Here is a delicious recipe for Easy Passion Fruit Bars that taste like a vacation! This sweet and tart bar is so easy to make, and with only a few ingredients, anyone can whip these up for family and friends.
I first made this recipe during a trip to Hawaii. My good friend has a lilikoi vine, a.k.a passion fruit, and I was lucky to be able to use the delicious fruit.
Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Passion Fruit Bars
For the crust, you will need all-purpose flour, powdered confectioners sugar, butter, and a little salt if your butter is unsalted. You will also need a little more powdered sugar for dusting the bars before serving.
The ingredients for the filling include eggs, sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and passion fruit puree.
What type of fruit is Lilikoi (passion fruit)?
Passion fruit grows on a vine and not only has some of the most beautiful and intricate flowers but some of the most delicious fruit as well. Lilikoi is technically a berry, so the puree is quite sweet.
These Dessert Bars are Sweeter than Lemon Bars
I've been told by a few readers that they found these bars to be very sweet. This is because passion fruit puree is pretty sweet on its own. If you want a less sweet version, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the filling.
Where can you find passion fruit?
If you're not in Hawaii, sometimes you can find passion fruit in the grocery store or the frozen section. I've had the best luck at my local Mexican Grocery Store, but I've also heard they can be found at Asian specialty grocery stores as well.
Fresh is always best, but frozen will work just as well for these special little bars. You can also find passion fruit puree online.
How to Make Passion Fruit Bars
First, you will make the crust. This is a simple bar crust with butter, powdered sugar, salt, and flour. Then you will mix up the passion fruit puree with the sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder.
Everything bakes together for about 35 minutes and then cooled in the fridge for an hour. Once the bars are nice and cold, sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar and enjoy!
How to make the crust
This crust recipe is a simple bar crust that is as versatile as it is easy. You can use this crust recipe for lemon bars or any other bar you would like. First, you will whisk together the flour, salt, and powdered sugar.
Then you will cut in the cold butter and press the mixture into the bottom of a baking pan. Bake the crust at 350Âș for 15 minutes just as the edges are turning brown. Allow the crust to cool as you make the filling.
How to make passion fruit puree
If you are lucky enough to have fresh, ripe passion fruit you can make your own puree. Cut the fruit in half and dig out the middle with a spoon.
Add the fruit to a food processor or blender and give it a quick pulse to remove more of the pulp and juice from the seeds. Strain the mixture into a bowl and you have your puree. I have also been told a food mill works well to remove the seeds, although I have not tried it yet.
If you purchase frozen passion fruit, once it thaws, it will be in a puree form. If there are chunks of fruit, give it a quick zip in a food processor or blender.
How to make the filling for the bars
Once you have your passion fruit puree, you are ready to make the filling. If you don't have fresh passion fruit, you can also use frozen puree.
Whisk all of the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl starting with the eggs first. TIP: After whisking, there will be some bubbles. Allow the mixture to settle before baking in the oven.
Plan for cooling time, these bars are best served cold
Once you have the lilikoi filling added to the crust, you are ready to bake! Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center is firm.
Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool enough to be able to put the dish in the refrigerator. The bars need to be in the fridge for a MINIMUM of an hour.
Make sure they are cold all the way through. Not only does that mean they are done they are easier to cut and the sprinkle of confectioners sugar will not melt. Finally, you can enjoy these tropical treats!
My Favorite Pan for This Recipe
I was given the opportunity to try the bakeware pans from Caraway and I have to say, they are now my new favorite. Not only do they look great and come in beautiful colors, but they are also toxin free and have the most non-stick surface I have used.
More easy and delicious dessert recipes to try:
- Cherry Crumble Bars
- Easy Lemon Curd Filled Cupcakes
- Super Soft Sugar Cookies
- Homemade Snickers Bars
- Saltine Cracker Caramel Bars
Easy Passion Fruit Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- â cup powdered confectioners sugar
- Πteaspoon kosher salt (if using unsalted butter)
- â cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Passion Fruit Filling
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- Πcup + 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1œ teaspoons baking powder
- â cup passion fruit puree (see notes)
- powdered confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Place the flour, salt, and powdered sugar for the crust into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands.Â
- Put the crust mixture into the baking pan. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides as much as you can.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven when done.
Passion Fruit Filling
- While the crust is baking, whisk the eggs together in another mixing bowl. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, and fully combine. Add the flour and baking powder and continue to whisk. Finally, add the passion fruit puree and ensure everything is well combined.
- By now the crust should be done and out of the oven. Once the crust is ready, carefully pour the passion fruit mixture onto the hot crust and place the pan back into the oven for another 30-35 minutes. The bars are done when the center is firm.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow the pan to cool on a wire rack until it can be placed in the fridge to cool and set. Allow the bars to chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- I've been told by a few readers that they found these bars to be very sweet. This is because passion fruit puree is pretty sweet on its own. If you want a less sweet version, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the filling.
- If you are lucky enough to have fresh, ripe passion fruit you can make your own puree. Cut the fruit in half and dig out the middle with a spoon. Add the fruit to a food processor or blender and give it a quick pulse to remove more of the pulp and juice from the seeds. Strain the mixture into a bowl and you have your puree.
- If you purchase frozen passion fruit, once it thaws, it will be puree. If there are chunks of fruit, give it a quick zip in a food processor or blender.Â
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you make these Easy Passion Fruit Bars?
If you get a chance to make these Lilikoi Bars, don't forget to leave a comment below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest and tag me in your photo if you try these or any of my other recipes!
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Passion fruit photo by Marcello Aquino on Unsplash.
Leila says
I have a passionfruit vine in my backyard (Hawaii). I have so many and i love the idea of this recipe! Could I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar for the crust?
Emily says
Hi Leila, you won't get the same consistency since the confectioners' powdered sugar has added cornstarch which helps bind the crust.
Phyllis says
Is the crust supposed to be very dry when you put it in the pan? Mine wouldn't develop into what I usually have when I make a bar crust. I couldn't make it go up the sides . It was too powdery.I felt that it needed more butter or some liquid.
Emily says
Hi Phillis, yes this crust is dry and I wouldn't recommend trying to go up the sides with it. Make sure you press it before baking with your hands or the bottom of a cup. You could always add a little more butter or water even if you feel like you need the crust to be a little less dry. Just start with a teaspoon at a time so you don't overdo it. Once baked and topped with the filling, the crust should hold together just fine. I hope you give these another try!
Stephanie G says
I also thought they were a little too sweet and thatâs saying a lot because I love sweet things. I was expecting the tartness you find in lemon bars. Iâd try again with less sugar. Another tip on how to get the juice and pulp without seed residue: I used a food mill (my mother called it a tomato foley). I use it for juicing pomegranates too.
Emily says
Thanks for the feedback and the tip for the puree, Stephanie. These bars are sweeter than lemon bars since the passion fruit puree is sweet. Next time I would suggest adding some lemon juice to the filling to balance out the sweetness. Thanks for giving the recipe a try.đ
Erika says
Found some ripe lilikoi fruits in the woods yesterday and just made this recipe. Really great recipe and well written instructions! I just used my fingers to mix the butter into the crust and it worked really well. The filling was perfect and I could seriously taste the lilikoi fruits. Other comments said it was too sweet but I think it is perfect with fresh fruits used.
Emily says
I'm so jealous you found lilikoi in the woods, how awesome is that?!? Thanks for letting me know how they turned out.đ
Bianca says
Can you make the curd separately & ahead of time? Any advice on reassembling the dish separately?
Emily says
Hi Bianca, I haven't tried making the filling ahead of time, but I don't see any reason for it not to work. You will most likely have to give it a good whisk before adding it to the crust and baking. You could also make the puree (if you are making your own) or the crust ahead of time. The assembly of the bars doesn't take too much time, it's the baking times that take the most time. I hope you get a chance to try them!
Deb Mongato says
I bought a passionfruit vine at a blueberry farm last year, and this year had so many fruit. I gave most away and then saw your recipe. Earned wrinkly fruit have the most juicy insides. A delicious treat and think tonight will go well with a cup of coffee. Maybe a dollop of fresh creme. Didnât see where to upload a photo..
Emily says
Hi Deb, I'm so glad you were able to find a way to use that delicious fruit. I'm also jealous that you have a plant that gives you so much fruit! I always have these with coffee the next day, good choice!
Damon says
Texture wise these were okay. But the flavor balance is totally off. Itâs just a pure sugar bombâŠâŠthere needed to be a note to maybe âstart with only half the sugarâ so that the pure flavor of the passion fruit come through, and then balance the flavor with fresh lemon/lime juice.
I spent months growing my own passion fruitâŠ..training vinesâŠâŠhand pollinatingâŠâŠonly to feel like I wasted 1/3 of my crop.
Emily says
Hi Damon, sorry you didn't love these bars, they are definitely a dessert bar. Good suggestion for future readers, thanks for giving them a try.
Nomers says
Can you freeze these?
Emily says
Yes, these can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectionersâ sugar topping) into squares and place them onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in plastic wrap and place them into a large bag or freezer container to freeze.
Pamela says
Iâm a newbie, especially baking desserts. When I pulsed the pulp, the seeds got very ground up and looked like pepper. It was hard to strain because it clogged up the holes in my strainer. I was wanting to make seedless because I made a different recipe of these bars one time and one person in the family didnât like the seeds on top. Also had trouble cutting the butter in, dough was still very powdery when I baked the crust. Any tips? They still taste good!
Emily says
Hi Pamela. If you want completely seedless bars, soften the fruit with a masher or warm it over the stove so it's nice and soft. Push through your strainer until you get all of the seeds out. Or, you can buy passion fruit pulp without the seeds. I find that my hands work best for this crust. I start with my pastry cutter and then work the butter in with my hands.
I hope this helps and I'm glad you liked the taste. I hope you get a chance to try them again and thanks so much for sending over your question!
Sara says
These are currently in the oven and smell DIVINE.
One thing is I found the time to be quite off for baking, mine have been in 35 minutes and are still quite woobly.
So excited to try them!
Emily says
I hope they turn out great! Thanks for giving them a try đ
Lathiya says
The passionfruit bars look gorgeous and lip-smacking.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
These Passion Fruit Bars are totally delicious and mouthwatering!
Emily says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Jen Talley says
I've never had fresh passionfruit, but now I need to try this recipe!
Emily says
You won't be disappointed, I promise!
Marina says
Cannot wait to try this passion fruit bars out. My daughter will love them
Chef Dennis says
I can't wait to have a bite of these Passion Fruit Bars! Looks really delicious
Robyn says
These look so delicious, and I was just wondering that I could do with the bag of passionfruit in my fridge! Canât wait to make them!
Amy says
Love a good tart, especially with fruit. I usually find tarts too sweet so the fruit really cuts through it.
Alexandra says
I have all of the ingredients, and can't wait to whip up a batch today! So delicious!
Emily says
That's always the best when you have everything you need, enjoy!
Barshan Turno says
Needful content. Keep creating content like this! Tons of love for you
Michele peterson says
i love passion fruit and this recipe really showcased the fruit to perfection!
Debra says
Such a fun idea. I've never baked with passion fruit before. Going to pin for when I can get some.
Rachael says
I LOOOVE passionfruit! Here (Germany) we can get them at the normal supermarket when in season. This recipe is going on my bake list for this summer
Emily says
Oh good! I hope you get a chance to make these bars and I'm so jealous you can easily get passion fruit in season!
Rachel says
I tried passionfruit for the first time last year in a semifreddo I made, and I totally fell in love! I agree, it can be tricky to find, and a Latin store was where I found it as well! I heard that they are âin seasonâ in the fall here in the US, and would be more likely to be sold fresh, but I didnât have the chance to check. Youâve reminded me about this amazing ingredient, though! Canât wait to make these!
Emily says
I hope you find some more passion fruit soon and get a chance to make these bars! Just talking about it makes me want something with passion fruit right now! LOL.
Sue says
Fantastic! I need to go shopping for more passion fruit, for sure!!