Before you cook

This page is about the bar itself: crust, curd, and clean slices.

Lilikoi bars only earn the name when the filling stays bright and the crust can carry it. CurtisJ's version is about structure: a real shortbread base, a passion fruit filling that still tastes tart, and a chill long enough to cut the bars clean.

If another page is saying the same thing with softer wording, it should not be competing for the same search. This is the recipe version worth keeping.

Every house in Hawaii with a lilikoi vine knows the situation: you either have zero passion fruit or you have hundreds.

When the vine goes off, you're scrambling to use them. Juice. Jam. Butter. Frozen pulp. And these bars – always these bars.

What Is Lilikoi?

Lilikoi is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit. The purple-skinned variety grows wild throughout the islands, climbing fences and trees.

The flavor is intensely tropical – tart, aromatic, floral, sweet. Lilikoi is one of those fruits that tastes exactly like Hawaii smells.

Lilikoi Bars

Tangy passion fruit curd on a buttery shortbread crust – Hawaii's tropical twist on the classic lemon bar. Bright, sunny, and dangerously addictive.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Chill Time: 2 hours | Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Lilikoi Filling:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup fresh lilikoi (passion fruit) pulp and juice (about 6-8 fruits)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

For Topping:

  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment. Beat butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Add flour and salt. Press evenly into pan. Bake 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
  2. Make the Filling: Prepare lilikoi – cut passion fruits in half, scoop pulp into a fine-mesh strainer. Press to extract juice. Whisk eggs and sugar. Add lilikoi juice, lemon juice, flour, baking powder. Whisk until smooth.
  3. Bake: Pour filling over hot crust. Bake 22-25 minutes until filling is set but still slightly jiggly in center.
  4. Cool and Chill: Cool completely in pan. Refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm.
  5. Serve: Cut into squares. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Can be frozen up to 2 months.