Passion Fruit Tart (like lemon but better)
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Passion fruit is one of my favorite flavors. I love it in pots de creme, in pâte de fruit, and in popsicles. But one of my favorite ways to enjoy its bright, sweet-tart, tropical flavor is in a classic passion fruit tart.
If you're a fan of lemon desserts, odds are you'll be into this.
I tend to think of the passion fruit curd here tasting like lemon curd, but somehow fuller and rounder and—no disrespect to lemon curd—better. (But if you would rather go with lemon, this lemon ginger tart is great.)
I sometimes think people hear passion fruit and think it's some sort of impossibly fancy, pastry-cheffy ingredient, but there's no reason to be intimidated.
It's just a tropical fruit with a marigold-colored pulp that
You can use fresh passion fruit if you come across the wrinkly purple fruit at your local grocery store. Seek out fruit that's heavy for its size and know that the wrinklier they are, the riper they are. Then just slice them in half, scoop out the juicy pulp and strain out the seeds.
(The seeds are totally edible and sometimes used as garnish on passion fruit desserts, and you can throw them on as garnish at the end if you like, but you don't want them in the smooth curd.)
But I tend to have an easier time finding frozen passion fruit puree.
It's generally available in the frozen fruit section at Mexican grocery stores (and is available online if your local stores don't have it) and is high quality and easy to use.
You can thaw the frozen puree gently on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave just until it turns liquid.
Be sure to use something where passion fruit is the only ingredient and avoid shelf stable passion fruit nectars or juice with added sugar.
The crust on this one is crisp and tender and delicate. The generous dose of powdered sugar gives it a lovely melt-in-your-mouth texture that I just love.
It's worth noting that the crust is on the fragile side, which means the edges tend to come out looking a little, ahem, rustic. Which, honestly, only adds to its charm.
But if you have a favorite sweet tart crust (also known as pâte sucrée) recipe feel free to use it here.
(If you're looking for a less-fussy crust, you could use my easy shortbread tart crust.)
The passion fruit curd filling comes together easily.
Some recipes for citrus curds ask you to mess around with double boilers and have you temper the eggs, but I've found that if you heat everything gently in a heavy-bottomed pan there's no need to dirty extra dishes.
Just heat it slowly until thickened and strain it and pour the curd into the tart crust and the whole thing goes into the oven until it sets just so (just until it loses its wiggle).
(The same basic technique applies to this cranberry curd tart.)
Then it needs to cool. Waiting on that is the hardest part.
Then I like to top this with a swirl of whipped cream. It isn't strictly necessary, but it is nice.
Give this passion fruit tart a try, and after you take a bite, just try not to smile. I dare you.
Passion Fruit Tart
This passion fruit tart is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's like a lemon tart (or lemon meringue pie) but better. The tart crust has a lighter, airier texture than most because of the long creaming time. This makes it more delicate and rustic than some might prefer, but I love it. That said, if you have go-to tart crust or pâte sucrée, feel free to use it. I tend to use frozen passion fruit puree for this. It's often available at Mexican grocery stores and at some big chains. I usually use Goya brand, but I'd recommend sticking to a brand that lists passion fruit as the only ingredient. (You can also order it online.) If you have fresh passion fruit, though, you can absolutely use them. Just slice open the fruit, scoop out the pulp and remove the seeds and use it here.
This tart doesn't need any adornment, really, but I like to top it with some lightly sweetened whipped cream.
You'll need a 9.5-in tart pan and a half sheet pan for this recipe.
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Passion Fruit Curd
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup passion fruit puree
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
Instructions
Tart Crust
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add the powdered sugar. Cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture turns pale and looks almost fluffy, about 7 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the flour and mix on low speed until no dry flour remains, about 1 minute.
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk about 1-inch thick, and wrap well. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Take your dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle about an ⅛-inch thick and about 11-inches in diameter. Have a 9.5-inch tart pan ready and carefully press the dough into the pan and trim off the excess. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Line the tart shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, remove the liner, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Don't panic if the tart shell shrinks a little in the oven.) Let cool.
Passion Fruit Curd (and baking the tart)
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, vanilla extra, and passion fruit puree and whisk together. Gently heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Immediately pass through a fine mesh strainer and stir in the butter.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the prepared tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet, pour the passion fruit curd into the tart shell, and bake until the curd sets, about 12-15 minutes. To see if it's set, gently tap the edge of the tart pan to see if the center of the tart jiggles. If it doesn't jiggle, it's set. Let cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Will keep, stored in the refrigerator, for 3 days.
Recommended Products
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The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle -
CHEFMADE 9.5-Inch Round Tart Pan with Removable Loose Bottom, Non-stick Carbon Steel Quiche Pan, FDA Approved for Oven Baking (Champagne Gold) -
Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers -
Passion Fruit Puree - Frozen - 100% Fruit - 2.2Lbs - Kosher -
Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract, with gift box, 4 ounces
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All-Clad 4211 Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Bonded Dishwasher Safe Saucier Pan / Cookware, 1-Quart, Silver
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 417Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 5g
This tart is absolutely gorgeous and fresh looking! I've never used passionfruit puree however, sounds incredible! I can't wait to try this recipe, thanks!
This tart looks fabulous I have never had passion fruit you inspired me!
I am very much a fan of lemon so I am really excited to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
What a delicious FRUIT TART!!! I simply cannot wait to try it! Very interesting combination of ingredients. I am saving this recipe for later.
Found a great source for 100% pure passion fruit puree. It's from Hawaii and they ship. Shipping is even free. They are at www davinehawaii.com.
@Shelley, I love Davine! I originally bought their stuff on the Big Island. Now I'm growing my own, but still supplement every now and then. 😉
Hi! Thanks for the recipe, looks great! How much cream for the pastry? I don’t see it in the ingredients list. Thanks again.
The amount of whipped cream is really up to you. What's shown is about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream that's been whipped to soft peaks--and that's a nice amount.
The Tart Crust instructions call for cream to be added with the powdered sugar, but it is not in the ingredients list. How much cream and what type specifically should be used for the crust? Thanks!
@Chelsey Davis, I'm confused on the cream ingredient people are referring to as I don't see a cream option.
Don't worry about it! (The only cream is optional whipped cream as a topping.)
@Aura, there's no cream in the pastry. Are you getting confused when it says to cream the butter and sugar?
Where to keep the pie ,after baking , I am having gets next day
Keep it in the refrigerator.
Hi, I have abundance to fresh passion fruit, do I still stick to 1/2 cup of it's "juice" - strained the seeds out - for the tart filling?
Thank you.
Yep!
@Mary Kasprzak,
Is the1/2 cup pulp the quantity before or after the seeds have been drained off?
After!
Excited to make this! How many passionfruits tend to yield 1/2 cup?
It varies depending on how juicy they are, but somewhere around 8-10 should do it.
The Tart Crust instructions call for cream to be added with the powdered sugar, but it is not in the ingredients list. How much cream and what type specifically should be used for the crust? Thanks!
Chelsey,
In the tart crust instructions, "cream" is actually meant as a verb, as in the technique where you beat the butter and sugar together to form a light fluffy, creamy mixture—there's no cream in the crust. But I get the confusion and I'll edit to clarify!
I grow passion fruit at my home in SoCal! I’m always looking for ways to use them so this dessert is on my Thanksgiving menu this week!
Hello! Thank you for posting this recipe. I was wondering if you have tried this with the Boiron Passion Fruit puree (since you have it listed on this site). You wrote that you usually use Goya brand. I will be using the Boiron brand and was curious as to the tartness of the fruit. Was 1/2 cup enough to bring out a strong passion fruit flavor with the Goya brand? Many other recipes I've seen (French), seem to add a bit more. My concern is that with your sweeter crust and the 7 eggs(6 yolk), I didn't want the passion fruit flavor to be underwhelming. I will also be adding an Italian meringue topping, which will be providing an additional sugar hit. Thank you in advance for your response!
The Boiron brand is top-notch and frequently used by pastry chefs and it works here (I often use Goya because it's available at grocery stores in my neighborhood, but anything that's pure passion fruit puree should give you similar results). The passion fruit flavor comes through clearly and the sweetness of the crust works with the sharp passion fruit flavor of the curd, and it's well balanced as written.
I haven't made it with an Italian meringue, which, as you say, will add sweetness. I still think the passion fruit flavor will come through, but I haven't tested it that way. If I were doing that I might opt for a less-sweet tart crust rather than messing with the curd.
Nevermind. Moving on to a different recipe. Rolling out this crust was a disaster...completely crumbled. I think it's because of the amount of sugar. Will use a more standard pate sucree.
It's a delicate crust, but I've never had it crumble when mixed according to the written instructions. I'm not sure what went wrong for you, but I've made this many times and I can attest that it's structurally sound as written. If you want a simpler tart crust, I recommend my foolproof shortbread tart crust.
@michael, You didn't whirl it in the food processor long enough. If you'd kept whirling, the crumbs would have concealed.
Wondering if it’s possible to make the curd the day before baking?
Yes, that's fine. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. You might have to extend the bake time by a few minutes for it to set.
Hi, I found your recipe this week and made your tart and WOW - it was incredible. I attempted a different recipe a couple weeks ago that used passionfruit concentrate instead of pulp, and that was underwhelming so I kept searching and that’s how I found this. I was worried that the 1/2 cup pulp wouldn’t be enough to amplify the flavor like I wanted (and like another commenter asked about), but it was perfect. The passion fruit flavor is strong but really well balanced. 5 stars, exactly what I was looking for, and will be the hit of a bridal shower I’m throwing next week. Thank you!!
Hi, I'm wondering if a 9inch tart pan will also work?
Yep, that'll work!
Made it Saturday with juice from passion fruit grown on our urban rooftop using gluten free flour (Cup4Cup) for the crust. Epic! I didn't use "flour" to roll out the dough, but rather rolled it between wax paper (parchment works too). I did have to cook the crust a bit longer, which seems normal with GF recipes. Shared it with a few neighbors in our pod outside, socially distanced, yesterday and between the 10 of us, the tart was gone in minutes! Picture here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGMJJuzhqfn/?igshid=120ikgihg0myw
This recipe was wonderful useful. I used 1/2 a cup of passionfruit puree (Wholefoods has a good and affordable option) and added 10ish drops of lemon to bring out more of the tartness. The tart itself was beautiful and delicious. Thank you!!!
I once bought a passion fruit tart from a Manhattan bakery and my husband loved it. I decided to give this a try for his birthday and he said it absolutely blew the one from the bakery out of the water!
P.S. Can you freeze the crust to make for a later date?
You can freeze the crust unbaked for about a month or baked for a couple of weeks.
Hi Mary, this recipe looks lovely! I was thinking of making this for new year's, but am hoping to make individual tarts instead. Do you think the blind baking time for the crust would still be 30 minutes, or would it be shorter?
Thank you!
I think the bake time for the crust should be about the same, but I'd check them after 20 minutes to see how they're coming along.