Ah, Calamansi. The “lemon of the Philippines.” These small, green, sour-turned-sweet citrus gems are a staple in Filipino cuisine. Also known as Calamondin, they thrive in the heat of the tropics, but surprisingly, both my aunt and my folks have managed to grow them in California. As for me? I have a tall, skinny bush growing indoors as a little experiment. Since October 2024, it hasn’t produced any fruit—and honestly, I need to take better care of it. The fact that it’s still alive despite our Pacific Northwest weather is nothing short of a miracle.
These Calamansi Bars are only slightly sweet, paired with a savory crust that gets an umami boost from Chinese Sesame Paste (芝麻酱) and black sesame seeds. I first encountered 芝麻酱 (zhī má jiàng) years ago at our local hot pot spot, back before we realized it’s way better (and cheaper) to do it at home. Traditionally, sesame paste is stirred into hot pot broth to thicken and add nuttiness, but it turns out, it works beautifully in baked goods too. While similar to tahini, 芝麻酱 is made from roasted sesame seeds, giving it a much deeper, more complex flavor. The black sesame seeds in the crust don’t just add an extra layer of nuttiness—they also bring a striking contrast, making these bars as visually appealing as they are delicious.
I’ve seen a lot of talk lately on social media about recipe blogging—mainly, how people don’t care for long backstories (ouch). So, starting in April, I’m planning to revamp my website to include a “jump to recipe” button for easier navigation. I’m also approaching a big milestone—50 recipes uploaded! That may not seem like much to some, but for me, it’s a huge accomplishment. So, keep an eye out—exciting changes are coming!
Calamansi Bars with Sesame Crust
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook TIme: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Crust:
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp lemon zest
¼ cup roasted black sesame seeds
5 tbsp butter, cubed
3 tbsp roasted sesame paste (also known as 芝麻酱)*
Filling:
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour, spooned and leveled
2 tbsp lemon zest
6 large eggs, whisked*
1 cup calamansi juice*
Other:
Confectioner’s Sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare the crust, whisk to combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and black sesame seeds in a bowl. Add cubed butter and sesame paste. Using a mixer, mix until butter and sesame paste is evenly combined and a crumbly dough forms. Transfer dough to a parchment lined pan and firmly press the crust mixture into the pan to ensure an even, compact base. Blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare your filling. Sift sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, then add lemon zest. Whisk to combine, then add eggs and calamansi juice. Continue stirring until all lumps are dissolved and it is fully incorporated into the watery batter.
Pour the batter into baked crust and return to the oven to bake for another 40-45 minutes.*
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioner’s sugar prior to serving.
NOTES:
*Look for 芝麻酱 that only has sesame seeds as an ingredient to prevent altering the flavor of your crust. To make your own, you can use this recipe.
*Whisk your eggs well. You don’t want any of the whites floating to the top, as this will show up on your baked calamansi bar as blisters.
*You can also use yuzu juice, meyer’s lemon juice, lime juice or lemon juice to switch things up!
*Do not overbake your lemon bars, otherwise, they would end up cakey. You want the texture of curd, so remove the pan from the oven as soon as you no longer detect a jiggle in the middle of your pan.
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