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Homemade Cranberry Curd takes only a few minutes to make and with its bright red color and sweet yet tart flavor, it’s perfect for the holidays and is one of my favorite fresh cranberry recipes. Not only can you serve it dozens of ways but it also makes an amazing hostess gift!
Homemade Cranberry Curd
How is it that we’re already just weeks from Christmas!! I don’t know about you, but I’ve already started my holiday baking. (Don’t know what possessed me when I signed up to take 4 pies to the school.)
If you’re looking for a festive recipe that’s NOT cookies or cake for your upcoming gatherings and get-togethers, ( maybejust for yourself) this delicious Cranberry Curd recipe is just what you need.
I love all of the sweets of the season but sometimes I really want something with a little tartness. I think this Cranberry Curd balances sweet and tart perfectly – the cranberries, orange juice and sugar work together to offer a flavor that’s tart but with just enough sweetness to make it feel like a true treat.
If you’re a fan of Lemon Curd, I promise, you’ll love this cranberry curd recipe just as much as I do. It’s soo good!
Cranberry Curd Makes an Amazing Hostess Gift!
Being in the middle of the holiday season means we’re also in the midst of gift-giving and holiday parties.
Wine is always a good hostess gift option (for me anyway, lol) but I think Cranberry Curd makes a great hostess gift, one the hostess won’t end up with 10 of and will certainly enjoy more than ANOTHER cookie tray!
Other Ways to Use Cranberry Curd:
My favorite thing about this Cranberry Curd recipe is all of the ways you can use it! It can be used in desserts, appetizers, or even breakfast.
My family especially enjoyed it in the Cranberry Walnut Cream Cheese Tarts I made last week. (It’s similar to theseNo Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites. I’ll be sharing the full cranberry tart recipe soon!)
A few more great ways to use cranberry curd are:
- On mini bagels or toast with cream cheese (or my favorite rice crackers with cream cheese).
- It’s amazing swirled in yogurt and topped with pecans
- You can also serve it up as a snack with brie and crackers.
- It’s delicious on toasted waffles with whipped cream.
- Swirled into the top of cheesecake to make a cranberry cheesecake.
- Delicious on buttery croissants or flaky biscuits
- Makes a festive and sweet addition to your morning oatmeal.
Another awesome idea is you can use cranberry curd as a fun twist in any recipe that uses Lemon Curd. Just replace the lemon curd with cranberry curd and voilà, you now have a holiday treat!
What Ingredients are in this Cranberry Curd Recipe?
There’s only a handful of ingredients in this recipe so it’s fairly simple to make. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.)
You can use frozen or fresh cranberries – personally I almost always have fresh cranberries on hand at this time of the year, but if you have frozen cranberries, They work just as well.
Want to give this cranberry curd recipe a try? Add these ingredients to your shopping list:
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (a 12 oz bag has about 3 cups)
- orange juice (or the juice from 3 to 4oranges)
- butter
- sugar
- 3 eggs
- salt
How To Make Cranberry Curd?
- Place the cranberries, water, and orange juice in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst, about 15 minutes. (You should hear the cranberries popping.)
- With the side of your spatula or spoon, gently crush any remaining cranberries as much as you can. If you have an immersion blender this helps.
- Press cranberry curd mixture through a fine sieve, and discard solids.
- Add the cranberry pulp back to the saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in butter, sugar, and salt, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved- about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Then whisk eggs into the cranberries, a spoonful at a time.
- Return heat to low, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Optional step: For a perfectly smooth cranberry curd, you can pass the curd back through the sieve one more time to catch any egg solids.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate till chilled.
Can I Double This Recipe:
Yes, this cranberry curd recipe is easily doubled, however, you may need to cook the curd a bit longer to get it to the right thickness.
How Long Will Cranberry Curd Last in the Fridge?
Cranberry Curd should last about a week in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Cranberry Curd?
Yes, you can freeze your Cranberry Curd for later use. I recommend sealing it in something airtight (like food saver bags or other freezer-safe containers) for up to 3 months (or longer if packed properly.)
To use, let the curd thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Cranberry recipes you might enjoy:
- Whipped Cranberry and Walnut Cream Cheese Recipe
- White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Cookies (shortcut recipe)
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Homemade Cranberry Relish w/ Pomegranate, Pineapple and Orange
- Leftover Cranberry Sauce Hand Pies
Save this Cranberry Curd Recipe for Later Here:
Cranberry Curd Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 1 review
- Author: Jamie Sanders
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 35 minutes, + time to chill
- Yield: 2 cups (about) 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: stovetop
Description
Make this amazing Cranberry Curd Recipe with fresh OR frozen cranberries. It’s easy to make & the sweet, tart flavor makes it a perfect recipe for the holidays. (And makes an even better hostess gift!)
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries (from one 14.5-ounce package)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup fresh orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- Pinch of coarse salt
- 3 large egg yolks plus 1 large whole egg
Instructions
- Place cranberries, water, and orange juice in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst, about 15 minutes. (You should hear the cranberries popping.) With the side of your spatula or spoon, gently crush any remaining cranberries.
- Press cranberry mixture through a fine sieve, and discard solids.
- Add cranberry pulp back to the saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in butter, sugar, and salt, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Whisk together egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk into cranberry mixture, a spoonful at a time.
- Cook cranberry mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes.
- Optional step for velvety smooth cranberry curd: Pass through sieve into a bowl (to remove any egg solids)
- Press plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to cover and prevent skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
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