Lilikoi Bars aka Passion Fruit Bars is a Hawaiian play on the classic lemon bars recipe, made with tart and floral passion fruit juice.
This is possibly one of the best deserts that I have ever made.
I've made lemon bars before, but a taste of the islands takes this to an entirely different flavor profile that I have not experienced since I moved from Hawaii.
Mom still lives there, and I shared with many of you on Facebook and Twitter that I arrived home one day last week to a HUGE box of fresh lilikoi (Hawaiian for passion fruit).
Now when I mean fresh, I mean fresh from HER tree!
Can you believe it? The fruity smell was permeating out of the box even before I opened it!
A Few Tips on Working with Fresh Passion Fruit
So let me tell you about this beautiful tropical fruit, lilikoi.
- The wrinklier it looks, the better and sweeter it is! So all that brown/wrinkle, that's good stuff!
- There are seeds inside that are practically impossible to break, so best way to remove the pulp and juice is a quick swish in the food processor or blender. (Will explain.)
- Enjoy-lilikoi is AMAZING!
Lilikoi Bars, like Lemon Bars, but with a Hawaiian Twist
I had to pick the best desert possible to showcase this amazing and exotic fruit. I was thinking about lemon bars-how prefect are they. Tangy and sweet, a thick coating of fruit-this would fit perfectly for the
lilikoi-And there we have it-Lilikoi Bars were born.
I wish blogs had some type of taste-sensory mechanism; there is nothing quite like the flavor of passion fruit. This unique flavor is romantic and tart. The aroma and scent alone bring me right back to Hawaiian waters and fresh citrus trees. Tasting its juice is exotic and floral, you know that it is passion fruit and nothing else. A strong citrus bite, but one that puckers well with added sweetness.
Note* I made this using fresh lilikoi, if you can not find fresh lilikoi, I have used Goya brand that has passion fruit pulp and works just as well! You can find it at most Asian or Latin American stores.
To Make the Lilikoi Juice
1) First, let's make the lilikoi juice. Cut eat fruit in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds and place in food processor or blender.
2) Pulse a few short times for no more than 30 seconds. This will pull the pulp away from the seeds and get more juice out.
3) Pour pulp into a sieve with a bowl underneath (½ c at a time) and use the back of spoon to push down on the pulp and juice. Reserve 1 cup of juice and discard seeds.
Now onto the Bars
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3) Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed.
4) Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 baking sheet, building up a ½-inch edge on all sides. (It will feel crumbly, but will come together the more you press into it.)
5) Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or speed it up in the freezer for 15 minutes).
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the crust is pale and the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for another 15 minutes (sometimes I even place it in the fridge to help it cool down).
For the Filling
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lilikoi juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool.
For the Lilikoi Glaze
1) Boil water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2) Add passion fruit and lemon juice and boil for a further 3 minutes. It will boil rapidly and looks like it expanded.
3) Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will turn into a thick and sugary passion fruit syrup!
4) Allow to cool and drizzle over lilikoi bars!
More hawaiian style recipes
A Taste of Aloha-Lilikoi Bars with Fresh Lilikoi Glaze
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Lilikoi Bars aka Passion Fruit Bars is a Hawaiian play on the classic lemon bars recipe, made with tart and floral passion fruit juice.
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ lb unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cup all purpose flour sifted
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
Glaze- adapted from here
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lilikoi fruit juice about 6 lilikoi
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- First, make the lilikoi juice. Cut eat fruit in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds and place in food processor or blender.
- Pulse a few short times for no more than 30 seconds. This will pull the pulp away from the seeds and get more juice out.
- Pour pulp into a sieve? with a bowl underneath (½ c at a time) and use the back of spoon to push down on the pulp and juice. Reserve 1 cup of juice and discard seeds.
- Now onto the Bars. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low and mix until just combined.
- Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 baking pan building up a ½-inch edge on all sides.
- Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes (or speed it up in the freezer for 15 minutes).
- Then bake crust for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. The crust should be light tan and the edges a lightly brown color. Remove from oven and let cool for another 15 minutes. (sometimes I'll stick it in the fridge to help cool down).
- For the filling, Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lilikoi juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour.
- Pour over the crust and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool.
- For the Lilikoi Glaze, boil water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add passion fruit and lemon juice and boil for a further 3 minutes. It will boil rapidly and looks like it expanded.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will turn into a thick and sugary passion fruit syrup.
- Allow to cool and drizzle over lilikoi bars.
Notes
I made this using fresh lilikoi, if you can not find fresh lilikoi, I have used Goya brand that has passion fruit pulp and works just as well! You can find it at most Asian or Latin American stores.
Passion Fruit Bars Recipe adapted from Ina Garten Lemon Bars
Nutrition
Calories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 61mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 1gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 776IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!
Ann says
I am sorry my dear but this recipe is a disaster. It’s been 45 min and the filling is not set up at all and the crust is completely white. I have precooked crust always for lemon bars but thought you must know a better way! This will take at least an hour.
Yes in the picture you show powdered sugar topped with glaze. Well I am indeed sad as it took some work for the lilikoi juice etc and I am suspecting this is not a success! Will update if I am wrong. I am a good experienced cook and this is just too much liquid among other things. I enjoy reading your blog but you must be doing a few other things automatically and forgetting to tell us!
Samantha says
Hi Ann and thank you for your comment. I just retested the recipe and have updated the post adn recipe as well. I pre-baked the crust for 25 minutes, let cool, added filling and cooked for 35-40 minutes. Bars are perfect..filling is set adn crust is golden brown on the bottom. I hope you will try the recipe again..it really is wonderful.
Carolyn says
I just made these for a pool party and they were a huge hit. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Carolyn says
By the way, I should mention, I made it with Gluten Free Flour (Cup 4 Cup) and I did cook the crust first as I'm used to doing that for lemon bars.
Samantha says
Thank you so much for sharing your comment!
Lily says
I have made these a handful of times and each time I do the filling is rubbery and separates from the undercooked crust. I followed your receipe to the letter
Samantha says
Hi Lily! I have never had that problem of rubberiness or the filling pulling apart. I use the same base for other "bars" on my site too. However, I plan on re-testing these and will follow up! Thank you for commenting.
Lyn says
I made these bars last night - the flavor is wonderful but the crust was nearly raw. I did what another commenter here did and scraped off the topping and baked the crust for another 30 minutes. That made it much better but of course the top was a scrambled mess to put back on since it had already been cooked. I went back and looked up Ina Garten's lemon bars recipe from which this one said it is derived, and sure enough, Ina has you bake the crust separately for 30 minutes before putting the topping on and cooking that.
Samantha says
Hi Lyn! Thank you for commenting...I will definitely retest the recipe and make sure it is not raw. Though, so odd since I have made them a number of times with success. I'll definitely retest and will notate it in my blog post and recipe. Thank you again and I am glad they turned out well in the end!
TRB says
If you are looking for a lilikoi puree - DaVine Foods in Hawaii has an awesome one - no additives! https://www.davinehawaii.com/product/passion-fruit-puree/
marilyn "Ohana Mama" wallace says
aloha mai ka mokupuni nuiʻo Hawaiʻi. He nui nā lilikoi a puni iaʻu. ʻO kaʻala mai ko lākou pua nani e hoʻopiha i ka ea. ʻO Hawaiʻi kekahi wahi kūikawā loa no kaʻuhane e noho ai. . . makeʻoe i ka'āina. Ke hoʻouna aku nei au i nā manaʻo maikaʻi iāʻoe.
Janis L Nelson says
I am sorry to say that I made these and it was a complete disaster. When I checked after 30 minutes, the bars were nowhere near done. It took almost an hour to set. Also, the crust crumbled into crumbs and was under-cooked, and separated from the filling. Also, the filling was like rubber, and tasteless. I followed your directions to the letter. I keep thinking I missed something. Are you sure it would be better to bake the crust first or cook the filling before putting it into the pan.
Samantha says
Janis, I am so sorry it didn't work out for you. I am honest when I say I have never dealt with the issues that you just mentioned...ever and I have made the lilikoi bars no less than a dozen times. I would not recommend baking the filling beforehand because it seems like that would overcook the eggs. As far as the crust, after making the dough initially it is a bit crumbly, but with all the butter added and as you work it into the pan, it forms a cohesive crust. If you would like to email me, I'll be happy to talk over the recipe with you and maybe find a solution togetehr? It really is one of my favs!
Theresa says
I had the same problem and took off the filling, pressed the crust down again and baked it for 25 mins until golden brown, then made another filling and poured it over the cooled crust. It's in the oven now, looking much better than the pale white crust the first time around
Haley says
Made these last night for book club...so glad we tasted them before we left- they were totally inedible! The crust was fine but the filling tasted like gummy raw flour. What a waste of wonderful homegrown Lilikoi.
Samantha says
So sorry that happened Haley 🙁 Do you have any questions about the recipe I can help figure out? I can assure you, I've made this exact recipe no less than dozens of times without failure.
Samantha says
Hi Haley! This is an incredibly late reply but I wanted to let you know that I retested the recipe and have updated the post and recipe as well. I pre-baked the crust for 25 minutes, let cool, added filling and cooked for 35-40 minutes. Bars are perfect..filling is set and crust is golden brown on the bottom. I hope you will try the recipe again..it really is wonderful.
Beverly M Welch says
Good evening. I just wanted to share with you. My recipe is very similar to yours, with a few 'quirks'!
In the crust, I add a scant handful of crushed toasted raw macadamia nuts. For the flour, I substitute 3/4 organic coconut flour for standard. I bake the crust first.
In the filling, I leave in the seeds for both nutritional and as the tickets contact.
Just wanted to share...
Samantha says
Thanks you for sharing! I love the addition of mac nuts!! Happy New Years!
Barbara says
Can these bars be frozen?
Samantha says
Hi Barbara! I haven't frozen them before but had refrigerated them for 2-3 days and they were great. I think freezing would be ok, but as they thaw there may be some condensation but taste shouldn't be altered.
Roxanna says
Aloha!
I am making lilikoi bars for a friends birthday on Monday. I picked the lilikoi off my neighbors vine so I will be making her a lilikoi cheesecake after I make the bars.
Mahalo from the Big Island of Hawaii
Roxanna Lopez
Samantha says
Aloha Roxanna!! I miss lilikoi so much!! Have fun baking 🙂
Samantha says
Thanks for the tip!! Yes, I know! That post was made a few years ago!
Jodi says
I was wondering if someone was going to say that. Haha! Just made these last night with lilikoi from a friend's vine. So good! Hope your travels bring you back to Hawaii! It's a place that stays with you forever.
Evie Malea says
I love Lilikoi. It has been my passion the last 2 years since the grow ony yard( the red ones$) and my neighbors yellow ones. I pick th everyday on my walk! Would love a cookbook. Mahalo for sharing da Aloha.
Lynne de Bie says
My brother and sister-in-law (who live in Hawaii) gave me the original "A Taste of Aloha" cookbook in the mid-80's--love the recipes! We can get passion fruit juice in California--so I am going to try your recipe--it looks yummy.
Samantha says
Hi Lynne! I'm in Cali too and found Goya brand passion fruit! it doesn't taste the same but does the trick! I also strained it after it defrosted! Have fun!