I finally made a curd recipe I’m happy with! Happy is an understatement though. I’m so freaking excited about this recipe!! The curd is everything you’d expect: thick, creamy, firm – yet soft, sweet, tangy and delicious.
The curd is essentially made with coconut cream, sugar, vanilla and grapefruit juice and zest. It’s so deliciously bright and bold in grapefruit flavor, but the vanilla also comes though pretty strong, which brings out the grapefruits sweetness even more.
The crust is also spectacular. So spectacular that I’m actually inspired to make a cookie recipe based off of it! It’s sweet and salty, made out of pistachios and shredded coconut. It pairs perfectly with the curd! Now, there is a little trick to these bars. You can enjoy them chilled from the refrigerator, but I highly recommend eating them straight out of the freezer! They won’t freeze up completely and they’ll hold their firm and creamy texture perfectly. The texture after chilling in the refrigerator is great, but just a tad on the messy side. Freezing them makes them mess-free!
Now, try the recipe out and find me on Instagram and Facebook or drop a comment below to let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
Coconut and Pistachio Crusted Grapefruit Curd Bars (V/GF)
Ingredients
Coconut Pistachio Crust
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup raw pistachios
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Grapefruit Curd
- 1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
- 1 tbsp grapefruit zest
- 3/4 cup beet sugar (or your favorite white sugar)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- optional natural food dye *see notes
Optional Garnishes
- crushed pistachios
- coconut shreds
Instructions
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Start by making the crust. Place all of the crust ingredients together in a food processor and process until it forms into a loose dough. Transfer the crust mixture to a lightly grease square glass baking dish. Press the mixture into the bottom of the dish, forming an even layer. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready for use.
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Now, make the curd. In a double boiler placed over medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, grapefruit juice, zest, vanilla extract and optional food dye.
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In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until completely smooth. Let cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. After the first 5 minutes, you’ll want to cook the curd for another 5 minutes, or until the curd thickens, while whisking very often.
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Let the curd cool on the counter for 1 hour before. Then whisk the curd one more time and pour on top of the prepared crust. Smooth the curd out with a rubber spatula to form an even layer.
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Sprinkle optional coconut shreds and crushed pistachios on top of the curd.
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Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight. Longer chill time, the better.
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Cut into squares and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days, or in the freezer for several months.
Recipe Notes
Notes: For the natural food dye. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add add a beet to the boiling water and boil until tender [usually, 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the beet]. Boiling can take up to 60 minutes for larger beets. Drain and run cold water over the beet. The skin will slip right off with the root ends. I suggest wearing rubber gloves during this process to avoid staining your hands! Transfer the beet to a food processor along with some water (enough to thin) and process until smooth and runny. You can use just a touch of it for a light pink shade or more for a dark shade of pink. I recommend adding a little at a time to get the color you want.
Need more dessert ideas? Check out my Homemade Twix Bars, Margarita Cupcakes and my Chocolate Walnut Fudge!
