This delicious passion fruit curd is incredibly luxurious - probably the best thing to ever be spread on a biscuit! - and easy to make. Try it soon!
Originally published October 13, 2021, updated on 4/19/2023
This is because - a while back - I had a bit of an epiphany on making fruit curds.
Many curds that aren’t made with citrus fruits end up runny - they don’t set up properly, as they lack the acid level that lemons have.
You need enough acid to react with the proteins in the egg yolks, to ensure a nice, thick product. Without that, you end up with a runny curd.
Generally speaking, non-lemon curd means either accepting a runnier curd, or supplementing the focus fruit with some lemon juice.
2. The acid that the lemon juice brings is diluted with the base fruit ... so it still doesn't set up the egg proteins quite as well. So - it’s still not as thick as lemon curd.
What if - instead of supplementing with lemon juice or lime juice - I brought in additional acid in the form of citric acid?
It worked beautifully!
Obviously, I was going to have to develop a passion fruit curd recipe.
Passionfruit Curd
We’ve been so spoiled since moving home to Canada. I never ever saw a passion fruit while I was in Minneapolis, and here the tropical fruit can be easily be found... for only $2 each!
Let me tell you...
This homemade passion fruit curd might be the best damn thing I ever cooked. No joke.*
Not bad for just a few ingredients and maybe 10 minutes of work. Score!
This passionfruit curd recipe tastes absolutely hedonistic, and it’s easy to get silly with it. Most of the delicious curd was gone the first day, just eaten with a spoon!
Unf. SO good!
This sweet-tart passion fruit curd doesn’t work *quite* the same way as lemon curd does, though. Still a super easy recipe to make - much like traditional lemon curd.
Like lemon curd, this passion fruit recipe also requires some specifics with regards to ingredients, equipment, and technique... so let's get to it!
* I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, my Passion Fruit Wine is probably the best wine I’ve ever made!
Uses for Passion Fruit Curd
Beyond a “just eat it with a spoon, straight from the jar”, there are many, many different ways to serve passion fruit curd!
Here are a few ideas for you:
- Serve it in a pretty ceramic bowl on the breakfast table, or as a great addition to afternoon tea: Slather it on toast, Baking Powder Biscuits, scones, or sponge cake etc as a sweet spread. Spoon it over waffles or pancakes (especially good when topped with berries!), serve it with some fruit salad.
- As a filling for baked goods. Fill Macarons, Cream Puffs or Profiteroles, pre-baked tart shells, or layer cake* with passion fruit curd.
- Passion fruit curd is also a great option for Butterfly Cupcakes, either instead of or in addition to frosting. When “in addition to”, I’ll spoon a small amount of curd in the cavity, then pipe frosting over it.
- Use as a topping for Pavlova. I like to do the layer of whipped cream, then the curd, and finally the fruit topping. You can even mix some into the whipped cream to flavour it. Alternately, it’s a great way to bring a punch of tropical flavour to a Pavlova Dessert Board.
For that matter, stir it into the custard mix to make passion fruit ice cream, or into the batter for a passion fruit cheesecake. (You may want to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe you’re adding it to, though!)
- We like to drizzle it over yogurt that’s been topped with my Porter’s Yogurt and Ice Cream Topping.
- You can also make layered parfaits with curd and yogurt, or curd and cottage cheese.
* When filling layered cakes with curd, it’s best to pipe a ring of frosting around the outer perimeter of the layer being filled, then fill the inside of that border with the curd cake filling.
This gives some stability to the filling layer, and will prevent the curd from oozing out.
Tips for Making Passion Fruit Curd
Passion Fruit Curd Ingredients
Like citrus curds, most of the ingredients for this recipe are super simple, and easy to find in any larger grocery store: Passion fruit, sugar, eggs, and unsalted butter.
A few notes for you:
1: Fresh passion fruit: Try to use fresh passionfruit if at all possible. It’s the star ingredient of the recipe, after all - and fresh fruit really tastes the best.
That said, if you can’t find this gorgeous fruit in your area, try to get your hands on some passion fruit pulp. You want PURE passionfruit pulp - just fruit and maybe some citric acid as a preservative, no added sugars or other ingredients.
I would not use passion fruit juice as a substitute for whole passion fruit. Not only does it lack the seeds (I love the seeds!), but prepared passionfruit juice tends to have added ingredients, and/or is diluted. It won’t work anywhere near as well as the fresh fruit, or pulp.
3: Use basic white granulated sugar for the best taste.
3:Also, for the best shelf life, use nice fresh eggs. I use egg yolks, rather than whole eggs - I find that yolk-only curd has a better flavour and texture.
As for the leftover egg whites, I like to use them to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Meringue Cookies or Pavlova.
Citric acid.
We initially started buying citric acid for use with our Homebrewed Ciders and Wines (along with Acid Blend), but over the years, we've been using it a lot more in our kitchen.
You can find it used in such things like my replica Beep Drink, as part of the fun rim on my Fuzzy Peach Candy Cocktail, and as part of my Wine Slush Mix - always a favourite for gifting!
Citric acid is my “secret” ingredient to providing enough acid for the non-lemon sweet curds to set up, without diluting the flavour of the curd.
Passion Fruit Curd Equipment
You don’t need a ton of equipment to make curd, but each piece you do need is important. Here’s the rundown:
Mini Food Processor
I run the passion fruit pulp through my Mini Food Processor before getting started.
This breaks things up, loosening the seeds. You don’t want to actually *chop* the seeds, though - so take it easy!
Heavy Bottomed Pot OR Double Boiler
Personally, I prefer using a heavy bottomed pot, but a double boiler is the traditional way to do this... more on that in a bit!
A Silicone Whisk
Yes, wire whisks are great in general... but they can react with the acid in your passion fruit curd, and make it taste metallic.
Stainless steel can be a decent option, but I like to avoid that whole thing, and just use a silicone whisk.
When making curd, I use the smallest whisk in my Set of 3 Silicone Whisks.
I just find that the smaller one is best to keep everything moving, and prevent clumps.
That said, any brand of silicone whisk should do just fine.
A Thermometer
For both proper thickening AND food safety reasons, I like to use a thermometer when making fruit curds.
You can use any thermometer that will accurate read a temperature of 165 F.
Personally, I like to use a Infrared Cooking Thermometer. It's quick, easy, and no-mess!
Cooking Technique
The traditional way to make fruit curds uses an indirect heat method - cooking it in a double boiler, and that’s what I did in the photos.
But I’ll be honest... I never do it that way.
I like to cook passion fruit curd over direct, low heat. I whisk it constantly, and it’s ready in just minutes. IMHO it’s the easiest way to make curd, and SO much less fussy than the double boiler method.
If you’re not cooking it over high temperatures and you keep an eye on it / keep whisking, you’re not going to end up with clumps.
I like to use a heavy bottomed pot, for the best heat distribution.
You’ll find that when you start out, there will be a lot of foaming. As you approach the right temperature, that foaming will subside - that’s when you should really start keeping an eye on the temperature, to avoid overcooking it.
Finally, just know that the curd will thicken more as it cools, so don’t be so worried if it’s not as thick as you’d like.
If you followed the recipe, did the spoon trick (more on that later), and your curd reached 165F, it’ll thicken!
How Long Does Passion Fruit Curd Last?
Depending on who you ask, homemade passion fruit curd will last up to a month or two in the fridge. (ALWAYS refrigerate your curd!)
Personally, I find it’s best to use it up within 2 weeks, for the best flavour.
Keep it in an airtight container - I tend to use a glass container with a tight fitting lid.
If the container has a lot of head space, I’ll press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the curd, to prevent a skin from forming on it.
Can I Freeze Passion Fruit Curd?
Yes! It’ll keep for about 6 months in the freezer, and you can freeze it right in a canning jar.
Freeze your curd as fresh as possible - ie, don’t wait til it’s about to go bad.
When you want to use it, let it defrost in the fridge for a day or two before use.
Once the fruit curd is thawed, you’ll want to use it within a week or two.
How to Make Passion fruit Curd
The full recipe follows - in the printable recipe card at the end of this post - but let's start with the pictorial overview!
Split the passionfruit, scoop the pulp into a small food processor.
Blitz just long enough to loosen everything up - you don't want to actually chop up the seeds.
In a small saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, large egg, and sugar until well combined.
Add the passion fruit pulp and the citric acid, whisk until well combined.
Cook over low to medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens.
It should be able to coat the back of a spoon and retain a clear trail when a finger is dragged across the back of the spoon.
Once the mixture is thick/hot enough, transfer to a medium bowl - you’ll want it to be a heatproof bowl.
Add the pieces of butter to the warm curd, whisking until well incorporated.
Once all of the butter has melted in and been fully incorporated into the curd, transfer passion fruit curd to your storage container and chill for at least 1 hour before use.
More Fruit Curd Recipes
Looking for more fun fruit curd recipes to dress up your breakfasts, brunches, or desserts? I've got you covered, with several delicious recipes!
Blackcurrant Curd
Blueberry Curd
Cranberry Curd
Grape Curd
Grapefruit Curd
Kiwi Curd
Lemon Curd
Lime Curd
Mango Curd
Orange Curd
Raspberry Curd
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Passionfruit Curd
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Passionfruits
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 Large Egg
- ½ teaspoon Citric Acid
- 6 tablespoon Salted Butter Chilled and cut into pieces.
Instructions
- Split the passionfruits, scoop the pulp into a small food processor. Blitz just long enough to loosen everything up.
- If you want this to be a seedless curd, press pulp through a wire strainer at this point. We don't!
- In a small pot, whisk together egg yolks, large egg, and sugar until well combined. Add the passionfruit pulp and the citric acid, whisk until well combined.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon and retain a clear trail when a finger is dragged across the back of the spoon. Ideally, you want the mixture to reach 165F - I use an infrared surface thermometer for this.
- Once mixture is thick / hot enough, transfer to a bowl. Add the pieces of butter, whisking until well incorporated.
- Once all of the butter has melted in and been fully incorporated into the curd, transfer passionfruit curd to your storage container and chill for at least 1 hour before use.
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