Use unsweetened seedless puree, not diluted nectar or syrup; its solids and acidity affect the custard set.
A melted-butter shortbread base under a thick baked passion fruit custard.
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Passion Fruit Shortbread Bars Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- 8-inch square metal pan
- parchment
- bowls
- whisk
- thermometer
- sharp knife
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the crust and filling
- Mix the crust and filling: Stir melted butter, dough sugar, base flour and salt into a soft dough. Separately whisk filling sugar and filling flour free of lumps, then whisk in eggs and passion fruit puree just until smooth without whipping in foam.
Press the base
- Press the base: Line an 8-inch square metal pan with parchment overhang. Press all dough evenly into the base and dock lightly; no chilling is needed.
Bake in two stages
- Bake in two stages: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Bake crust 18–20 minutes until pale gold. Whisk filling again and pour onto the hot crust. Bake another 25–30 minutes until edges are set and the center gives a slight unified wobble with no liquid slosh; center should reach 170°F (77°C). Whole-batch oven time is up to 50 minutes.
Cool and chill
- Cool and chill: Cool in the pan 60 minutes on a rack, then refrigerate 120 minutes until fully chilled. Lift and cut a 4 x 4 grid, wiping the knife between cuts. Cooling/setting totals 180 minutes, includes the pan rest and required final refrigeration.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 25 min hands-on + 0 min required chill/rest + 50 min whole-batch oven baking + 180 min cooling/setting = 255 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
The parbaked melted-butter crust supports an egg-and-flour-thickened fruit layer; this is a baked custard rather than a snowcap glaze.
Technique & texture
Use unsweetened seedless puree, not diluted nectar or syrup; its solids and acidity affect the custard set.
Finishing & serving
Serve these bars cold and return the remaining portions promptly to the refrigerator.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 hours | Serve within 2 hours. Keep chilled except for serving; return leftovers promptly to refrigeration. |
| Refrigeration | 4 days | Up to 4 days. Store airtight at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Keep covered while bringing a serving portion to room temperature. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze completely cooled bars airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw covered overnight in the refrigerator. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated bars. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 16 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the yellow top a glaze?
The parbaked melted-butter crust supports an egg-and-flour-thickened fruit layer; this is a baked custard rather than a snowcap glaze.
Can I use passion fruit nectar?
Use unsweetened seedless puree, not diluted nectar or syrup; its solids and acidity affect the custard set.
How should I serve the bars?
Serve these bars cold and return the remaining portions promptly to the refrigerator.
