Calamansi Bars with a Polvoron Crust are a brilliantly tart and not-too-sweet Filipino dessert, featuring an easy recipe that showcases the tropical citrus flavor of calamansi.
If you love bright and citrusy desserts, this recipe is for you! It’s an easy dessert that any level of baker can try at home.
For this recipe, we will be using the base dough featured in our Modern Polvorons recipe. Be sure to give it a read to familiarize yourself with the ingredients and preparation steps.
Continue reading to discover the helpful tips and simple recipe!
Do you love desserts with a Filipino touch? Explore our other dessert recipes like Pandan Coconut Rice Krispies and Buko Pocket Pies!
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Table of Contents
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Why You’ll Love Calamansi Bars with Polvoron Shortbread Crust
- Tart and not-too-sweet
If you know me, you’ll know that I adore desserts, but I don’t enjoy overly sweet ones. I’m the kind of person who orders boba at 50% sugar and is content with simple desserts like fruit with whipped cream.
I’ve had storebought lemon bars that are popular, but I feel that the sugar often overshadows the lovely tanginess of the citrus. I’d prefer a little more punch!
This recipe, however, has just the right amount of sugar to balance the bitterness and allow the bold citrus flavor of calamansi to take the spotlight It’s wonderfully tart and bright, and that’s what makes it so amazing!
- Easy steps, great results
This recipe is simple enough for beginner bakers, and requires only basic baking equipment. You’ll simply need to mix the ingredients together and bake it in the oven.
There’s no need to worry about perfection, as this recipe is quite forgiving – even with minor mistakes, you’ll still end up with delicious results.
- Customizable portions
This recipe is ideal for serving your friends and family, whether you opt for full-sized squares or bite-sized morsels to bring to a potluck. You can customize the portions to suit your needs, slicing the bars into whatever size works best.
For larger gatherings, consider cutting the bars into 1-2 inch squares and placing each piece on a cupcake wrapper.
How to Make This Recipe Ahead of Time
If you plan to make this ahead of time, we recommend dividing the steps across 3 days. Here is an example of how it’s done:
- Day 1: Mis en Place and make the crust
First, you should toast the flour for the polvoron crust, as it requires time to cool down to room temperature.
While the flour is cooling, you can prepare all the other ingredients by measuring them out and setting them aside, a process known as mise en place. This will ensure that everything is ready to be used in the next stage of the recipe.
- Day 2: Combine ingredients and bake
With all the ingredients already prepared, the next steps go by quickly. Simply make the crust and filling, transfer them to the baking dish, and bake until done.
- Day 2-3: Cool and Set
Once the dessert has cooled to room temperature on the counter, transfer it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours to overnight to allow it to set completely. The dessert can be served within 7 days.
Tips for Making Calamansi Bars with Polvoron Crust
Here are the most valuable tips for crafting a successful calamansi bar:
- Use a ceramic or glass baking dish
- A metal dish is a no-go for this kind of recipe (or other types of lemon bar recipes). Metal dishes tend to impart a metallic taste in the dessert. Instead, opt for a ceramic or glass baking dish. We use our trusty large baking dish from the Our Place Ovenware set!
- Gently mix to avoid making bubbles
- To avoid creating too many air bubbles in the filling, mix the ingredients gently. Mixing too vigorously can incorporate excessive air, leading to bubbles that may cause cracking later on. Instead, mix the ingredients slowly and carefully to prevent splashing.
- Transfer the whole, unsliced bar only once
- The trick is to only move the full, uncut bar once. We figured this out the hard way! Trying to eat it up piece by piece while shuffling it between the baking dish and a cutting board just led to too much bending and eventually cracking.
The way to go is to take the whole thing out of the dish, put it on a board, slice it up, and serve. If you want to stash the leftovers in the fridge, use a spatula to transfer the individual pieces to an airtight container.
- The trick is to only move the full, uncut bar once. We figured this out the hard way! Trying to eat it up piece by piece while shuffling it between the baking dish and a cutting board just led to too much bending and eventually cracking.
Our Place
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Equipment Needed
- nonstick pan
- mixing bowl(s)
- whisk
- silicon spatula
- Our Place Knives and Wooden Cutting Board Set
- fine mesh strainer
- parchment paper
- Our Place Ovenware large baking pan, approx. 11.4″ x 8″
Ingredients
Calamansi Bar Filling
- 8 eggs, room temp
- 1 cup calamansi juice, room temp
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Polvoron Crust (see Modern Polvorons Recipe)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, toasted and sifted
- ½ cup powdered whole milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Other Ingredients
- powdered sugar, for dusting. See Note 1.
Note 1. Regular powdered sugar can melt quickly when sprinkled on top of fruity tarts like calamansi bars, lemon bars, and lilikoi bars. Therefore it’s best to use powdered sugar right before serving.
An alternative is to use non-melting powdered sugar, which is commonly used by bakeries to keep their pastries looking pristine in display cases all day long.
These specialty sugars can be found online (non-melting powdered sugar on Amazon) or at local baking supply shops. If you’re in West LA, check out Gloria’s Cake & Candy Supplies in Culver City.
Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ / 176 ℃.
Make Polvoron Crust
- Whisk together sifted toasted flour, whole milk, white sugar, and salt. Mix in melted butter.
- In a parchment-lined baking sheet, transfer the polvoron dough and spread it out evenly. Press down with your palms to shape the crust.
Make Calamansi Filling
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour.
- In another bowl, gently whisk the eggs to break up the yolks while minimizing bubbles. Stop as soon as the eggs are evenly scrambled. Mix in calamansi juice.
- Pour in about 1/3 of the egg-calamansi mix into the dry mix. Use a spatula to mix until well incorporated. Pour in the rest of the liquid and gently stir.
- Strain the mixture into the baking sheet. Hold the strainer at a low height to minimize splashing.
- Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles.
Bake the Calamansi Bars
- Bake at 350 ℉ / 176 ℃ for 25-30 min until the center has just set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.
- Transfer to a cutting board. Slice, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
Troubleshooting – Why did my Calamansi Bars crack?
Cracking is the main concern when making Calamansi Bars, but it’s not something to worry about too much!
There are several potential causes, but fortunately, cracks are merely a cosmetic issue and do not impact the flavor.
Even large cracks, like the one shown in the image below, can be easily concealed with a light dusting of powdered sugar. You’d hardly notice they were there!
Here are some potential causes of cracking in Calamansi Bars:
- Drastic change in temperature
- It’s best to avoid putting the freshly baked bars straight in the fridge, as the sudden temperature change can cause them to crack. Instead, let the bars sit on the counter until they cool down to room temp, then pop them in the fridge.
If your ambient environment is a large concern, turn off the oven just before the bars set, then let the bars cool slowly in the oven with the door cracked open. This gradual cooling process will help prevent cracks from forming. - The crack in the photo was likely caused by the unstable temperature conditions in the kitchen during a heat wave in LA. The contrast between the hot oven and the cool air conditioning, along with the fans, created an unpredictable temperature environment in the poorly insulated space.
While we’re not scientists, the fluctuating indoor temperatures that day were probably the main contributing factor to the cracking observed in the calamansi bars.
- It’s best to avoid putting the freshly baked bars straight in the fridge, as the sudden temperature change can cause them to crack. Instead, let the bars sit on the counter until they cool down to room temp, then pop them in the fridge.
- Too many bubbles
- Vigorous whisking and mixing can incorporate excessive air into the filling, leading to too many bubbles. These bubbles will then rise up during baking and pop, creating cavities and cracks.
- Transferring too often after it has set
- As mentioned, transferring the entire, unsliced bar can subject it to excessive movement and bending, leading to cracking. To avoid this, it’s best to only move the full, uncut bar once – from the baking dish to a cutting board. Then, slice the portions and serve or store them individually.
Final Thoughts
Calamansi takes center stage in this Flipino twist on lemon bars. It’s tart, not too sweet, and perfectly paired with a Filipino shortbread crust. Give this easy recipe a try!
For more yummy Filipino desserts, try our Modern Filipino Polvorons and Milo Checkerboard Shortbread Cookies!
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this recipe, please give a star rating and review on the recipe card below + share your creations on Instagram and tag us @itsforkandspoon!
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Calamansi Bars with Polvoron Crust
Equipment
- Our Place Ovenware large baking pan, approx. 11.4" x 8"
Ingredients
Calamansi Bar Filling
- 8 eggs room temp
- 1 cup calamansi juice room temp
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Polvoron Crust (see Modern Polvoron Recipe)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour toasted and sifted
- ½ cup powdered whole milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Other Ingredients
- powdered sugar for dusting. See Note 1.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ / 176 ℃.
Make polvoron crust
- Whisk together toasted flour, whole milk, white sugar, and salt. Mix in melted butter.
- In a parchment-lined baking sheet, transfer the polvoron dough and spread it out evenly. Press down with your palms to shape the crust.
Make Calamansi Filling
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour.
- In another bowl, gently whisk the eggs to break up the yolks while minimizing bubbles. Stop as soon as the eggs are evenly scrambled. Mix in calamansi juice.
- Pour in about 1/3 of the egg-calamansi mix into the dry mix. Use a spatula to mix until well incorporated. Pour in the rest of the liquid and gently stir.
- Strain the mixture into the baking sheet. Hold the strainer at a low height to minimize splashing.
- Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles.
Bake the Calamansi Bars
- Bake at 350 ℉ / 176 ℃ for 25-30 min until the center has just set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.
- Transfer to a cutting board. Slice, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
Notes
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References & Further Reading
https://www.tastingtable.com/1612227/how-long-lemon-bars-last-fridge-freezer/
https://www.thekitchn.com/lemon-bars-recipe-showdown-23718672
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