really bitter 😅 Maybe the peels on the grapefruit we had were extra bitter, but I would definitely add less zest in the future. Overall, great recipe! The crust was fantastic.
Hey Ashley, if they were bitter, you may have zested a bit too deep into the flesh. You just want the very outer layer of rind (the peel), but none of the pith (white part between the peel and the fruit) because that is where the bitterness comes from. The peel has all the natural oils and flavor of the fruit. You can always opt to leave it out, but I do find it adds an extra concentrated flavor. Hope this helps!
These came out great! I made them in a 9×13 with 1.5x the crust. I followed the recipe exactly and had no issues.
Yay! So glad to hear it!
Question – when juicing fresh grapefruits, do you strain out the pulp or keep it in? It would completely change the thickness of the juice, so seems important! Thanks 🙂
Pulp and everything. Enjoy!
Not enough crust!! Very very thin. I’d double it.
It should look like the thickness in the photos if you used a 7×11-inch pan (not 9×13). But definitely feel free to double it if you like it thicker.
Even though I’m not a fan of grapefruit, I’ve been wanting to make Grapefruit Bars for a couple years now because I’ve enjoyed making Blood Orange, Lemon, and Orange bars. I used a 9×13 pan, did 1.5 for the crust. Because of the elevation in Albuquerque, I added about two tablespoons of flour to the crust and about 1/4 of cup extra flour to the filling. I baked the crust for 20 minutes and the filling for 24 minutes. I used 1 grapefruit and two small lemons for my one cup of juice. I made the bars Sunday night, and I didn’t cut them until Monday night so they could have a fair chance to set. My roommate and I ate four that night and my coworkers raved about them Tuesday. Even the ones like me who don’t care for grapefruit. I got compliments on the pretty pink color. I even took some to the New Mexico Lottery office. I love the recipe! Nice work! And I am typing this long REPLY because I really appreciated everyone else’s replies.
So glad to hear they were a hit NaDeen! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your experience with the recipe.
I made these tonight and so far they came out beautifully. I kept the recipe as is except I added at least 2 tablespoons of zest, plus more sprinkled on top. I also used dragonfruit powder for color but I doubt that effects the taste or texture. I used an 8×8, baked the crust about 22 minutes, the filling for 35 minutes. I did a test slice in the corner and it looks like it’s going to hold together great once they cool overnight in the fridge. Awesome recipe!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe Lauren. Your comment helps others who want to make the recipe as well.
Thanks for reminding me to follow up lol. They turned out really as best of a texture as it could have I think for that size pan. They were a little thick and I have a feeling that no matter how long I baked them, they would still mush if I stacked them – just from the height of the filling. Overall really delicious though, I’m putting this one in the recipe box! I’m going to try again with a 9×11, I’ll let you guys know how it goes 🙂
Oh also – I’m opting to add 1/4 cup lemon juice this time to replace some of the grapefruit juice. It’s just such a mild flavor, I think it could use it.
9×11 is perfect, baked this time for about 13-15 minutes and again with the filling for about 25 more minutes. Came out a little looser than I was hoping for how brown the top got. I think my final adjustment will be increasing the amount of flour a little bit, and maybe try baking it partially covered for the first half of the time with the filling.
With that, I call this recipe perfected lol
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work out for me. I found the curd lacked flavor and tasted kind of eggy, and the crust was far too thin for my baking pan, but did puff up a little bit after baking. Still, the end product just wasn’t meshing with my taste buds. They look wonderful in the photo however, and I’m glad they worked out for you!
I’m sorry you did’t enjoy this recipe Allison, but thanks for your feedback anyway.
These look great and I hope to make them very soon. Have you ever used bottled grapefruit juice? Does it come out the same as juicing fresh grapefruits?
I’m sure bottled grapefruit juice would work as long as it’s 100% pure juice.