Fragrant, sweet and tart, lilikoi bars are one of the tastiest and easiest desserts to make for a crowd. The tropical flavor of lilikoi and macadamia coconut crust all come together to make an irresistible anytime treat.
These beauties have the most exotic scent of any fruit I have eaten. You can eat the pulp and seeds right out of the shell. If you don’t have access to fresh lilikoi (passion fruit) you may use frozen such as Goya. Just be sure the brand you choose is 100% passion fruit puree/pulp without any additional ingredients.
The macadamia nuts and coconut add an additional tropical vibe to the buttery crust.
Line your pan with heavy duty foil leaving an overhang on all sides. Place a piece of parchment paper over and up the sides of the foil. This ensures that you can remove the lilikoi bars without worrying about the crust cracking or sticking to the pan.
The pre-baked crust smells wonderful emerging from the oven with hints of macadamia nuts and coconut.
Lilikoi bars require just a short list of ingredients. The hardest part is waiting for the bars to chill thoroughly before cutting into squares and enjoying.
You can serve the lilikoi bars without any additional garnishes or add a few for contrasting colors and textures. Toasted coconut flakes, lilikoi pulp with seeds, confectioner’s sugar are few ways to add pizazz and color to the cut squares.
Sweet & Tart Lilikoi Bars
15+
servingsA little bit sweet, a little bit tangy, these lilikoi bars are the best tropical dessert
Ingredients
- Crust
2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped dry roasted unsalted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup (43g) finely chopped sweet coconut flakes (such as Baker’s Angel Flakes)
1 3/4 sticks (198g) lightly salted butter, melted and slightly cooled (I used Green Valley Lactose Free)
- Lilikoi Filling
1/2 cup (60g) all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons (322g) granulated sugar
1 cup lilikoi puree
5 large eggs, well beaten (I strain the beaten eggs to ensure a smooth consistency)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle of the oven.
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with heavy duty foil making sure the foil covers all sides leaving some overhang on each side. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the foil ensuring the paper covers all sides (no need for overhang). This will ensure the lilikoi bars can easily be removed from the pan without cracking, also allowing for ease of cutting bars into neat squares. See photo above of prepared pan.
- Crust
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Whisk in finely chopped nuts and coconut. Pour in melted butter and stir to combine.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan. Using your hands, pat firmly into the bottom of the pan also pressing along the edges to build up the sides ever so slightly. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
- Lilikoi Filling
- While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Whisk in lilikoi puree until well combined. Add beaten eggs and stir until well combined. You may use a spatula, a mixing spoon or a whisk (be careful as over whisking can cause excess air bubbles). Pour filling over the warm crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the filling is set. Remove to a cooling rack. Let cool for an hour or until the pan can be placed in the refrigerator (cover with foil) to set and chill thoroughly, 2+ hours. Cut into bars and serve!
Notes
- These bars are so delicious on their own. If you want to jazz them up bit, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top just before serving. You can also serve some of the bars with toasted coconut flakes or with a drizzle of fresh lilikoi pulp seeds and all for a stunning contrast.
- The bars can be frozen for a couple of months. I usually cut large pieces and place in shallow freezer containers. Defrost in the refrigerator. The crust may lose a bit of its original crispness but no one will complain or even notice!