Grapefruit Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread Crust

These grapefruit bars on brown butter shortbread crust are the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and nutty. They're citrus bars elevated to their most delicious form!

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Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Grapefruit Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread Crust

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert bars

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Brown butter shortbread crust

• 12 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks (170 grams)
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (218 grams)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)

Grapefruit filling

• 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour (63 grams)
• 1 ¼ cups grapefruit juice (313 ml)
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Add 12 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter browns and begins to smell nutty. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine brown butter, flour, and powdered sugar. Mix just until dough comes together. Press crust into prepared baking dish, pressing down to create an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Combine sugar, flour, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, eggs, egg yolk, and salt until well combined.
• Remove crust from the oven and pour filling immediately into the hot crust. Return dessert to the oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Continue to bake for 30-40 minutes or until the filling has set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• Transfer bars to the refridgerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

Use fresh grapefruit juice for the best results.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make crust

Let's start with the base, the crust. Begin by browning butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, cooking it until it turns golden and releases that incredible nutty aroma.

I still remember the first time I made brown butter while a student at the Culinary Institute of America. The smell alone made me excited for what was to come, and I still feel that same excitement as a chef today.

This step transforms ordinary butter into something special, adding depth to the shortbread base.

Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, mix it with flour and powdered sugar until the dough just comes together. The key here is not to overmix. You want a tender, crumbly shortbread, not a tough one.

Press the dough evenly into the greased 9x13-inch baking dish and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until it's golden brown and fragrant.

Step 2: Prepare filling

While the crust bakes, prepare the grapefruit filling. This is wonderfully simple, just whisk together sugar, flour, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, eggs, an extra egg yolk, and salt until everything is well combined.

I highly recommend using fresh grapefruit juice rather than store-bought for this recipe. Fresh juice has a brighter, more vibrant flavor and the right acidity to create that perfect tart-sweet balance.

You'll need about 3 grapefruits to get 1¼ cups of juice. While you're at it, zest one of them before juicing for that tablespoon of zest. The zest adds concentrated citrus oils that really amplify the grapefruit flavor.

You can strain the juice to remove the pulp, but I didn't mind having little bits of grapefruit throughout the bars and decided to keep it.

Step 3: Bake

As soon as the crust is ready, pour the filling directly into the hot crust. This might seem odd, but it actually helps create a better seal between the layers and prevents the crust from getting soggy.

After pouring in the filling, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes.

The filling is done when it jiggles slightly in the center but doesn't look liquid. It will continue to set as it cools. Let the bars cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

This chill time is essential for clean cuts and the best texture. When you're ready to serve, cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar for that classic finishing touch.

There are many different ratios of crust to filling for lemon bars, and I personally think the ratio for these grapefruit bars is perfection. You have slightly more filling than crust, but you can still taste that wonderfully buttery, nutty shortbread in every bite. And that filling? Perfectly sweet and tart!

For more citrus treats, check out this complete list of citrus desserts worth making!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: Since this dessert needs to be chilled, I recommend baking it the day before serving.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container.

More citrus desserts

Looking for more citrus desserts? Try these: