Blueberry Grapefruit Bars

I’m so glad Spring is here because I have been testing so very many dessert recipes! Its time to get outside in the sunshine and walk off the calories I’ve been devouring in the name of food blogging! Goodness, this job is brutal ;-)

Seriously though, lots of great desserts have been cranking out of the Vintage Kitty test kitchen. This Blueberry Grapefruit Bars recipe has been a labor of love. It took so many tries to get the right consistency, balance of sweet and tart and perfect ratio of crust to filling…I lost count of how many batches were made!

But here it finally is in all of it’s ooey gooey deliciousness! It’s lick your blueberry stained fingers good! Shortbread, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and the glorious scent of zested citrus! And the blueberries…they bake down into a thick sweet jelly. Mmmm do you see how the blueberries just ooze yumminess? 

These might actually be #foodporn because blueberries are thought to be an aphrodisiac due to their heart healthy, antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that blueberries can improve cardiovascular circulation, memory, and fight urinary tract infections! Way to go blueberries!

So let’s put them in dessert to make it healthier, right? LOL!!! Blueberries are divine in these dessert bars but the grapefruit’s acidity keeps the sweetness factor from going into overload.

So whether you make these for a picnic, Easter or just to spice up a weeknight, you are going to love these Blueberry Grapefruit Bars!

Bake these and you’ll get a standing ovation from you kids, coworkers, friends… Or maybe this recipe will spice up your love life? 

Blueberry Grapefruit Bars

Smaller blueberries bake faster while bigger ones will be more ooey gooey in this recipe.

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 16

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Vintage Kitty

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 20 TB salted butter very cold

Filling

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 TB cornstarch divided
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1 TB grapefruit zest
• 3/4 cup grapefruit juice
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Shortbread

• Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugars and salt and mix thoroughly.
• Cut butter into small small pieces and cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter.
• Work dough until small dough balls start to form but it is still crumbly.
• Dump into prepared pan and pat down flat.
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.

Filling

• While shortbread is baking, wash blueberries and place in a small bowl with about half a tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to combine.
• In a large bowl combine remaining cornstarch, flour, sugar, zest and salt and whisk together.
• Add grapefruit juice and whisk until smooth. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract and whisk until to combine.
• Add blueberries and gently stir with a spatula.
• Pour filling on top of baked crust and bake for 25-35 minutes or until filling is set.
• Let cool on counter top for about an hour and then refrigerate until cold.
• Cut into squares and dust with confectioners sugar immediately before serving.

Notes

• Make sure to keep these bars very cold! They get quite soft at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it turned out for you! Scroll down to leave a comment below.

Love grapefruit? Check out this grapefruit moscato spritzer!