Coconut and Grapefruit Bars

A fun twist on a classic lemon bar, these coconut grapefruit bars come together quickly using sweet yet tangy fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. Don’t use storebought grapefruit juice as it usually contains added sugar which masks the fruit's natural tanginess.
The combination of the citrusy grapefruit topping and the buttery coconuty base creates a delightful contrast that keeps you coming back for more! These are so easy to make and a perfect dessert for a party or potluck. If you’re a fan of citrus desserts, I’m sure you will enjoy these pretty pinky bars. Since grapefruits are naturally milder, so I have added some lemon juice to the curd, making it more tangy. But you can absolutely use just grapefruit juice.
Brush the buttery crust with two egg yolks after blind baking it before adding the topping. This extra step creates not only a more flavourful, glossy finish, but also a barrier that prevents the topping from making the crust soggy.

Coconut and Grapefruit Bars

adapted from Olive

Base	Topping
50 g Desiccated coconut plus 2 tbsp to serve 125 g Cold unsalted butter, diced 175 g White spelt flour 50 g Golden caster sugar 1 pinch of salt 1 Pink grapefruit, zested	4 Large eggs, 2 separated 200 g Golden caster sugar 25 g Cornstarch 25 g White spelt flour 2 Large pink grapefruit, juiced to make 200ml, measured after sieving out the bits 2 Lemon, juiced to make 50ml A few drops pink and orange food colouring, optional

Heat the oven to 200C/400F and line a 23cm square or 23x28cm rectangular pan with baking paper. Toast the coconut in a dry frying pan, stirring regularly until lightly browned.
Put the butter, flour, salt, sugar, zest and the toasted coconut in a food processor and whizz until the mixture comes together as a dough. Press into the prepared pan as evenly as you can to make a flat base.
Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Use two separated egg yolks from the topping to brush all over the base, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until crisp. This step seals effectively the crust, thereby preventing the topping from making the crust soggy.
For the topping, whisk the 2 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, sugar and flours together until smooth. Whisk in both juices, and a little food colouring, if using, to get a pink, peachy hue.
Remove the base from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F. Give the topping a quick whisk, then pour the topping mixture over the base through a sieve, while the base is still hot. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the topping is set and doesn’t wobble too much when shaken.
Remove and sprinkle with the desiccated coconut and cool, then chill for 1 hour until well set. Cut into squares and enjoy!

8 comments:

Tom 10/11/25 12:36: ...I LOVE grapefruit, but my Statins don't.
DEZMOND 10/11/25 13:06: Oh, how pretty und colourful they look, bet they are juicy as well. I am currently in the Autumn business of eating tangerines daily, up to three a day.
Ananka 10/11/25 13:33: I'm in! I love coconut and am a big fan of grapefruit too :-D
eileeninmd 10/11/25 14:43: They do look pretty, a tasty treat.
Thanks for sharing.
Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
David M. Gascoigne, 10/11/25 15:15: I am not a big fan of grapefruit, but I could eat coconut any way you serve it to me.
Kathy G 10/11/25 15:29: These look wonderful!
Lola Martínez 10/11/25 16:15: Verdaderamente es una dulce tentación, me gusta hasta el color que tiene.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 10/11/25 16:31: Such a lovely bake, Angie! Coconut and grapefruit sound like a unique and refreshing combination, and these bars look wonderful.