The Absolute Best Citrus Fruit For A Tart And Tangy Alternative To Classic Lemon Bars

Surprisingly, the origin of lemon bars only dates back to the early 1960s, meaning that the citrine confections have had a mere six decades to mature and evolve. There are many ways to put a twist on lemon bars, whether you give them a boozy upgrade with limoncello or introduce a savory herb like with these lemon-thyme bars. But one variation that might not have crossed your mind ditches the longstanding lemon and uses another citrus entirely: grapefruit. The mouth-puckering fruit is the perfect swap for a tart and tangy alternative to classic lemon bars.

A key component of lemon bars is their tartness, which is why grapefruits make an excellent swap for lemons in a citrus bar, especially if you include zest from the rind of the grapefruit, which is especially tart. The buttery, crumbly crust beneath the citrus curd provides richness as well as an excellent contrast to the tanginess of the curd. Our zesty grapefruit bars recipe doesn't veer too far off from our original lemon bars recipe other than swapping the type of citrus used, so you can proceed with the grapefruit the same way by reserving the zest and then juicing the fruit.

The next time you're in the mood for a sweet-and-sour treat, try giving grapefruit a whirl in the kitchen. If the juice from your grapefruit isn't tart enough for your liking, you could always substitute a tablespoon or two of grapefruit juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice, which would bump up the tartness of the curd mixture slightly. For a real sour burst, you could also include a bit of fresh lemon zest along with the grapefruit zest. Don't forget to add a pinch of salt into the mixture to balance the acid in the curd, or use salted butter in place of unsalted butter (in which case you won't add any additional salt to the curd).

Replacing lemons with grapefruit will change the color of the bars from canary yellow to a nice coral pink, which you can further enhance with a few drops of pink or red food coloring. This provides a lovely hue that contrasts perfectly with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. Candied lemon peels make a lovely garnish for traditional lemon bars, so save your grapefruit peels to make the sweet and sour treat for this recipe too. Just be careful not to peel off any of the white pith underneath the tender skin as grapefruit pith can be especially bitter.