This easy Pineapple Curd is smooth, creamy pineapple in spreadable form and it’s extremely addictive.
With the popularity of my lemon curd recipe, I’ve since gone on to create so many flavours from mango to blackberry.
Table of contents
I use this very curd in my Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes.
It’s luscious, creamy and buttery, perfectly spreadable and incredibly delicious. Bonus! It only takes around 20 minutes to make.
Ingredients
This curd is thickened naturally by using eggs and a little lemon juice. No cornstarch in sight keeps this pineapple curd unbelievably smooth.
- Pineapple juice: You can use the carton variety or I use the juice (not syrup) straight from a tin of pineapple.
- White Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Lemon juice: this actually helps to thicken the curd so that it’s spreadable once cold.
- Eggs
How to make Pineapple Curd
Making all fruit curds is very simple, but this one is slightly different from my Passionfruit Curd and Lemon Curd recipes, since we start by concentrating the pineapple juice. Maximum flavour without the liquid.
- The very first step is the reduce 1 cup of pineapple juice down to 1/4 cup on the stove top. You’ll only need to stir every now and then for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in sugar (photo 1), then lemon juice and eggs (photo 2). Cook that over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.
- Now start adding the butter (photo 3) a little at a time, stirring well to melt before adding more.
- Once all the butter is added cook for another few minutes until it starts getting very thick. It will begin to look almost bouncy in the pan and you’ll be able to draw a line on the back of a spoon that doesn’t run (photo 4).
- Strain the curd to remove any lumps (photos 5 & 6), then chill until set.
Important note about thickening
Pineapple is a unique fruit that often doesn’t play ball like other fruits. For instance gelatine won’t set with pineapple juice in it due to a particular enzyme it has. Sometimes this curd takes a while to thicken.
Don’t worry, I promise it will thicken and you don’t need to use cornflour (cornstarch) which does give it a slightly chalky texture.
Just keep it heating on low. If you feel the curd is getting too hot before it thickens (which could cause scrambled egg), just take it away from the stove for a few minutes, then return and continue.
If you find that it’s too runny after it’s completely chilled, you can actually return it to a saucepan and keep stirring over low heat. This works every time.
Ways to use pineapple curd
It’s amazing as a surprise cupcake centre but you could use it in so many other ways.
- Spread on toast or scones – sweet and simple
- Poured over pancakes
- Use it between the layers of a cake like the blackberry curd in this cake
- Bake it into a bundt cake like in this lemon vanilla butter cake
- Use it in jam drop cookies
- As a topping for pavlova
Do I need a science degree?
No way! It’s so easy to make, which is very important. I’ve tested this pineapple curd a number of times now so I know it works. It’s thick, smooth and creamy.
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You may just want to grab a spoon and dig in – no judgement here.
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Easy Pineapple Curd
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice, from tinned pineapple
- 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g / 7oz)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks from large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 113 g unsalted butter, cubed and cold (1/2 cup / 1 stick / 4oz)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Simmer the pineapple juice in a medium saucepan over med-high heat until it reduced to just ¼ cup. The colour will deepen and it will be thick and syrupy. Pour it into a measuring jug so you know you only have ¼ cup.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice and whisk together. Add eggs and egg yolks and immediately whisk well to combine.
- Place the saucepan over very low heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
- Start adding the butter 2-3 pieces at a time, constantly stirring until completely melted before adding the next.
- Once all the butter has been added, cook for another 5-6 minutes until thickened. Don’t allow it to simmer.
- To test it’s ready, it should leave a thick coating on the back of the spoon that when you draw a line through, it doesn’t run. It will also be looking almost bouncy in the pan.
- Pour into a preserving jar and store in the fridge.
Notes
- If your curd doesn’t set up thick enough once cold, you can return it to the pan over low-medium heat again and keep stirring it until it thickens.
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43 Comments on “Easy Pineapple Curd Recipe”
what can i do if I don’t have lemon/lime/orange juice? can I use vinegar or lemon extract?
I would just leave it out altogether.
Love this recipe. Just used it for Piña Colada macarons and cupcakes.
Would love to know where you got the jar from. It’s so cute!
So happy you love it, Kendra. The jar is a Weck small tulip preserving jar – you can get them on Amazon here (this is an affiliate link – won’t cost you any more but I’ll get a small commission if you buy them).
This confirms to me that the reason I hate most fruit desserts is the fruit textures not the flavors..well creamy fruity flavor is something else. Turn all fruits into curds!
Fruit turned into curd truly is delicious. Thanks, A.
Worked beautifully- at last a successful pineapple pie. Too many recipes for non-lemon curds ignore the simple fact that lemon juice is much stronger, in flavor and acidity, than just about any other juice- the reduction really works. I’m considering trying it with orange or tangerine (that could probably be shortcutted by using concentrate). I used lime juice rather than lemon because I like lime with pineapple. I didn’t simmer it, but I did take it to a point where a few bubbles were popping at the surface- same sign I look for with lemon curd.
So happy you loved it. If you’re interested, I have a blood orange curd which you can use for regular oranges too and I use a reduction in that as well for a more intense flavour.
I didn’t like this. It made scrambled eggs in the curd. Had to throw away and find a YouTube version to use for your cupcakes.
You just cooked it too high and / or too long, Monique. Just cook it on a lower heat so the eggs don’t scramble.
Is this thick enough to fill a cake with? I’ve had lemon curds that have been to thin before and my whole cake has slid over. Just want to make sure that won’t happen with this!
Hi Elise, great question! Most curds won’t have the strength to hold up cake layers. It will also depend on how heavy the cake is and how many layers etc. If you make a border of buttercream, then fill the centre it should work fine, so long as the cake layer on top of it is not overly heavy.
I just made the curd. Not sure if outcome just yet but knock on wood it looks good so far! I noticed that you didn’t include storage time so I read through the comments and saw you tell someone if stores in a sterilized jar it can last weeks. I put it in a glass Pyrex storage container (with its lid). Is it too late to sterilize a jar and move the curd to into it? By the time you may respond to this it may be but still good to know. Also how long will it last in a glass Pyrex? Thanks!
Hi Mais. It should be fine as long as your preserving jar is properly sterlised. In something like a pyrex, you should use this up within a week or freeze it in ice cube blocks and use as you need it.
I’ve made this curd 3 times now. Yesterday when I made it for some reason it came out thin. That’s not how it came out the 1st 2 times. I’m here to let others know that when she says you can put it back on the stove, reheat it so it will thicken up she’s not telling tales,lol. I did that this morning. I let it cool down just a bit before putting it in the fridge and it set up beautifully. It also made the curd turn a little darker which I was happy to see. I used it to fill coconut and pineapple cupcakes that were topped with cream cheese frosting, a single cherry, a single piece of a pineapple chunk then I dripped the curd over the top of everything from a squeeze bottle. They look adorable. Can’t wait till I get to have one tonight for snack. Thanks for such a great recipe as well as a fix should something go wrong when making the curd… 👍🏻
So wonderful, Tammie. So happy you love it and those cupcakes sound lovely.
I’ve tried three recipes for pineapple curd so far, one without lemon juice, the second with puréed pineapple and lemon juice, and now this one with the pineapple juice reduction AND lemon juice, and the taste is just right along with the texture being better without the puréed pineapple. Nice and smooth and zingy!
Thanks so much Amanda, I’m so happy you love it. I think reducing the juice makes all the difference.
Thanks for your tips to substitute fresh pineapple, Mellany. So happy you love it.
Wonderful, delicious, creamy (oh so creamy) curd. I would add that I had to cook it over medium heat (induction cooktop) because it wouldn’t thicken on low heat. Also I did get bits of cooked egg at various points but i switched back to the whisk, incorporated the bits back in and then switched back to the spatula. I also strained the curd at end to get a really dreamy, creamy texture.
So happy you loved it Julie 🙂
Hi .. Can I mix this with whipped cream?? Will it hold the structure?
Hello Beulah, I’m sorry I’ve not tried this.
I made this last night to go into my homemade whipped yogurt. It turned out perfect. Kinda reminds me of the Dole While. Thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes.
Thanks Beverly, so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This was so easy to make and was the perfect compliment to a whipped yogurt I made. Plan on making more. I also used a pineapple compote in addition to the curd for more of a dessert yogurt. Thanks.
Oh, that sounds like a lovely combination Beverly. I’m delighted to hear you loved it 🙂
Is there any way to preserve/”can” this curd?
It will keep for a few weeks in a sterilised jar, unopened but I don’t have canning experience so not sure how to keep it longer
Does pineapple juice from a can negatively impact the recipe? If so, can you recommend a brand that comes in a carton?
Hi Tammy, the tinned version will be fine as long as it’s 100% pineapple juice and strained. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hi Amanda, I’m so sorry to hear that. There are a few possible causes of this mostly due to heat in some way of other. Fruit curds can be a little sensitive due to the fact we are cooking eggs directly. This could be caused by too high a heat (using a heavy based saucepan over very low heat should get around this), not stirring regularly enough or heating for too long.
Thanks for this recipe! Could this maybe be used in a pineapple-coconut tart as a filling?
It absolutely could Nikoletta. I feel a Summer recipe coming on 🙂
This looks amazing thanks. Do you have hiw much pineapple juice in grams or ml? Or is it like a drinking mug? Thanks
Hi Christabel. It’s a cup measure so 250ml.
Thank you! This is a very good recipe, it worked very well. It is best I think to use tinned pineapple to avoid unset curd.
Looking forward to using in the middle of my macarons, perhaps with coconut buttercream.
Thanks so much. I use just store bought, pre-made pineapple juice for this one. So happy you like it and if you’re on Instagram please tag me when you make the macarons, I’d love to see them ?
Thanks so much. It is really luscious
This looks amazing!! Pineapple is one of my favourite fruits – I remember getting so excited once when I found pineapple Crush soda in a convenience store 🙂
I would put this on EVERYTHING – but maybe start with those cupcakes of yours!
Thanks so much Katherine. I’ve been given so many wonderful ideas of how to use up pineapple curd now
This looks sooo good and has so many way to use it. I absolutely adore pineapple too. So you know this one is going on my list to make!
Thanks Trang. It’s super luscious and creamy 🙂