Homemade Orange Curd Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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Homemade Orange Curd Recipe – Bright and sweet orange curd is easy to make with only 6 simple ingredients, and perfect to enjoy with breakfast or your favorite baked snack treats!

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Why We Love This Easy Orange Curd Recipe

Creamy and bright citrus curd is a delightful condiment to serve for breakfast or with your favorite snack-time goodies. It’s similar in sweetness to a fruit jam or preserves, but made ultra-rich with egg yolks and butter for a more decadent spread.

If you love classic lemon curd, you will absolutely go nuts over this Orange Curd variation. The flavor is slightly sweeter with less of a tart bite, and pairs perfectly with all types of baked treats – from healthy muffins to decadent cookies and more!

Our practically foolproof orange curd recipe requires 6 pantry staples and takes 15 minutes to prepare. It makes a generous 2 cups of orange curd, which is just the right amount to enjoy a bit right away, and also put up in cute little jars.

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Ingredients You Need

Oranges – fresh oranges are the base of this recipe! You can use regular navel oranges.
Lemon – for a bit of tart flavor
Granulated sugar – to sweeten it up!
Large eggs + egg yolks – for a silky smooth texture
Butter – round out the curd and makes it more rich in flavor
Salt – a pinch of salt will balance out the flavors

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How to Make the Best Orange Curd

Use a zester to zest all three oranges and the lemon. Make sure to zest just the color and not the bitter white skin underneath. Collect the zest of both the oranges and lemons. You should have at least 1 tablespoon of orange zest and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Use it all! The orange zest is what really lents that orange flavor.

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Now cut 1-2 of the oranges to squeeze ½ cup of fresh orange juice. Squeeze the lemon and measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and all the orange and lemon zest.

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Then add sugar, eggs, and additional egg yolks, butter, and salt.

Get the Complete (Printable) Orange Curd Recipe Below. Enjoy!

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Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together as the butter melts. Once the butter has completely melted whisk thoroughly to make sure there are no clumps.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consistently. Once the curd is boiling, lower the heat if needed and continue to simmer and stir for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture seems thick.

Pro Tip: I like to use a rubber spatula to make sure to scrape all the curd off the bottom, so it doesn’t burn as I stir.

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Remove from heat. Pour the orange curd into two 8-ounce jars or four 4-ounce jars. There will be a little leftover to enjoy right away.

Cover and chill the orange curd until it is set. Then keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Suggestions for What to Do With Orange Curd

Fresh and fruity orange curd is delicious to spread on baked treats, like store-bought or homemade cookies. Here are a few of our classic cookie recipes to try:

The Best Sugar Cookies
Cornmeal Cookies
Lemon Cookies (For a true citrus mouth party!)
Scottish Shortbread

I love to have a little bowl with biscotti to dip and a cup of coffee for breakfast. And it is fantastic to use in yogurt and granola parfaits! The curd also is great with nearly any sweet breakfast foods, like:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is fruit curd?

Fruit curd is a dessert spread or topping that is typically made with citrus fruits, but can also be made with other fruits if desired. The difference between fruit curd and fruit jam is the addition of eggs and egg yolks to thicken the mixture and turn it into a silky smooth fruit spread.

Why is my orange curd chunky?

If your orange curd is chunky, that mean that your curd has curdled, meaning the eggs in the mixture were cooked too quickly and turned into scrambled eggs in the mixture. To prevent this from happening, you need to whisk the mixture constantly while it is heating up. This will ensure that the eggs slowly heat up and integrate into the mixture instead of turning chunky.

What is the best type of orange for making curd?

Any type of ripe orange is good to use in this orange curd recipe. Oranges that aren’t ripe enough won’t be as sweet, so be sure to select fruits that are slightly soft when given a gentle squeeze.

Navel oranges are classic, Cara Cara oranges offer a delicate floral note, and blood oranges have a beautifully deep sweet flavor. You can even use tangerine, for a slightly different but wonderful flavor. You really can’t go wrong!

What other citrus fruits can be used to make this curd recipe?

Lime and grapefruit can be used in place of the orange for unique tasty citrus curds! Lime curd will have a very tart and tropical flavor that is less sweet. Grapefruit tends to be a lighter taste that likewise isn’t quite as sweet as orange or lemon.

How can I turn this into a lemon curd?

If you prefer to make a lemon curd, follow my perfect homemade lemon curd recipe instead!

Why is my orange curd not thickening?

The curd needs to be cooked for several minutes while constantly being whisked. If it isn’t thickening right away just keep cooking on medium and whisking until it becomes the consistency you like. And remember that it will continue to thicken once it cools.

How long does homemade fruit curd last?

It will keep well for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Looking For More Delicious Dips and Spreads?

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe
Nutella Chocolate Fondue
Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
Retro Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Cherry Cheesecake Dip with Pie Crust

Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and nutrition information. Make sure to share this recipe on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Print Recipe

Easy Orange Curd Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Bright and sweet orange curd is easy to make and perfect to enjoy with breakfast or your favorite baked snack treat!

Servings: 18 servings

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

3 oranges
1 lemon or lime
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 4 egg yolks
½ cup butter 1 stick
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Use a zester to zest all three oranges and the lemon. Make sure to zest just the color and not the bitter white skin underneath. Collect the zest of both the oranges and lemons. You should have at least 1 tablespoon of orange zest and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Use it all.
Now cut 1-2 of the oranges to squeeze ½ cup of fresh orange juice. Squeeze the lemon and measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Set a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, all the orange and lemon zest, sugar, eggs and additional egg yolks, butter, and salt.
Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together as the butter melts. Once the butter has completely melted whisk thoroughly to make sure there are no clumps.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consistently. Once the curd is boiling, lower the heat if needed and continue to simmer and stir for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture seems thick. *I like to use a rubber spatula to make sure to scrape all the curd off the bottom, so it doesn’t burn as I stir.

Notes

You can make lime, lemon or grapefruit curd with this recipe as well.

Homemade orange curd will keep well for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tb, Calories: 128kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 80mg, Potassium: 56mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 234IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Condiment, Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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FAQs

Homemade Orange Curd Recipe - A Spicy Perspective? ›

You need to keep a low heat and stir constatntly. The time it takes for the curd to thicken can vary accoding to the size of the pan and the heat used. To test if the curd is cooked properly, dip a spoon into the mixture then run your finger through the mixture on the back of the spoon.

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Why is my orange curd not setting? ›

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What is orange curd made of? ›

Orange Curd is also called Orange Butter and is a delicious spread made of orange juice, sugar, butter and eggs. I love making fruit curd as it's such a great way of using up fruit and preserving it beyond making a jam or marmalade.

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What's the difference between marmalade and orange curd? ›

Those delicious chunks in marmalade have been simmered with sugar until they're all but candied, whereas curd making is a very different process, which means that it's better to finely grate the perfumed zest, leaving out the spongey pith entirely.

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How do you fix runny orange curd? ›

If when completely cold your Orange Curd (or any other curd) is too runny then it was not cooked enough. You can remedy this by removing it from the jars and gently cooking again. Be sure to re-wash and sterilize the jars before refilling.

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How many hours does it take for curd to set? ›

While in a warm climate, the curd will take around 4 to 7 hours, while it will take a bit longer in winters. In a cool climate it can easily take around 8 to 10 hours. Make sure the temperature of the milk before setting the curd is warm enough during winters, otherwise the curd won't set properly.

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What helps in setting of curd? ›

The microbes present in the curd help in setting if the temperature of the mixture remains approximately between 35°C to 40°C. At places, where room temperature remains much below the range, the setting of curd becomes difficult.

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Why is my orange curd grainy? ›

Don't let the curd boil.

Boiling curd will cause it to curdle and create a grainy texture. If the orange curd curdles, strain it twice through a fine-mesh strainer, to remove the grainy bits. If that doesn't work, process it in a blender to try and smooth it out.

Why isn t my orange curd thickening? ›

The curd isn't thickening. This has both eggs and starch in it and over medium heat will thicken, given the enough time. Be patient and keep watch over it – never walk away from a cooking curd for more than 30 seconds or it will over cook. This happens when the curd is overcooked, bits of the egg turn white.

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Is orange with curd good for health? ›

Combining dairy based products with citrus fruits or juice may trigger indigestion or heartburn, this is because the acidity of oranges may curdle up the proteins in milk, leading to an upset stomach or bloating.

Why is it called Marmelade? ›

Most historians agree, however, that the name marmalade comes from the Portuguese word for quince, or marmelo, which was once a major ingredient, but over time Seville oranges replaced quince. Marmalade recipes date back to the 1500s, and it remains popular today in many parts of the world.

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What is orange jam called? ›

Marmalade (from the Portuguese marmelada) is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange.

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Why do you soak oranges for marmalade? ›

Tie the muslin square into a little bag and add it to the bowl. Make sure everything is immersed in the water. Leave to soak overnight or for several hours if possible. This helps to extract pectin from the fruit and soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking.

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Does adding lemon to milk make curd? ›

Yes we can made curd by mixing milk with lemon juice. Mix little by little lemon juice to the milk and stir frequently until the milk turned to curd.

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Why won't my curd thicken? ›

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

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How do you make curd thicker? ›

More times than not the, curd just needs to be cooked longer in order for the egg proteins to set. If your curd has been cooked to 170 degrees and it still hasn't thickened, then make a slurry by whisking 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

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What to do if curd is not set cheese? ›

Milk may contain a shortage of this calcium and this will lead to a soft weak curd. The addition of calcium chloride to the milk may rectify this. If adding additional calcium, make sure that you do this at least one hour before the addition of the rennet or the effect of the additional calcium may be minimised. F.

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Why does curd not set? ›

Dahi does not set well if you use less starter for hom*ogenized milk. On the other hand, non hom*ogenized milk needs less starter as they tend to set well and faster. Adding more will make your curd sour. So adjust the amount of starter accordingly.

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How do you thicken runny curd? ›

Why is my Dahi not thickening? ›

*Ensure you use fresh, good quality curd culture and bring it to room temperature before adding it to the milk. You can use anywhere between one teaspoon to one tablespoon of culture. *Do not use sour curd culture or your curd will turn out sour. *Frothing the milk is a must for the curd to turn out thicker.

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