Easy to make, sweet, slightly tangy and bursting with flavour, orange curd is like a little jar of sunshine. In fact, I have 2 jars of sunshine in my fridge right now. Using blood oranges, I’ve turned this one into blood orange curd but you can use any orange variety you like. With just a handful of ingredients and less than 15 minutes, you can use this gorgeous orange curd on everything from cakes to pancakes.

I adapted my orange curd recipe from my much-loved lemon curd recipe. It’s so popular because of its silky-smooth texture, bright flavour and it’s super simple to make. No double boiler necessary – just low heat and good ingredients right in a saucepan. There’s a sneaky little secret to it’s intense flavour (not so secret now). By reducing the orange juice first to get a concentrated orange juice, the flavour is intensified.

Love blood oranges as much as I do? You must try these candied blood orange slices.

This recipe was first published here on September 17th, 2019 and has been updated with step by step photos.

A jar filled to the top with orange curd.

Table of contents

With such a short season, I’m always chomping at the bit for blood oranges to show up in stores. I’ve previously made this gorgeous buttermilk panna cotta with blood orange jelly which is also divine and now this blood orange curd.

What is orange curd?

Orange curd is a thick, smooth citrus flavoured spread made with simple ingredients – eggs, sugar, orange juice and butter.

You can turn this, as I have, into a blood orange curd or just use regular oranges. Blood oranges have an orange flavour with a slight hint of raspberry flavor and are just my favourite kind. They also have a gorgeous hue that gives this orange spread a peachy colour.

Ingredients you’ll need

Just 4 ingredients are all you need for this easy citrus curd.

Ingredients for orange curd.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

  • Oranges: I’ve used blood oranges here to make it a blood orange curd but any type of orange will work like Navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Valencia oranges. You can also use other citrus fruits such as clementine, mandarins or tangelos. Even grapefruit will work if you love that tart flavour.
  • Eggs: Eggs are a big part of what makes the curd become thick.
  • Sugar: Just regular white granulated sugar here.
  • Butter: Butter is used to give the curd a buttery flavour and also to help it set thickly.

How to make orange curd

This easy orange curd recipe is made with a super simple method over low heat with a single saucepan.

Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.

1. Reduce the orange juice

Remember, I’m using blood orange juice here, hence the colour. Start by reducing the orange juice to ½ a cup. This is an optional step to intensify the orange flavour. If you want to skip it, just use ½ cup of orange juice or blood orange juice.

Blood orange juice simmering in a pan.
Blood orange juice reduced in a pan.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients

Add sugar, eggs and orange zest and whisk over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then, begin adding the butter 2-3 cubes at a time, stirring over low heat until they’re melted in before adding more.

Adding butter to orange curd in a pan.

3. Cook to thicken

Once all the butter is added, continue to stir and cook just until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or the side of the pan thickly (or 75C / 170F if using a thermometer).

Cooking blood orange curd in a saucepan.

4. Strain and cool

Straight away, strain it into a bowl to catch any little bits of egg that may have solidified (though if you cook it low and gently, there should be none). Let it cool slightly then pour it into your sterilised preserving jars. I just adore these small Weck tulip jars. Now, just chill it until required.

The orange curd strained through a sieve.

FAQ’s

How to store orange curd?

Store the curd in airtight preserving jars, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month unopened. Once opened, use within 7-10 days.

Can you freeze orange curd?

Yes, orange curd freezes well. For best results, thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before use.

Tips and Tricks

  • Concentrate the orange juice first – to intensify the flavour in your orange curd. This is an optional step but well worth it to get a real burst of orange flavour.
  • Whisk it well – before turning the heat on to make sure all ingredients are well distributed.
  • Keep the heat low – You don’t need to set up a double boiler, so long as you use a heavy-based saucepan over the lowest heat. The low heat stops the eggs from scrambling
  • Make sure the sugar is dissolved – before beginning to add the butter
  • Add the butter slowly – just 2-3 cubes at a time, whisking constantly to incorporate then adding more. If you add too much butter at once, your mixture won’t emulsify which is a very important component of making fruit curds.
  • It’s done when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it that doesn’t run. If you prefer using a candy thermometer, aim for 75C / 170F.
Orange curd on a spoon held above a jar.

What Colour Should Blood Orange Curd Be?

I wanted to add this note about the colour of blood orange curd as it will depend on a couple of factors

  • Egg yolks – as with any fruit curd, the colour of your egg yolks will affect the colour of the curd. I always use free range eggs, which have a more orange hue than their cage counterparts.
  • The colour of the oranges – Blood oranges are known for having a distinctive red hue but sometimes, they will just be very dark orange. If making blood orange curd the colour can range anywhere from the colour of orange rind to a peach colour depending on how much red is in the oranges. Blood oranges with a darker colour on the outside, most often are darker on the inside as well.
  • If you use regular oranges, the colour will be much more pale.

Troubleshooting orange/lemon curd

While researching and testing for this recipe, I came across comments like “my curd is too runny”, “my curd is not thickening” and, “why is my curd grainy?” So, I decided to make a little troubleshooting guide.

  • Curd too runny – you may have added too much liquid, although if you stick to the ratios in this recipe, that won’t be a problem. In that case, it is likely that you have not cooked the curd quite long enough. The fix? You can actually put it back on the stove and cook it a little longer until it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it that doesn’t run. Or use a candy thermometer to make sure it reaches 75C/167F.
  • Curd is not thickening – remembering that curd is not meant to be thick like a set custard, it may be that it wasn’t cooked long enough (see above). If you still want it thicker, try adding in another egg yolk (making sure to cook it through as per the instructions).
  • Why is my curd grainy? In my research, I felt sorry for the cooks who were saying my curd turned grainy after refrigeration and, despite them knowing it was not due to the eggs scrambling, the only responses they were getting were “sounds like your eggs scrambled”.
    My answer to this? Not necessarily true. You will know if your eggs have scrambled. You can see it in the warm curd as you pour it into your jars and they don’t scramble by themselves in the fridge overnight.
    The sciency reason: It’s likely the graininess is caused by the breakdown of the emulsification – ie: the fats (in this case butter) and liquids (orange juice here) not emulsifying properly or that emulsification breaking. This can be caused by not whisking and agitating the mixture enough or by overheating or a combo of both. In any case, I tested this out and it can be fixed. Yay!
    The solution: How to fix grainy curd. Add one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of the juice (in this recipe, orange juice) to a saucepan and whisk them together fully. Turn the heat on the lowest possible setting. Add one tablespoon of your cold curd back to the pan. Whisk it in well. Continue to do this until all the curd is added back. Now heat it to 75C / 167F on a thermometer or to the point that the hot curd will coat the back of the spoon again. Pour it back into your jars and refrigerate again.

How to use orange curd

This luscious, smooth orange curd can be the tangy, sweet and rich addition to so many treats and being that it keeps so well in the fridge and takes around 15 minutes to make, why not take advantage of the jewel-like blood oranges when they show up.

If they aren’t in season where you are, there’s no need to wait, just use regular oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit – whatever takes your fancy.

Small tarts filled with orange curd.

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A spoon taking orange curd out of a jar.

Orange Curd

Yield: 1 ⅓ cups
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Setting time: 2 hours
Total Time: 15 minutes
5 from 6 ratings
Smooth, creamy and taking all of 15 minutes, this orange curd recipe is so easy you'll make it again and again. Find all the tips and tricks and my simple method for making perfect fruit curds here, plus more flavours to swoon over.
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Ingredients

MAKES ABOUT 1 ⅓ CUPS

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 150 g caster sugar (superfine sugar) (¾ cup / 5.3oz)
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice (250ml) (notes)
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 130 g unsalted butter, cubed and cold (4 ½oz)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Pour the orange juice into a heavy based saucepan and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat. Let it simmer for 6-8 minutes until it has reduced to half a cup. (See notes if you want to skip this step)
  • Take the juice away from the heat and add the sugar, zest then eggs and egg yolks, – in that order. Whisk really well until everything is combined. Place it back over low heat and stir with a spatula until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Add the cold butter a couple of pieces at a time, whisking until each addition is melted and incorporated before adding the next.
  • Continue cooking the mixture for 4-5 minutes until it is thickened and coats the back of a spoon or leaves a thick coating on the side of the pan when you tilt it. If you use a thermometer, the temperature should be 75C / 167F.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve just incase there are any little bits of cooked egg. This will also strain out the orange zest which has alreayd done it's job.
  • Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then pour into sterilised preserving jars and store in the fridge.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Yield: This recipe makes approximately 1 ⅓ cups of curd.
  2. You can use regular orange juice or blood orange juice like I’ve used here. You can even use tangerines or mandarines.
  3. If you prefer to skip step one, only use ½ cup of juice. Keep in mind the flavour won’t be quite as intense.
  4. This curd will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge, unopened. Once opened, use within a week. It also freezes well.
  5. For more tartness, swap one tablespoon of orange juice for lemon juice.
  6. To sterilise the jars, boil them in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes then set aside to drain, dry and cool. The second way is to wash the jars well with soapy water, rinse and then place them in an oven at 120C / 250F for 10 minutes. Let them cool a little before use.
  7. If you would like to make this curd dairy-free, swap the butter for a vegetable-based spread.
  8. You can also use regular oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit.
  9. You’ll want 3 blood oranges or 2 large regular oranges.
  10. Nutrition details are approximate only and based on a tablespoon per serve.
MORE SPREADS AND SAUCES!
Calories: 81kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sauces
Cuisine: American, Australian, British, World
Love this recipe?Add Sugar Salt Magic as a preferred Google source.
Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Orange Curd
Amount Per Serving (27 g)
Calories 81 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 7mg0%
Potassium 29mg1%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 0.05g0%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 213IU4%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.