The grapefruit might be one of the most underused fruits in the kitchen. Most people tend to think of grapefruit as a morning fruit, something to wake you up if you’re feeling drowsy, and a way to start the day right.
But grapefruit can be used in so many other ways. It’s the perfect flavour and ingredient for so many kinds of fruity desserts and side dishes. It’s refreshing sharpness cuts through overly rich food and balances excessive sweetness.
And don’t think that it’s just restricted to sweet recipes, either. There are a ton of other dishes out there that can be made with grapefruit. With that in mind, here are 15 grapefruit recipes that you can try right now.
Starting off our list of gorgeous grapefruit dishes, we have these amazing slices. As pretty as they are yummy, they are topped with icing and grapefruit, as well as a healthy dose of desiccated coconut.
The trick to getting the best flavour from your grapefruit and coconut is to make sure that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed at every stage.
Make sure that you knead the grapefruit zest and coconut completely into the dough for the base. Similarly, carefully combine the grapefruit juice with the sugar, eggs, and egg whites, to get that smooth topping. It’s an important stage to ensure this treat is appetising to look at.
If you get the dramatic topping right, you will almost feel bad about eating it. Almost. One bite of this treat, and you’ll struggle to stop yourself from finishing the whole tray.
Looking for a grapefruit recipe that is simplicity itself? Do you want to avoid a huge recipe list containing hard to source ingredients? Are you looking for strong fruity flavours?
All these questions have one simple answer: This pineapple and grapefruit recipe with mint sugar.
This might be one of the easiest recipes on this list. With only four, readily available ingredients, this recipe is a winner.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking that only having a few ingredients makes this a boring recipe with nothing interesting to offer. Of all our grapefruit recipes, this is the one we make most. Why? Because it is so refreshing, light and scrumptious.
When you combine the citrusy tartness of the grapefruit with the fragrant sweetness of pineapple, you get a perfect balance.
Couple that with the mint and caster sugar to give the fruit that little extra boost of flavour, and you’ll soon be wondering why you didn’t make this easy recipe sooner.
Are you looking for a grapefruit recipe that is simple to do? And when I mean simple, I mean simple. All you need in your pantry to make this dish is a grapefruit, a little butter, honey and brown sugar.
It’s surprising that with so few ingredients you can conjure such a delicious dessert.
Looking to break away from drinking absurd amounts of coffee? Are you looking to start eating healthier, but still want something to jolt your taste buds into action first thing in the morning?
Then what you need is a good green smoothie with a punch of citrus flavour.
This recipe is an easy one to follow. Especially if you are already well-versed in the art of smoothie making. All you need is a handful of ingredients and a blender.
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This has got to be one of the easiest way of getting a healthy dose of Vitamin C into your system. In addition, you also get you the health benefits of all the other ingredients too The banana provides gut-loving fibre and Potassium. The spinach gives Vitamin E and Magnesium. And we all know that an apple a day keep the doctor away!
On top of all the health benefits, a smoothie is an incredibly convenient way to grab a quick energy boost.
So, you’re a big fan of grapefruit. You also have a soft spot for the childlike delights of jelly. So why not combine the two and create the perfect sweet and sour wobbly dessert, in grapefruit-flavoured jello (jelly)?
You can serve it either in small bowls for individual portions, or as a large share-bowl where everyone dives in. Either way, we’re sure it’ll become one of your most popular grapefruit recipes.
One of the best things about this recipe is that the creator has managed to concoct an amazing dessert with next to no added sugar. The sweetness comes from the balance between the grapefruit and pomegranate juice. Clever.
So you can eat to your heart and belly’s content, knowing that this is healthy jelly too!
Are you a big fan of shortbread, but find that a lot of it can get a little… samey? It’s all delicious, but have you found that you want to add some extra flavours to your next shortbread batch, just to see what it is like?
Well, Garlic and Zest have hit it out of the park with these unusual Pink Grapefruit Dessert Bars.
The original bake comes from a great lemon shortbread dessert bar. The authors of this recipe have then tweaked it to utilise the under-used grapefruit. Brilliant.
And it must be said, even if you’re a lover of the familiar sweet and sour tang that lemons bring, you’ll struggle to pick between these two recipes.
The surprise combination of great shortbread with zingy grapefruit, means it’s a real test of willpower to make this dessert last more than a day. Oh well, I guess shortbread’s meant to be eaten and savoured, not saved!
So, citrus and yogurt are a combination that’s popular with many a yoghurt fan. Now, what if we could take that great combination, and put it cake form? Better still, what if it was a breakfast cake?
Luckily, the combination of grapefruit and yoghurt works fabulously as a bake. The yoghurt helps to make the cake crumb moist and adds to the richness of the overall taste. That richness, is balanced out by the pep of the grapefruit.
You can whip up this treat in a large bowl. Or you can save yourself the workout by using a food mixer. You can buy one here.
Pretty as a picture and perfect for gifting, this is one of our most-cooked grapefruit recipes.
If you’ve always thought that making your own candied fruit was too difficult, think again. This is a simple recipe that gives great result. Even better – once you’ve mastered this version, you can easily adapt it for other fruits like lemons and oranges.
Not only is this a great recipe to eat on its own, but it also makes for a great ingredient to add to other bakes. The author of this recipe, Zoe François, uses the candied grapefruit made here in her amazing panettone dish.
With a little imagination, who knows what else this candied fruit could be used for? Maybe a classic cookie with a twist, or even a bread loaf that you want to add a little sweetness too? It’s all up to you, brave culinary explorer!
Who doesn’t love chocolate? And who doesn’t love using a chocolate to coat almost any other type of sweet food?
Obviously, orange-flavoured chocolate is something that most people will have tried. Grapefruit and chocolate is more unusual. However, the 2 flavours come together pretty well.
If you choose dark, semi-sweet chocolate with your citrus fruit, you will have the perfect combination of bitterness and fruity sweetness. The combination is so irresistible that you may find that friends who aren’t fans of dark chocolate are converts.
We’ve covered a lot of sweet food on this list so far. So perhaps it’s time to offer a drink that benefits from the inclusion of a little citrus magic.
This grapefruit and honey mint tea recipe is the perfect answer to those icy and snowier months. Those times when you want nothing to do with the cold outside, and want to snuggle up with a hot drink indoors instead. And with it’s immune boosting burst of Vitamin C, it’s one of those grapefruit recipes that you know are doing you good.
Although this drink is technically not a true tea drink, as it doesn’t use tea leaves at any stage of preparation, it’s still a beautiful blend of ingredients that give you that hot drink experience that tea provides.
With an easy-to-follow recipe, this is a drink you should try for yourself. Especially if tea and coffee isn’t your cup of… well, tea.
Are you more of a hot toddy drinker than a tea slurper? Have a look at our Gin Cocktails for some inspiration.
Grapefruit is not just for desserts and drinks. With the right recipe, it’s an amazing addition to add to a salad as well. This Avocado, Fennel, and Grapefruit recipe is just one of many out there.
Avocado has a rich, silkiness that marries perfectly with the in-your-face sharpness of grapefruit. The aniseed accents of fennel balance them both, whilst cleansing the palate. Aniseed also adds a textural contrast with its crunch.
Give this one a go and we’re sure it will become one of your top grapefruit recipes.
What? You thought that grapefruit was off the table with meat? Well, think again! Because this glazed ham is proof that no kind of food or meal is safe from the citrusy kiss of this zesty fruit.
It might sound like a wild stretch to use grapefruit in any kind of meat recipe, but we’ve always like adding citrus to meat dishes. After all, duck a l’orange is a French classic. And think about how many recipes for chicken use lemon and/or lime. You see what we mean.
Plus, honey is a popular glaze to have with a good ham dish. And since grapefruit is a flavour that goes great with honey, why not give this grapefruit/ham combination a try.
Feel like enjoying a French meal, but not sufficiently confident to to cook it yourself? Here are our recommendations for French Restaurants in Melbourne.
This is such a pretty, colourful dish. Try it and we reckon it’ll soon top your favourite grapefruit recipes list.
Part of the appeal of this salad it that though it looks like summer on a plate, it’s made using winter citrus fruits. This makes it a real treat when the nights are drawing in and the temperature is dropping.
It’s also a great option for using up bits and pieces from the bottom of the vegetable crisper. Any pieces of kale, spinach leaves, chunks of red onion and halves of avocado can be sliced and tossed in.
It’s a real pick-me-up visually and even better, it’s super healthy.
This dish is great as a quick-to-make and light meal in itself, or as a great side to another dish. The recipe recommends oysters as a great compliment, so why not give it a try?
You remember how we mentioned earlier that chicken goes great with lemon and lime? Well, it shouldn’t be too surprising to find that it’s also great with grapefruit.
Not only is this pan recipe delicious to taste, but it’s also super easy to make, especially with a little extra prep time put into it.
With limes, grapefruit, garlic, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and coriander (cilantro), this recipe is practically a meal unto itself!
It’s a regular dinner in our house and we hope it’ll become one of your go-to grapefruit recipes too.
Looking for a healthy, low-fat ingredient that is almost endlessly versatile? Take a peak at our Cottage Cheese Recipes.
Conclusion
So, I think we’ve safely proven here that the grapefruit belongs on an ingredients list and not just in the fruit bowl.
Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try new flavour combinations. And please let us know if you find a great match for the humble grapefruit that we haven’t thought of.
We hope you’re ready to give some of these grapefruit recipes a try for yourself!
