This homemade orange curd is made with honey, tons of fresh orange juice and zest, and a touch of lemon for an added boost in tang. It comes together quickly and easily and can be used in yogurt parfaits, cakes, tarts and more!
Table of Contents
How to make orange curd
- Use fresh orange juice and zest
Just like with lemon curd, you’re going to want to use the fresh stuff. Because if you’re making a citrus curd, you want it to pack a tart punch. At first glance ¼ cup might seem like a lot of zest, but it’s the correct amount.
You’ll strain the curd before serving, so don’t worry, you won’t be picking zest out of your teeth.
- Whisk together everything but the butter
Whisk yolks, eggs, honey, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt together in a saucepan until smooth.
- Cook orange curd on the stove top
Cook orange curd mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 172-degrees and has thickened, this should take 8 to 10 minutes.
Using an instant-read thermometer takes all the guesswork out of making orange curd (and candy, meat, fish, etc.) This is my all-time favorite instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter
Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the butter until melted. The butter is important for adding flavor and creating a silky smooth texture. Be sure to use unsalted butter!
- Strain the orange curd
This step is important for two reasons. First, it strains out all of the zest we added at the beginning. And secondly, it acts as a failsafe by straining out any specks of cooked egg (occurs when the mixture is heated too quickly without being agitated or stirred).
Can you freeze orange curd?
Yes!! Homemade orange curd can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Transfer curd to a zipper-lock freezer bag, remove air, seal and transfer to the freezer. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Thawed curd should be used within 1 week.
How long does homemade curd last?
Orange curd can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week in advance. Transfer curd to a glass container, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd so a skin doesn’t form, and store in the refrigerator.
How to use orange curd
- As a cake filling
- Cheesecake topping
- Fruit tart filling
- Serve with scones, pancakes or waffles
- Use in yogurt parfaits
- Spread over ricotta toast for an appetizer or breakfast
- Spoon over pavlova
- Spoon over vanilla ice cream
- Layered in a trifle
Looking for more curd recipes?
You’re in luck! I basically have a curd recipe for every season of the year!
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this orange curd!
To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the side bar or below the recipe. Happy cooking!
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Orange Curd
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours chilling
- Yield: 1 ⅓ cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Citrusy and tangy, this orange curd is a fun and flavorful take on classic lemon curd. Use it in a variety of ways including parfaits, cakes, tarts and more!
Ingredients
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup minced orange zest
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled
Instructions
Whisk yolks, eggs, honey, sugar, zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with whisk or rubber spatula, until mixture thickens slightly and registers 172°F, 8–10 minutes.
Off heat, whisk in chilled butter until melted. Strain lemon curd through fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against surface of curd and chill 2 hours, or until set.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 74mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
Keywords: orange curd, honey orange curd, homemade curd
Hi Lauren, this is one of the BEST curd I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing it.
★★★★★
Hi Gigi! You just made my day! I’m so glad you like this recipe, perfect for the upcoming citrus season!
Hi Lauren, quick question, I want to use this curd as a cake filling. Any advice on how many teaspoons of gelatin I should add to prevent it from oozing out when the cake is sliced? Thanks again!
Hi Lauren, just wondering about how many tarts this recipe will fill? And a pie? Would I need to double for a pie? Just trying to get an idea on how much this makes and how I can use the single recipe. Thanks so much!! This looks so luxurious!
Hi Lola,
Great question! For a pie I would double this recipe. A single recipe of this curd will fill an 8-inch tart. If you are making a 9-inch tart I would increase the number of egg yolks to 7 large yolks (instead of 5 large yolks).
I hope this helps!