Have some passionfruit? Take your science experiments into the kitchen and make these have-most-ingredients-on-hand bars that are easy, quick, and can morph as a breakfast bar or a dessert.
Maybe you already knew this but when you add an acid to sweetened condensed milk, it thickens to a lovely custard-y texture; bake it a little more and you have a fabulous cream filling, almost without any effort… and no eggs needed!
To get the neatest slices, be sure to let the bars cool completely. If intending to serve this for breakfast or brunch, make it the night before.
Quick note on passionfruit: we live in a tropical country so passionfruit is plentiful and available year-round. I know not everyone is so fortunate; you can definitely use frozen pulp if you have it. Not available? You can do this recipe with other tangy fruit, even lemons. You just need a fruit high in acid in order to thicken the filling (cooking reaction with the sweetened condensed milk). We love these bars with the seeds; if you don’t like the extra crunch, you can sieve them out.
Passionfruit Crumble Bars
Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Filling
1 (14-ounce weight) can full-fat sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
8 Tablespoons passion fruit pulp
lemon zest from half a lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
For the crust/topping: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. Beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will appear dry and be crumbly. You will have between 3–3.5 cups of crust/crumble mixture.
Lightly press a little more than half of crumble mixture into bottom of prepared baking pan. (You want a little more mixture for the crust than for the topping.) Don't pack it in too hard or it will be difficult to cut. Bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, passionfruit pulp and lemon zest together. Mixture will thicken considerably.
Pour and spread filling over pre-baked crust (while crust is hot). Add coconut
flakes to the remaining crumble mixture; toss to combine. Sprinkle crumble mixture on top of the filling.
Return bars to the oven and bake for 22–25 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and appear set. Avoid over-baking. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool bars completely.
Lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
Cover leftover bars and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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