Easy Passion Fruit Bars
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.
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This is another recipe that came from our recent trip to Hawaii. Passion fruit, or lilikoi, grows like a weed out there! 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! I knew I had to make a recipe while I was there and these Easy Passion Fruit Bars were a hit!
How to Make Passion Fruit Bars
First, you will make the crust. This is a simple bar crust with butter, confectioners powdered sugar, salt, and flour. Then you will mix up the passion fruit puree with 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 confectioners sugar and enjoy!
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. Here is what they look like, there are a few varieties out there.
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 350º 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.
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 cooing 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!
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
- baking pan 9×13 (or similar size)
- 2 large mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- pastry cutter
- food processor or blender (if you are making your own puree)
- strainer (if you are removing seed or extra pulp)
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup powdered confectioners sugar
- ¼ teaspooon kosher salt (if using unsalted butter)
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Passion Fruit Filling
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ cup passion fruit puree (see notes)
- powdered confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13 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.
- 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
- 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 a puree. If there are chunks of fruit, give it a quick zip in a food processor or blender.
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! You can also sign up for my mailing list and receive dun and delicious recipes right to your inbox.
Passion fruit photo by Marcello Aquino on Unsplash.
Can you freeze these?
Yes, these can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ 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.
I’m 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 didn’t 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!
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!
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!
I hope they turn out great! Thanks for giving them a try 😊
The passionfruit bars look gorgeous and lip-smacking.
These Passion Fruit Bars are totally delicious and mouthwatering!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve never had fresh passionfruit, but now I need to try this recipe!
You won’t be disappointed, I promise!
Cannot wait to try this passion fruit bars out. My daughter will love them
I can’t wait to have a bite of these Passion Fruit Bars! Looks really delicious
These look so delicious, and I was just wondering that I could do with the bag of passionfruit in my fridge! Can’t wait to make them!
Love a good tart, especially with fruit. I usually find tarts too sweet so the fruit really cuts through it.
I have all of the ingredients, and can’t wait to whip up a batch today! So delicious!
That’s always the best when you have everything you need, enjoy!
Needful content. Keep creating content like this! Tons of love for you
i love passion fruit and this recipe really showcased the fruit to perfection!
Such a fun idea. I’ve never baked with passion fruit before. Going to pin for when I can get some.
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
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!
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 “in season” in the fall here in the US, and would be more likely to be sold fresh, but I didn’t have the chance to check. You’ve reminded me about this amazing ingredient, though! Can’t wait to make these!
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.
Fantastic! I need to go shopping for more passion fruit, for sure!!