Homemade Orange Curd is so simple to make. It requires just a few simple ingredients and takes under 15 minutes to make.
Fresh orange curd is wonderful to use as a spread for homemade biscuits, to fill cupcakes, or as a cake filling. It is also wonderful to add to vanilla buttercream to infuse a mild orange flavor into the frosting.
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If you haven't had a fruit curd before, it is similar to a fruit jam in consistency, but not nearly as sweet.
If you are lucky enough to have orange trees, this is a great way to use up all those oranges during citrus season, and then freeze the curd for use in recipes all year long.
Orange curd is made slightly differently from a traditional lemon curd recipe. This is because oranges are sweeter in flavor than other citrus fruits like lemons or limes. In order to get the right balance of sweetness and tart in the orange curd, the sugar is decreased in this recipe, and I recommend using navel oranges for the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Homemade Orange Curd
- Small to medium size saucepan
- Zester or fine grater
- Silicone whisk or wooden spoon
- (affiliate link)Instant read or candy thermometer (optional)
- (affiliate link)Citrus Press (optional)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Citrus Fruit
Oranges
The oranges are definitely the star of the show when it comes to orange curd, and picking the correct orange for the end result you want is important.
No matter which variety of oranges you choose to use, I definitely recommend using fresh oranges in this recipe.
For a nice balance of sweet and tart, use navel oranges instead of a sweeter variety like Cara Cara oranges.
Blood oranges are also a good option, as they have a nice balance of sweet and tart with a hint of berry flavor. However, the color of the orange curd will be pinkish instead of the vibrant orange color you get using navel oranges.
If you use mandarin oranges in this recipe, your curd will be very sweet.
Here are 10 common orange varieties ranked from tart to sweet.
- Seville Oranges: Known for their extremely tart flavor, Seville oranges are often used for making marmalade and cooking rather than eating raw.
- Bergamot Oranges: These oranges are highly acidic and bitter, primarily used for flavoring in products like Earl Grey tea and perfumes.
- Sour Oranges: As the name suggests, sour oranges have a sharp and tangy taste, making them suitable for cooking and making citrus-based sauces.
- Trovita Oranges: Trovita oranges have a moderately tart flavor with a hint of sweetness, making them a versatile choice for both eating fresh and juicing.
- Blood Oranges: While blood oranges can vary in sweetness, they often have a nice balance of tartness and sweetness, with a distinct berry-like flavor.
- Navel Oranges: Navel oranges typically have a mild tartness balanced with sweetness, making them popular for eating fresh.
- Valencia Oranges: Valencia oranges are known for their juiciness and balanced flavor profile, with a slightly tart taste complemented by sweetness.
- Hamlin Oranges: Hamlin oranges are sweet with just a touch of tartness, making them great for juicing and eating fresh.
- Cara Cara Oranges: These oranges have a lower acidity compared to other varieties, offering a sweeter taste with subtle tartness and hints of berry flavor.
- Mandarin Oranges (Clementines, Satsumas, etc.): Mandarins are known for their sweetness and lack of tartness, making them one of the sweetest varieties of oranges available.
While the navel orange gives the curd a nice rounded flavor, pick the type of orange you use based on how you want to use the orange curd. For example, if you are primarily going to use it as a topping for pancakes or French toast, you may like a sweeter curd and want to use a sweeter orange. When using it for cupcakes and cakes, you may want a slightly tarter curd to balance out the sweetness of the cake and especially the frosting.
Since oranges come in all different sizes, the number of oranges you need for this recipe will depend on the orange itself. I would plan on having 2-3 oranges on hand and you will want at least 1 Tablespoon of orange zest as well as 5 Tablespoons of fresh orange juice. It is perfectly fine to use fresh squeezed orange juice for most of the amount and use a bottled orange juice to supplement if needed. I would definitely use at least 3 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice.
If you want to use mandarin oranges which are smaller than other varieties, you will want to have at least 4-5 on hand.
Lemon
It might surprise you that I use some lemon juice in this recipe and it isn't absolutely necessary, but it does increase the tartness of the orange curd which I like.
If you want a sweet orange curd, omit the lemon juice and use 6 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice from sweet oranges like a mandarin or Cara Cara.
I use fresh lemon juice, but you can certainly use the bottled kind if you prefer.
Eggs
I only use egg yolks in this recipe and, while it is possible to make fruit curd with whole eggs, the egg whites cook at lower temperatures than the yolks, making it a little trickier to get the curd consistency correct. Since I use this recipe mostly when making my orange cupcakes, I use the egg whites in that recipe, so nothing goes to waste.
You can also use the egg whites to make delicious meringue cookies, angel food cake, macarons, and so many other things.
Egg whites can be frozen for longer storage, so don't throw them away!
Sugar
I use plain white sugar in this recipe, but it is possible to use honey instead. Since honey is 25% sweeter than white sugar, you will want to cut the amount of honey back to about ½ cup. I have not tested the recipe with anything other than white sugar, so I cannot guarantee it will turn out the same, but I have seen recipes for lemon curd using honey instead of sugar, so it should be just fine.
It is also possible to replace part or all of the white sugar with a sugar substitute, but you will also want some sort of thickening agent to help the curd set up since sugar does play a role in that in the orange curd recipe.
I would recommend using a sugar substitute that is a 1:1 sugar replacement so the volume of orange curd stays the same. You can use cornstarch to help thicken the curd and you would mix the cornstarch (½ Tablespoon should be fine) with the orange juice and make a slurry to add to the sugar substitute and egg yolks in the sauce pan. As you heat the mixture, the cornstarch will activate and thicken the curd.
You can also use a small amount of xanthan gum added to the egg yolks (xanthan gum combines well with fat and this will prevent clumping). Xanthan gum and other gums used for thickening can be quite powerful so I recommend only using ¼-½ teaspoon at most.
Butter
Butter is added at the end of making the curd and it adds a nice richness to the orange curd.
Using cold butter instead of room temperature helps cool the curd down and adds to the satiny texture of the curd.
The amount of butter you use can be altered to taste, so feel free to add less butter and give the curd a taste and add more as needed.
You can even omit the butter and the orange curd will turn out fine, but keep in mind the volume will be less.
I always have salted butter on hand, so I use that and I don't add any extra salt to the curd. If you want to use unsalted butter, you certainly can, and then add a pinch of salt when the curd is cooking, which will help bring out the orange flavors.
How to Make Homemade Orange Curd
Mise En Place (Prep)
Cooking the orange curd only takes about 10 minutes and the prep will take about 10-15 minutes depending on how quick you are in the kitchen.
When making any kind of curd, make sure you allow time for it to cool at least 4 hours in the fridge before you plan on using it.
I definitely recommend having everything measured out and ready to go AND having the container you plan on using to refrigerate your curd also ready to go.
Here are the steps I follow when prepping to make orange curd.
- Gather all the ingredients and supplies needed.
- Measure out the sugar and put it into the saucepan.
- Zest the orange(s) over the saucepan so the zest and the oils that are released combine with the sugar. I also whisk this together to infuse the zest into the sugar.
- Squeeze and measure out 5 Tablespoons of juice from the orange(s) you zested. Measure out the 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. If you plan on using the egg whites for meringue make sure not to get any yolks into them.
- Take the butter out of the refrigerator and cut into Tablespoon size pieces.
Cooking the Orange Curd
Place the sugar, orange zest, juice from both orange and lemon (a total of 6 Tablespoons), and egg yolks into a small or medium saucepan.
Whisk everything together and turn the heat to medium.
Quick Tip
Use a silicone whisk, a wooden spoon, or a silicone spatula when making curd. Metal utensils will absorb the heat from the curd and slow the cooking process down.
Continue to whisk over medium heat until you start to see steam coming from the top of the orange curd mixture. If at anytime the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat down to low.
As the mixture cooks it will begin to thicken. It is important to keep whisking during the entire process so the egg yolks don't start to cook, which will lead to an unpleasant texture in your orange curd.
Quick Tip
If you think you may have cooked the curd on too high of a heat and some of the egg yolks cooked, simply strain it before adding in the butter to remove those pieces of cooked egg.
When the curd thickens to the consistency of custard or pudding before it is refrigerated, it is done. It will coat the bottom of the saucepan and the back of a spoon.
If you are unsure if it is thick enough, you can use a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature. I usually aim for a temperature of about 180-190℉/82-88℃.
If you want to remove the zest from the curd for a smoother orange curd, you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
Once the orange curd reaches the correct consistency, remove the pot from the stove and add in the butter and salt, if using. Whisk until the butter is fully incorporated.
Pour the orange curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You want to push the plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the orange curd so it doesn't develop a hardened skin on top while chilling.
Chill for a minimum of 4 hours, and overnight is even better.
You can serve it cold or room temperature.
Storage Instructions
How to Store Orange Curd
Refrigeration
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the orange curd will last several weeks.
Freezer
Orange Curd can be frozen in freezer bags or in freezer containers for up to a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually a thinner and runnier orange curd is because it wasn't cooked long enough and didn't reach a high enough temperature.
It also could be that it hasn't fully chilled and set up.
Yes, absolutely. Simple adjust the ingredients and follow the same instructions.
You can use orange curd as a substitute for lemon curd in any recipe. It is important to note that the orange curd is slightly sweeter than lemon curd.
Orange curd is wonderful as cake or cupcake fillings, you can add it to buttercream frosting to make orange buttercream, spread it on toast or biscuits. Even try it on vanilla ice cream!
Homemade Orange Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- 6 Large egg yolks
- 1-2 Large Navel oranges You need 5 Tablespoons of juice and the zest from 1-2 oranges
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh or bottled is fine
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine grind sea salt optional
- 6 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, cold
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Instructions
- In a medium size saucepan (around 2-2½ quarts), add the sugar. Zest one orange right over the pot of sugar and whisk together.Add the egg yolks.⅔ cup white granulated sugar, 1-2 Large Navel oranges, 6 Large egg yolks
- Cut and squeeze the juice from the orange. If you don't have 5 Tablespoons you will need to cut the second orange. You can zest the second orange into the pot if desired. Strain the orange juice to remove any seeds and add it to the pot. Add the lemon juice. Strain it if you used fresh squeezed to avoid any seeds in your curd.1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Turn the stove on medium heat and whisk frequently while the mixture starts to heat. Whisking helps prevent hot spots that may cook the egg yolks. The mixture should simmer, but not be at a boil. If it starts to boil, reduce the heat.
- Cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken to the consistency of pudding. You can use a thermometer and it is done when it reaches about 185℉/85℃.
- Remove from the heat and if you want a smooth curd without the zest, strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add in the salt and butter and whisk to incorporate. Pour the finished orange curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is pushed down to touch the top of the curd. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until it is completely chilled. Enjoy!¼ teaspoon kosher or fine grind sea salt, 6 Tablespoons butter
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
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Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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