Papaya Bars Recipe

Papaya bars on a white cutting board, one with a bite taken out.

5 from 2 votes

Looking for an easy homemade dessert that will impress a crowd (but is simple enough for a weeknight?). Look no further than these papaya bars. Think lemon bars but with a slightly sweeter custard paired with a buttery cookie crust. If you find yourself with a ripe papaya and aren’t quite sure what to make with it, this recipe is for you.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Cooling Time1

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Papaya Bars, Papaya Dessert Recipe, Papaya Recipes

Servings: bars

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Melissa Norris

Equipment

Food processor or high-powered blender
9x9-inch Baking Pan
Parchment Paper
Whisk
Spatula

Ingredients

For the Cookie Crust

1/2 cup butter cold and cubed
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Papaya Filling

3/4 cup papaya puree *see notes for making papaya puree
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh or bottled
powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

For the Cookie Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare your 9X9 baking dish with parchment paper or oil. Set aside.
To a food processor, add the powdered sugar, flour, salt, and cold butter. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few chunks throughout.
Transfer the cookie mixture to the prepared baking dish and press firmly so the layer is even. Pierce with a fork a few times.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.

For the Papaya Filling

While the crust is baking, create your papaya puree (if you haven’t already) by placing papaya cubes into the food processor and pulse until smooth.
To the papaya puree, add the sugar, flour and lemon juice and blend until smooth.
Pour the filling into a medium-sized bowl. Add eggs and whisk until fully combined.
Pour your papaya mixture onto the baked cookie crust and bake again for 25-30 minutes until it is no longer liquid or jiggly. (The bars will firm up as they cool.)
Once bars are cooled to room temperature, slice them into squares and dust them with powdered sugar. Alternatively, you can place the bars in the refrigerator if you’d rather serve them chilled.

Notes

* Papaya puree - Be sure you have a red papaya (not a green one). Ripe papayas will work best as they’re the sweetest. To make papaya puree, remove the skin, de-seed and cut into cubes. Place the cubes in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You’ll need about 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups of papaya cubes to get 3/4 cup puree.

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