Bright, sweet, and bursting with the taste of the tropics, my Passion Fruit Curd Tart with Lime Meringue is the easy fruit tart recipe you need right now. Made with passion fruit curd and lime meringue, this show stopping summery dessert tastes like a slice of acidic sunshine.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
To me, summer signifies a certain sense of ease. The days are longer, so it feels like there’s more time to laze about in the sunshine.
That was part of the inspiration for this super simple passion fruit fridge tart! If you’re anything like me, you already have a jar of passionfruit curd hanging out in the fridge and a batch or two of paté sucrée in the freezer, just waiting to be turned into something magnificent.
The only baking required is for the tart shell; if you can’t bear to turn the oven on, just buy an empty one (or a dozen mini tartlet shells) to fill. Aside from that, the only cooking you’ll need to do is for the Swiss meringue. Simply whisk egg whites and sugar over a double boiler till the sugar dissolves, then let your stand mixer do all the heavy lifting.
After that, it’s all assembly. A swoosh of curd along the base of the tart shell, a quick pipping of meringue across the top, the brief kiss of a kitchen blow torch (or trip under the broiler if you don’t have one), and a quick dusting of lime zest and dabbling of passionfruit pulp to finish it off.
Make this passion fruit meringue tart for your next summer gathering and revel in the admiration of your loved ones. It looks like a centerpiece you’d see in a French patisserie window, but assembling takes less active time than it’d take to watch an episode of your favorite sit-com. Simply put, it’s the bee’s knees.
🍴Ingredients
As promised, you only need 5 ingredients to make this passionfruit curd tart. Here’s what to grab:
- Baked & Cooled Tart Shell - I use a half batch of my Paté Sucrée recipe, but you can feel free to swap in any sweet pastry dough you prefer. If you’re in a pinch, consider using frozen pie dough or a pre-made tart shell. You can even make this into a puff pastry fruit tart if you prefer a more rustic look.
- Passion Fruit Curd - My homemade passion fruit curd recipe takes just 5 ingredients and less than 20 minutes of active time to whip up. Feel free to swap in store-bought curd if you prefer!
- Egg Whites - Make sure you reach for real eggs in the shell, not the pasteurized cartons of egg whites. Something happens in the processing of the carton whites that prevents them from being stable enough to make a meringue. However, if you’re making your own passionfruit curd, you should have plenty of whites leftover! You can use your egg whites for raspberry pavlovas, strawberry pavlovas or cinnamon macarons as well!
- Sugar - Make sure to use plain granulated sugar or superfine sugar here. Brown sugar has too much moisture for a proper meringue topping.
- Lime Zest - Fresh lime zest adds serious brightness to the torched meringue topping. Make sure to only zest the bright green layer, as the white pith can be quite bitter.
⚒️ Equipment
You only need a few pieces of specialty equipment to make this passionfruit meringue tart. Here’s what to grab:
- Saucepan - You’ll need this to create a double boiler for warming your eggwhites. Make sure the opening is small enough for your bowl to rest on top without letting the base touch the water.
- Hand or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment - Making a fluffy meringue requires incorporating a LOT of air. Give your arms a break and use an electric mixer.
- Tart Pan - If you’re making your own tart shell, you’ll need a tart pan. Alternatively, use a springform pan, but you’ll lose out on the decorative shell edging.
- Piping Bag and Piping Tip - If you don’t have one, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner cut off or use parchment paper to fashion one. Feel free to use a fancy decorative tip if you like! Alternatively, you can dollop the meringue on and use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to add some pretty swooshes to the top. I used the #127 petal piping tip for the meringue design pictured below!
- Blow Torch - The fastest, easiest way to evenly torch meringue (or the top of crème brûlée) is by using a blow torch. They’re actually pretty inexpensive (about $20), and using them is super fun. If you don’t have one, feel free to use your broiler instead.
📖 Step-by-Step Instructions
This is one of those easy fruit tart recipes you’ll want to come back to time and again. Here’s how it’s made:
Step 1: Temper Egg Whites. Add your sugar and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water without touching the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together over gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites reach 165 degrees F.
Step 2: Make Meringue. Whisk egg white mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increasing until soft peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled.
Step 3: Assemble. Layer passion fruit curd onto baked and cooled tart shell. Pipe meringue on top of the curd, then gently torch. Top meringue with lime zest.
Step 4: Chill & Serve. Refrigerate for one hour before garnishing with passion fruit pulp and serving. Enjoy!
Looking to create delicious and homemade garnishes to elevate your creations? Try adding Sugared Flowers, Candied Rose Petals, Dried Orange Slices or Sugared berries!
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
This recipe for passion fruit curd tart with toasted lime meringue is on my current list of favorites. That said, there’s always room for customization! Here are a few variations worth considering:
- Make individual passionfruit tartlets. What’s better than having an entire tart to yourself?!?
- Go egg-free and/or vegan. You can easily make a vegan lime meringue using 2 tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) per egg white, a pinch of cream of tartar (or a bit of lime juice for acidity), and the same amount of sugar as I call for above. No need to cook it first; just add to your stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy! Swap in a vegan passion fruit curd and even a vegan pâte sucrée or vegan pie crust if you want to keep it totally plant-based.
- Use a different fruit curd or filling. Lemon curd, lime curd, berry curd, mango curd, pastry cream… the options are endless! You can even layer different types of curd for a whole new flavor profile.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Break it into steps. If you’re planning on making everything from scratch, make life a little easier by splitting it into several days worth of work. Passionfruit curd will last for up to a month in the fridge, and your pâte sucrée dough will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Keep your torch moving. If you’re new to using this piece of equipment, you should know that it emits a lot of BTUs in a very direct stream. To avoid burning your beautiful meringue, start about 8 inches away from the meringue. Move the torch back and forth like you’re blow-drying hair, rotating the tart pan as necessary.
- Make your meringue fresh. Meringue is best the day you make it. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more likely it is to separate and weep. At most, you’ll get about 2 days out of it.
- Achieving the Perfect Balance: When aiming for that tropical flavor in a passionfruit curd tart, it's essential to strike a balance between tartness and sweetness. Using fresh passion fruit puree elevates the fruitiness, while the lime zest and dollop meringue is one of my favorite ways to enjoy homemade passion fruit desserts.
- Perfecting the Base: A buttery pastry crust is crucial for complementing the creamy texture of the passion fruit curd filling. Blind bake the pastry in a tart tin or tart ring after rolling it on a lightly floured surface! This ensures a crisp base that pairs beautifully with the richness of homemade fruit curd and perhaps a dollop of meringue or a scoop of ice cream on top.
💭 Recipe FAQs
I’d say it’s a perfect balance of both!
It’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
The curd and crust can be made well in advance, but once assembled with the lime meringue, it’s best to serve the tart within 2 days.
More Easy Fruit Tart Recipes
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Passion Fruit Curd Tart with Lime Meringue
Equipment
- Spoon
- Air Tight Container
- Piping Bag & Tips (I used the petal piping tip #127 to make the design pictured above)
Ingredients
- 1 Tart Shell
- ½ cup (135 g) Passion Fruit Puree, about 8 passion fruits
- 4 (72 g) Egg Yolks
- ⅔ cup (135 g) Granulated Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅔ cup (150 g) Unsalted Butter , room temperature
- About 3 (100 g) Egg whites, *use a scale to ensure a thick, stable meringue
- 1 cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Limes, zested
Instructions
- Slice the passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp½ cup Passion Fruit Puree
- Add the passion fruit pulp to a blender or food processor and pulse 1-2 times - this helps to separate the seeds. Make sure you don't process the pulp too much, otherwise the seeds will start to break down which we don't want.
- Then, strain the pulp through a fine sieve to remove the seeds using a spatula to help.
- Add the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk together for a minute or two. You'll notice that the two ingredients will start lightening in color, creating a light, pale yellow. Then, add salt and passion fruit puree mixing to combine.4 Egg Yolks, ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Add mixed ingredients into a saucepan, and whisk while cooking on medium until thickened and starts to boil. This should take about 5-7 minutes total.
- Strain the curd through your fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and add your unsalted butter, mixing with a spatula until melted and combined.⅔ cup Unsalted Butter
- Pour curd into a container and press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd. Place in the fridge until chilled before using - this should take about 2-3 hours to cool completely.
- Add your sugar and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. If using a thermometer you should reach 165 degrees F.About 3 Egg whites, 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- Whisk mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increase until soft peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled with a glossy sheen.
- Pipe cooled passion fruit curd into your cooled tart shell, then follow with your meringue, piping the meringue on top as desired. Gently torch using a kitchen blow torch until golden brown. Place in the fridge to set for an hour before finishing with lime zest and passion fruit puree on top!1 Tart Shell, 2 Limes
Video
Notes
- When do I know when to stop cooking the curd? You can test whether your curd is ready to be removed from the heat by using a cold plate! To do this, add a small plate to the freezer and place a spoonful of cooked curd on the plate. If the curd sets within one minute on the cold plate you’re finished! If not, you’ll need to continue cooking a bit longer.
- Why is my passion fruit curd lumpy? Your passion fruit curd may become lumpy because it hasn't been continuously stirred or the eggs have cooked slightly. If there are only a few lumps in the curd, you can sieve them out, but it's best to cook the card at medium to low heat and stir consistently so that it does not overcook.
- Do I need to strain my Passion Fruit Curd? Straining the curd after cooking ensures that you will have an incredibly silky and smooth texture to your curd! I would highly recommend taking a few extra moments to strain the curd - I promise it's worth it!
- Can I make curd with other fruits? You certainly can! Instead of passion fruit puree, you can try using lime, orange, or grapefruit juice.
- How do I store my passion fruit curd? Store the passion fruit curd in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 weeks. Take them out and use them as needed; if it gets close to the 4-week mark, you can transfer the jars to the freezer.
Nick
While this recipe definitely requires time to assemble, it was well worth the effort! This turned out beautifully thanks to the easy to follow directions and tips. The hardest part was waiting to cut into it. Will definitely make this again.