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This dairy-free blood orange curd is a citrus lover’s dream. It’s so easy to make and uses just 5 simple ingredients.
It took a couple of rounds to get this recipe just right, but it was worth the blood orange juice massacre that happened on both my face and the kitchen walls. Somehow my white shirt got by unscathed though.
Word to the wise – don’t wear white.
If you can get your hands on some blood oranges, you should make this curd immediately. It’s slightly sweet, tangy, a little tart, and the vibrant deep red hue is a sight for sore eyes.
Ingredients
- blood orange zest & juice – both play an important role in getting that true blood orange flavor to really come through
- fresh lemon juice – the acid in the lemon juice is important in the setting of the curd and also helps keep it from being overly sweet
- organic cane sugar
- egg yolks + whole egg – I love pastured eggs for their bright orange yolks, but any will work, the final color of the curd might just be a little different
- dairy-free butter (salted or unsalted)
- salt – only if using unsalted butter
How To Make Blood Orange Curd
Combine the sugar and zest in a bowl and massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers to distribute its oil (flavor).
Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg in a small saucepan before adding the sugar zest. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the blood orange and lemon juice.
Place over medium-low heat and continuously whisk until you see the curd noticeably thicken and just start to bubble (about 10 minutes).
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of cubes at a time until melted.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (this will give it that silky texture) and let cool before storing it in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. It’ll thicken as it cools.
Make It Your Way: Ingredient Substitutions
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this blood orange curd using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No blood orange? ➝ use oranges instead – either navel or another variety such as cara cara
- No organic cane sugar ➝ granulated white sugar is fine
- Not dairy-free? ➝ use regular butter
Tools Needed
- mixing bowl
- microplane
- citrus juicer
- whisk
- non-reactive saucepan – ceramic, stainless steel, or enamelled cookware. Copper, iron and aluminium pans are reactive and acidic foods have the ability to take on a metallic taste and discolor if cooked in them.
- fine-mesh strainer
Helpful Tips For Making The Best Blood Orange Curd
Don’t Leave Out The Zest
Only remove the zest, not the bitter white pith underneath. The zest adds a lot of additional blood-orange flavor. But, be sure to wash and dry the outside before you zest it because of the waxy coating on the peel.
Also, make sure to zest the blood oranges before you juice them. It’s an easy thing to forget, but much harder once the fruit’s been cut.
Egg Yolks vs Whole Eggs
Typically, curd is made with just egg yolks which is what contributes to its very rich and silky texture but the addition of the egg white helps to round it out and lighten it up a little bit.
Low & Slow
Keep the heat right around medium-low. If you turn it up to quicken the process, you run the risk of scrambling the eggs.
How To Know When The Curd Is Ready
The spoon trick is really helpful. To do this: dip a wooden spoon into the curd and run a finger through it. If you get a super clean line, it’s good to go.
How to Store
Your curd will keep for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How to Serve Blood Orange Curd
The options are endless, but you can spread it on scones, drizzle on ice cream, add it to oatmeal, eat with waffles, spread on oat flour crepes, add to fluffy dairy-free pancakes, stir into chia pudding or eat a spoonful right out of the jar!
More Sweet Recipes To Check Out
Blood Orange Curd (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large whole egg
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- ½ cup blood orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons cold dairy-free butter, cut into cubes
- ⅛ teaspoon salt only if using unsalted butter
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and zest in a bowl and massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers to distribute its oil (flavor).
- Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg in a small saucepan before adding the sugar zest. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the blood orange and lemon juice.
- Place over medium-low heat and continuously whisk until you see the curd noticeably thicken and just start to bubble (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of cubes at a time until melted.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (this will give it that silky texture) and let cool before storing it in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. It’ll thicken as it cools.
Notes
- How to know when it’s done: dip a wooden spoon into the curd and run a finger through it. If you get a super clean line, it’s good to go.
- How can you make this blood orange curd using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No blood orange? ➝ use oranges instead – either navel or another variety such as cara cara
- No organic cane sugar ➝ granulated white sugar is fine
- Not dairy-free? ➝ use regular butter
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