Passionfruit Butter (Curd)

Passion fruit

MarkGillow / Getty Images

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 16 servings

When there is an abundance of passionfruit in the market, a good way to preserve this tropical fruit is by making a creamy passionfruit butter. It is simple to prepare and can be enjoyed on a piece of toast for breakfast, or used as a pastry filling or to ice a cake.

Because it is made with eggs, sugar, and butter, passionfruit butter is also known as passionfruit curd. The star ingredient, of course, is the passionfruit pulp which is easily scooped out of the fruit's shell. You can add the pulp as-is, seeds and all, or if you would like a smoother consistency, blend the pulp in a food processor (you will still have a bit of crunch from the seeds) before using. It's best to use fresh passionfruit pulp, but if you cannot find passionfruit, you can use the canned variety, which does not contain any seeds.

To make passionfruit butter you will need a double boiler, which is a way of heating food gently. In this recipe, the eggs need to be cooked without curdling so they can help to emulsify the butter and give it that thick consistency. If you don't have a double boiler, you can simply place a heatproof glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.

There are many ways to use passionfruit butter, from simply spreading on toast to adding to plain yogurt to using in place of lemon curd in recipes. This passionfruit butter will last up to three weeks in a sterilized jar, one week in an unsterilized jar, or you can freeze it for up to three months.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar

  • 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Use a double boiler or place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.

  3. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the butter and sugar to ​the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to melt and combine.

  4. Mix together the passionfruit pulp, lemon juice, and eggs in a small mixing bowl. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir continuously with a wooden spoon, over medium-low heat, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. This should take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the pan and the heat.

  5. Once thickened, remove the bowl from the heat and allow the passionfruit butter to cool completely.

  6. Spoon the butter into a sterilized airtight jar and store it in the refrigerator.

  7. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
93 Calories
7g Fat
5g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 93
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 26mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 51mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)