Homemade Lighter Blackberry Curd

This beautifully vibrant lighter blackberry curd is homemade and so simple to make. It is sweetened with honey and has no refined sugar. With less butter, it is a healthier alternative to regular fruit curds. 

This recipe for homemade blackberry curd was originally published on The Culinary Jumble.

What is fruit curd?

Fruit curd is not to be confused with curd(s), which is fermented milk similar to yoghurt. Fruit curd is a sweet way to preserve fruit and has been around since late 19th century England. The base ingredients for curd are egg yolks, sugar, fruit juice and zest. Some recipes (like mine) include a little butter. The ingredients are cooked together until they thicken, and then allowed to cool. The end result is a rich, thick, smooth consistency, not unlike the texture of custard.

In its early days, fruit curd was a staple of any fine afternoon tea. Used as an alternative to jam, it was slathered all over scones and bread. Although still a breakfast staple, fruit curd is also used to make rich frosting and desserts, most notably, lemon meringue pie. 

What fruit can you make into curd?

Although the classic ingredient for curd is indeed lemons (and other citrus fruits), you can use pretty much anything you like. Lemon curd is very popular in the UK. Although I don’t really remember eating it, I’ve always known I didn’t like it. Does that make any sense? Therefore, making my own lemon curd would never have occurred to me.

In fact, making curd at all may have escaped me entirely had I not seen a picture of a jar of homemade blueberry curd. The colour was stunning and it had a lovely thick consistency. So, naturally, I wanted to make my own. Some classic suggestions for fruit curd include:

• Citrus fruits: orange, pineapple, grapefruit, lime, tangerine
• Exotic fruits: mango, passion fruit
• Berries: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry

Don’t be limited to the classics, though. Pretty much any fruit could be adapted to make curd. I sometimes like to think outside of the box a little, and made a beautiful elderflower and lemon curd that exceeded all expectations. 

Healthier fruit curd

My first attempt at making curd was this recipe. I had been brambling with the kids and had pounds of blackberries to use up. As mentioned, I was inspired to use the berries to make curd after seeing how gorgeous blueberry curd was. When seeking inspiration for my own curd, I was a bit dismayed to see how much sugar and butter most fruit curds had. 

So, I decided to play around a little. I reduced the butter and used a touch of honey instead of sugar. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, or what it would end up like. More importantly, whether it would taste anything like curd is supposed to.

And well, look at the end result. How stunning is that? The colour of the photos hasn’t been enhanced, either. It really was that pretty. And the taste? Oh my. It tasted divine. I ate mine right of the jar with a large spoon.

Ways to use blackberry curd

If you are anything like me, you’ll eat it by the spoonfuls, leaving nothing left. However, if you are able to contain yourself better than me, this blackberry curd can be used in so many different ways. Here are a few examples:

• Make a pavlova
• As a filling to sandwich together two cookies
• Turn it into a frosting for cupcakes
• Add it to a classic bread and butter pudding
• Use it in Belgian buns
• Make zesty lemon bars
• Spread over wholemeal cinnamon toast
• Make a blackberry curd cheesecake
• Fill mini tartlet shells
• Pour over your favourite vanilla ice-cream
• Slather on top of still warm super soft bread rolls

Print Pin

Homemade Blackberry Curd (no refined sugar and less butter)

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) blackberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbs water
• 3 tbs honey (or maple syrup)
• 3 egg yolks (medium)
• 3 tbs butter

Instructions

• Heat the berries and water for around 10 minutes on a medium heat until the berries soften.
• Pour berries through a strainer or muslin cloth so that all the juice filters through leaving the seeds behind.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl over a pan of gently bubbling water (a Bain Marie) and add the honey and berry juice.
• Whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, continuing to whisk, adding the next only when the first has melted.
• Continue to cook the mixture until it has a consistency of thick yoghurt or custard (this should only take a few minutes).
• Pour into a jar (heat safe), allow to cool and then store in the fridge for up to a week (it won't last that long).
• Use it in pies, on meringues, or to top pancakes. Enjoy!