Passionfruit Curd

Hello friends! Today we are making Passionfruit Curd! It’s super easy to make, and absolutely delicious!

With just a few ingredients you can have this delicious passion fruit curd that you will want to eat by the spoonfuls!

Plus make sure to watch the video on this page or on YouTube, showing you how to make this delicious Passionfruit Curd.

To make this Passionfruit Curd you can use leftover egg yolks from other recipes, say maybe Macarons.

The beauty of this Passionfruit Curd recipe is that you don’t even need fresh passionfruit to make it.

Actually it’s better to use store-bought pulp, because it’s easier!

To obtain the 1/2 cup of passionfruit pulp needed to make this recipe, you might need quite a few passion fruits.

To make passionfruit pulp from fresh passionfruit, simply remove the seeds from the passionfruit, and they will be very hard to detach from the pulp, so what you do is: place the pulp (seeds and all) in a small saucepan, and gently heat it until slightly warm. Then strain it. This will make it much easier to remove the seeds from the pulp.

However, like I said, I prefer making passionfruit curd with pulp from the store.

You can find passionfruit pulp at most stores, in the frozen food aisle. If you can’t find it at your local store, you can purchase it online.

Can I use passionfruit juice to make passionfruit curd?

The difference between passionfruit juice and passionfruit pulp is that the juice is already sweetened.

So whenever you buy the passionfruit pulp at the store, check the ingredients and see if there’s sugar already in it. If there is sugar in it, reduce the sugar you add to the curd by 1/2.

Some stores sell passionfruit pulp or passion fruit puree in the frozen food aisle, so make sure to check there!

The amount of sugar you need to use will depend on how sweet the juice you are using is.

Also have in mind that the juice might not be as tangy and potent as the actual passionfruit pulp, so for best results look for the pulp made from 100% passionfruit.

What does passionfruit taste like?

Passionfruit is a tropical fruit that is typically sized about as big as an egg. Its outer shell is wrinkled and purple or yellow in color, while inside it contains a juicy pulp that is filled with small seeds. The flavor of passionfruit is sweet and tart, and is often used in desserts, drinks and sauces.

Passionfruit is rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, dietary fiber and antioxidants. It’s also high in flavonoids, a group of health-promoting compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. Passionfruit is a great addition to a healthy, well-rounded diet! Vitamin C boosts the immune system by helping your body absorb iron.

Passionfruit is fragrant, tangy, it’s not very sweet, it’s actually quite tart, which is why it goes so well in desserts! It has a very distinctive taste and aroma, super fresh and tropical!

What flavors pair well with passion fruit?

A lot of flavors pair beautifully with passionfruit, such as raspberries, lemon, coconut, orange, strawberry, lime, vanilla, white chocolate, dark chocolate. Pretty much any flavors that also pair well with lemon, also match with passionfruit. It’s a refreshing tropical flavor that brightens up any dish or dessert.

How to make Passionfruit Curd

Essentially, you can use this method and recipe to make any fruit curd, lime curd, lemon curd, mango curd, pineapple curd. All you have to do is substitute the passion fruit pulp for the other fruit’s juice, or puree.

Step 1: Beat the softened butter with a mixer. I prefer to use a mixer instead of a whisk to combine the ingredients, and the reason for that is explained below. But basically by beating the eggs with the butter, you will speed up the denaturation process of the eggs, which will prevent the curd from tasting eggy.

Step 2: Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, and cream until fluffy.

Step 3: Add egg yolks and mix.

Step 4: Add the passionfruit pulp.

At this point the mixture will seem curdled and separated. That’s ok! Don’t fret!

Add it to a saucepan and begin to stir over LOW heat. You can go up to medium-low heat if the heat on your stove isn’t too strong.

Cook the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick.

The reason why we beat the eggs with the butter and sugar before cooking, is because that helps speed up the denaturation process of the eggs, which will prevent the curd from having an eggy taste, it will prevent the eggs in the mixture from becoming scrambled eggs.

This method also allows for the curd to be cooked without having to use a double boiler, and way faster.

A lot of other methods just whisk everything in the pan together, but whenever I try those methods, I find that eggy aftertaste of the curd to be unpleasant, which is why I vouch for this method.

Tips on how to make Passionfruit Curd using direct heat method

• DO NOT let the curd come to a boil, or it will taste like scrambled eggs.
• Stir the whole entire time. If you don’t, the curd will scorch and stick to the bottom of the pan, and taste like scrambled eggs.
• Keep the heat on low!
• Use a heavy bottom saucepan, nothing too flimsy, and no aluminum.
• Use a stainless steel pan preferably.
• Once the curd is coating the back of a spoon remove it. It will get thicker as it cools down in the fridge.

Why I prefer direct heat method over indirect heat method (aka, double boiler): essentially because the double boiler method takes a really long time, and I never find the results to be as thick as cooking the curd directly in the pan over the heat.

At this point, remove it to a bowl. Let it cool down and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before using on your desserts.

You can use a sieve to strain the curd before removing it to the bowl, in case any bits of egg got cooked.

Place some plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent it from forming a skin as it chills in the fridge.

Store the curd in a jar, or in a glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.

How to serve passion fruit curd

There are many different ways to serve fruit curd:

• You can use passionfruit curd to top pancakes, waffles, ice cream, or scones.
• Simply swirl the curd in yogurt or cottage cheese and top with some granola for a sweet easy breakfast.
• My favorite way is to use passionfruit curd to fill cakes, macarons, cookies, or cupcakes.
• Mix the curd with some no-bake cheesecake batter and use it to fill a pie.
• Serve the passion fruit curd with some toast, or pavlovas.

Here are some ideas of desserts with passion fruit curd:

• Passionfruit Tart
• Passionfruit Macarons
• Passionfruit Cookies
• Easter Lemon Pavlovas (substitute the lemon curd in this recipe for Passionfruit Curd instead, and you will have delicious Passion fruit Pavlovas)
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (substitute the lemon curd for passionfruit, the lemony taste of the cookies will compliment the curd so well)
• Mascarpone Puff Pastry (use the passionfruit curd to top these delicious pastries instead of the lemon curd)

I hope to make this repertoire larger and make more passionfruit desserts, since I absolutely love them!

I use basically the same method for making Lemon Curd, and Mango Curd. In my lemon and mango curd recipes, I use whole eggs instead of just yolks. That’s a matter of preference. You can experiment both methods, and just substitute the pulp or juice in those recipes for the passion fruit pulp.

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe! Have a great day! Thanks for coming to my blog!

Passionfruit Curd

Camila Hurst

This Passionfruit Curd is thick, tangy, sweet, and delicious! Super easy to make also! And you don’t need fresh passionfruit to make it, you can use passionfruit pulp or juice!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cups

Calories 80 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter 84 grams
• 6 tbsp granulated sugar 75 grams
• Pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup passion fruit pulp* (120 ml)

Instructions

 

Passionfruit Curd

• Cream the butter with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds at medium speed.
• Add the sugar and pinch of salt to the butter and cream for another minute.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, creaming until each egg yolk is incorporated before adding the next one.
• Pour the passion fruit pulp in the bowl and mix. Mixture will seem curdled and separated, and that’s ok.
• Transfer it to a small saucepan with a heavy bottom.
• Start cooking at low heat, stirring non-stop with a spatula.
• Keep cooking for 5-10 minutes. Don’t let the mixture boil, and don’t stop stirring.
• The curd should be thick, coating the back of a spoon.
• Depending on how high or low the heat is, the time will vary. I suggest keeping at low, or medium-low heat, but preferably low heat, unless your stove isn't very strong. You don’t want the eggs to boil, and you don’t want the mixture to stick to the bottom of the pan, which will easily happen if the heat is too high, or if you stop stirring.
• Once the curd is ready, pour it into a heat-proof bowl, and let it cool down.
• Place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours to chill through and get thick.

Storage

• The curd can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes

Passionfruit pulp: For this recipe, I am using passionfruit pulp, made of 100% passionfruit. If you use any passionfruit juice, or syrup, which is already sweetened, please adjust the sugar amount. Depending on how sweet the juice you use already is, you want to reduce the amount of sugar, otherwise the curd will be overly sweet. The best results will be obtained from using the pure pulp.

Some stores sell passionfruit pulp or passionfruit puree in the frozen food aisle, so make sure to check there!

Saucepan: Use a saucepan with a heavy bottom, this will help the curd not overcook and become scrambled egg.

Sugar: I have made this curd with honey before and worked really well! I am sure it would work fine with maple syrup as well!

Important: Don’t let the curd boil! This is very important! It should remain at a very low heat while cooking, so it doesn’t run the risk of simmering.

The reason why we beat the eggs with the butter and sugar before cooking, is because that helps speed up the denaturation process of the eggs, which will prevent the curd from having an eggy taste, it will prevent the eggs in the mixture from becoming scrambled eggs. This method also allows for the curd to be cooked without having to use a double boiler, and way faster. A lot of other methods just put everything in the pan together, but whenever I try those methods, I find that eggy aftertaste of the curd to be unpleasant, which is why I vouch for this method.

Tip: add a tablespoon of lemon juice or lemon zest to make the curd even more tangy.

Keyword curd, passionfruit