Narelle shares this recipe, inspired by her grandmother Kath
Passionfruit curd is luscious, rich, silky, and intensely aromatic, with a vibrant balance of tropical sweetness and bright acidity. Made with fresh passionfruit, egg yolks, butter, and sugar, it delivers a smooth, velvety texture with a refreshing zest. Its vivid flavour pairs beautifully with pastries, desserts, meringues and cakes, adding a fresh tropical hit to every bite.
My Inspiration
To my knowledge my grandmother never actually made passionfruit curd. She was however, the master of lemon curd and it is her treasured lemon curd recipe that inspired this version. Over the years I have used passionfruit curd to fill many a cake, layered it through parfaits and swirled it through yoghurt but my favourite use it to fill my grandmothers tart cases. Crisp buttery pastry topped with silky, sweet curd is simple, timeless and impossible to resist, how can you go wrong?
I have never met a curd I did not like but for me passionfruit is the most perfectly balanced of all. Its bright acidity and tropical sweetness create an irresistible interplay of flavours.
What makes it so special
- Natural Sweetness - Passionfruit is sweet as well as acidic giving the curd a well rounded flavour.
- Tropical Aroma - The fruit's floral, fragrant notes make it instantly recognisable and a little more exotic than other fruit curds.
- Versatility – It works beautifully in tarts, cakes, pavlovas, cheesecakes, fairy cakes, scones, and even spooned over yogurt or swirled through ice cream.
Ingredients
- Passionfruits: All passionfruits are delicious, I normally use Panama Red when making curd.
- Eggs: I recommend using fresh, large free-range eggs (approx 60gm / 2oz). My grandmother's recipe was for 7 large eggs but I have changed this to 5 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. this gives a richer, smoother texture and a deeper yellow colour
- Caster sugar: Caster sugar because it dissolves more easily than granulated sugar, resulting in a smoother texture.
- Unsalted butter: I recommend unsalted butter to control the salt level and add a creamy, velvety finish to the curd.
- Lemon Juice: just a small amount balances the flavour perfectly
- Salt: Table salt is finely ground so dissolves almost instantly. Salt in tiny amounts makes every bite taste sweeter and more flavourful
Instructions
There are several ways to make curd which I have gone in to detail on in my Lemon Curd recipe, each producing a slightly different texture and finish. I will just list below my favourite way to make Passionfruit Curd. In every case, you gently cook the eggs to thicken the mixture. Aim for a temperature of 70–75 °C (158–167 °F), warm enough to thicken the curd smoothly without scrambling the eggs. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Strain the passionfruit pulp through a fine sieve until you have 250ml of passionfruit juice. Keep a couple of spoonfuls of seeds to add back in later
Step 2: Add 5 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks to a heatproof bowl.
Step 3: Whisk the eggs until combined
Step 4: Add sugar and whisk to incorporate
Step 5: Add passionfruit juice and whisk again
Step 6: Add lemon juice and mix through
Step 7: Once combined place the heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan filled with 3-4cm of water and bring the water to a simmer. Ensure the water does not touch the base of the heatproof bowl. Alternatively you can place the passionfruit mixture directly into a saucepan making sure to continually stir the mixture until it thickens. It is probably easier to swap to a spatula at this point.
Step 8: Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally while cooling) before pouring in to a blender. With the motor on low add the room temperature butter a couple of cubes at a time until completely combined
Step 9: Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the blade and stir through a couple of spoons of the reserved seeds. This is really just for show as it will not change the flavour. The seeds made the curd instantly recognisable.
Step 10: Fill passionfruit curd in to steralised jars while still warm. If you put the lids on while the curd is still quite warm the cooling product should create a vacuum seal. Store the jars in the fridge as soon as they are filled.
Variations
You can mix it up to make it unique!
- Limes – For a sharper, slightly more bitter curd. Works beautifully in the same quantity.
- Oranges – Sweeter and milder; reduce the sugar slightly to balance the flavour.
- Lemon – of course
- Citrus Blend Curd
Use a mix of citrus juices like lemon, orange, and lime for a more complex, rounded flavour.
Equipment
It depends which method you choose to make this recipe as to the equipment you will need. All methods require a large heatproof bowl, sieve, whisk, juicer and spatula. You may also need a saucepan and a blender. You will need 2-3 sterilised jars to fill the curd in once made.
Storage
Store the passionfruit curd in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 1-2 weeks. For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to 2 months, just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using. Always use a clean spoon to avoid contamination and extend freshness.
FAQ
Lumps usually happen when the eggs cook too quickly. Make sure to stir constantly over gentle heat.
Perfect for filling cakes, tarts, and macarons, it’s equally delicious drizzled over pancakes or swirled through yoghurt, labne, or ice cream. And if you're anything like me, you'll find it hard to resist a sneaky spoonful straight from the jar.
Share your family’s treasured recipe and the story that comes with it, so we can preserve these beautiful MEMORIES together.
Passionfruit Curd
Ingredients
Instructions
- Strain the passionfruit juice to remove all of the seeds. You will need to stir the pulp in the strainer to push through as much juice as possible. Keep the strained seeds to add some back in later.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar & salt together in a heatproof bowl until combined.
- Add the fresh passionfruit and fresh lemon juice and whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Add 3-4 cm of water to a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place the heatproof bowl over the pan to create a double boiler, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Alternatively, pour the passionfruit mixture directly into a saucepan and cook it over a low heat. This method is much quicker than the double boiler method but you need to continually stir this to stop the eggs over cooking
- Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a custard like consistency.
- Once thickened remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Pour the thickened passionfruit mixture in to a blender.
- With the speed on low add the room temperature butter a couple of cubes at a time
- Continue blending until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is silky smooth.
- I like to stir through a couple of spoonfuls of the reserved passionfruit seeds at this stage. This is totally optional and just for the look as it does not change the flavour at all.
- Fill in to steralised jars while still warm
- Store the jars in the fridge as soon as they are filled. I can never resist tasting the curd warm but the perfection happens once it is cold. The flavours are balanced and the texture is thick and luscious.
Nutrition
Notes
- There are many ways to make any kind of curd, the above direct saucepan method is my favourite. All of them work, you’ll just produce slightly different results depending on the approach you choose. If you cook the curd directly in a saucepan rather than over a double boiler, be sure to stir continuously and remove it from the heat as soon as it thickens. The double boiler method takes a little longer, while stirring regularly is still important, you don’t need to do so quite as constantly. Just keep it moving enough to ensure even heating and to prevent lumps.
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