Grapefruit Bars with Buttery Crust (Printable)
Soft buttery crust meets bright tangy grapefruit custard in these perfectly balanced sweet-tart bars. Ready in 1 hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Shortbread Crust
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Grapefruit Filling
05 - 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - ¾ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
09 - 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
→ Finishing
11 - Powdered sugar for dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
03 - Press dough evenly into the prepared pan bottom. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
04 - Whisk together sugar and flour in a separate bowl. Add eggs, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour filling mixture over the hot crust immediately after removing from oven.
06 - Return pan to oven and bake for 18-22 minutes until center is just set with minimal jiggle.
07 - Let cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into bars.
08 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These bars hit that perfect sweet-tart balance that makes people pause after their first bite
- The buttery crust anchors all that bright grapefruit energy into something somehow cozy yet refreshing
02 -
- Pour the filling onto the hot crust right out of the oven or the layers wont bond properly
- Overbaking makes the filling rubbery, so pull them when just set with a slight wobble in the center
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable for that silky smooth filling texture
- Use a microplane for the zest to avoid the bitter white pith