Pineapple Curd Recipe: What Is Pineapple Curd?

Pineapple curd is a fruit spread made with fresh pineapple, canned pineapple, or pineapple juice, sugar, and egg yolks. Most fruit curds feature citrus, as in the case of lemon curd. Pineapple isn’t a citrus fruit, but it does contain bromelain, a digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins in foods and the tongue—that’s why some people experience a burning or itchy sensation when eating raw pineapple. Cooking breaks down that enzyme, eliminating those mouth sensations.

Use pineapple curd anywhere you would lemon curd: Spoon it onto scones or toast or incorporate it into some of the following dessert recipes.

1. 1. Cheesecake swirl: Mix pineapple curd into cheesecake batter to flavor cheesecake without adding additional moisture to the batter itself with fruit chunks or purée. Curd holds its structure and suspends in the cheesecake batter, retaining the swirl.
2. 2. Dessert or cake filling: For a layer cake, pipe a border of buttercream around the outside of the cake and then fill that in with pineapple curd. For cupcakes, cut a little hole through the center of the cupcake and fill it with pineapple curd, then frost as usual. Pineapple curd is also a sweet filling for French macarons.
3. 3. Frosting: Pineapple curd adds a pop of flavor and color to classic buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or whipped cream frosting. The tartness of the pineapple will balance the sweetness of the frosting.
4. 4. Meringue: Meringue, a mixture of egg whites and sugar, is a sweet treat that benefits from the addition of fruity flavors. Gently swirl pineapple curd into French meringue batter before baking for a fun look and subtle tangy flavor.

Most curd recipes involve making a custard with fruit purée and egg yolks, often thickened with cornstarch. Keep these tips in mind when making your creamy pineapple curd:

1. 1. Use salted butter. Using salted butter goes against many baking recipes, which call for unsalted butter, as salt control is a big part of baking. However, curd recipes don’t usually call for salt but greatly benefit from the balance of flavor, especially pineapple curd, which is very sweet. Salted butter adds salt without having to add salt.
2. 2. Distinguish between corn flour and cornstarch. Sometimes the terms “corn flour” and “cornstarch” get used interchangeably. Cornstarch is a thickening agent that, when mixed with water, forms a slurry that thickens at boiling point. Corn flour is more similar to cornmeal and doesn’t react the same way as cornstarch. Learn more about cornmeal vs. cornstarch.
3. 3. Keep all the ingredients at room temperature. Much of what happens in curd-making is creating and maintaining an emulsion. To achieve that, use room-temperature ingredients, which means you’ll need to take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator before making the curd. Even though you’ll cook the mixture, room-temperature butter mixes better with the hot egg mixture than cold butter.
4. 4. Add more butter and heat to thin curd. If the curd is still too runny at the end of the cooking process, return the saucepan to the stovetop and, over low heat, add small chunks of unsalted butter, one at a time, constantly stirring until the curd starts to thicken. Adding more fat to the curd should thicken it and make it sweet and buttery.
5. 5. Store it properly. Pineapple curd lasts in the refrigerator in sealed jars or covered securely with plastic wrap for about ten days. Freeze pineapple curd in ice cube trays, then transfer the cubes to a plastic freezer bag and store for up to a year.