I am so excited to share this treat with you.
I know some of you might be thinking “Ew! Grapefruit?!”…and I feel ya. I used to be one of you.
Growing up, my sisters and I would sleep over my grandparents’ house regularly. For some reason, I distinctly remember them offering us grapefruit halves at breakfast. I also distinctly remember that I could only eat it if it was covered in, like, an INCH of sugar. It would make my teeth ache, BUT that was the only way I could get past the tart bitterness of grapefruit.
Not that long ago, I decided to challenge my childhood notion of grapefruit by mixing it in a boozy cocktail with gin and some thyme-infused simple syrup. It worked out beautifully. I found that grapefruit wasn’t quite as tart as it once was. I actually ENJOYED the slight bitterness it imparted.
This got the wheels turning.
Now, you should know, I’m a freak about lemon desserts. I LOVE THEM. I will almost always pick a lemon dessert over a chocolate one. I know I’m probably the minority on that one, but hey, it’s true! Especially when it comes to the classic lemon bar.
This recipe is a twist on that personal favorite. The grapefruit adds another layer of tartness to these lemon bars. And I have to say, the flavor is amazing. I sent my parents home with most of this batch and they both texted me to tell me that they were INCREDIBLE.
I will say this: you definitely have to be a citrus fan to enjoy these. As long as you are in the lemon-grapefruit fan club, you’ll love ‘em. Even if you are only in the lemon club, believe me when I say, these just might be the citrusy twist you never knew you needed.
You might just become part of the Grapefruit Convert Club. I’m the President.
Grapefruit Lemon Bars
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
These Grapefruit Lemon Bars are a citrus lover’s dream! Tart and tangy, sweet and buttery – they are the best of all worlds and a delightful twist on the classic lemon bar.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 stick of butter, melted
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For the Filling:
- Zest of 2 lemons (zest before juicing!)
- Zest of 1 grapefruit (zest before juicing!)
- ½ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (this was 1 grapefruit for me)
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (this was 2 lemons for me)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter an 8 x 8-in baking dish. Line the baking dish with parchment paper so that it overhangs the sides (this makes it easier to remove the bars from the pan later).
- Mix together the melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt until a dough forms. It will be thick.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan and up the sides a little bit. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set in the center and the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
For the Filling:
- While the crust is baking, make the filling by whisking together the citrus zests, juices, eggs, flour, and sugar. Whisk until completely smooth.
Pour the filling over the slightly cooled crust, smoothing out the top as needed. - Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle is only slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
- Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
Store the bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. These are best served chilled.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Category: dessert
Keywords: grapefruit lemon bars, grapefruit bars, lemon bars, grapefruit desserts, citrus desserts
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
great pics Molly! These looks beautiful and refreshing 🙂
Thank you! They are a fun twist – definitely something citrus fans should try!
OMG! I love lemon bars, but I’ve never even though of a grapefruit bar. These seems like would be for a holiday breakfast/ brunch!
They definitely would! Lemon bars are my absolute fav treat…so this is just a variation of that. Let me know if you try them out! 🙂
Hi Molly,
Just found this recipe (and your cute site) through Foodista. Do you think these bars could be made with just the grapefruit juice and zest (in increased quantities of course) rather than the combo of lemon and grapefruit? Or would that make them too bitter?
You could certainly try it. I found that the lemon really just made them “pop” a little bit more. Thanks for visiting the site!
Just want to double check the juice quantities. This calls for an entire cup of juice and only 3 T of flour and 3 eggs. Other lemon bar recipes use twice the flour and twice the number of eggs for that much juice… or half that much juice for the eggs and flour listed here.