Mango curd is the creamiest, most delicious fruit curd ever. Sweet and delicately tangy, easy to make, delightful on everything! Spread it on pancakes and waffles, use it as filling for cakes, or eat it straight from the jar.
(Love making fruit curds? Try orange curd and lemon curd. Both easy to make and so good!)
I find a lot of fruit curd recipes so complicated, using double boilers and thermometers, etc. Who has the patience? Evidently not me lol.
So I’ve simplified the whole thing and have been making smooth, silky, delicious fruit curds using my simple method for years.
The latest and greatest is this bright and refreshing recipe.
Try it, you’ll be happy you did!
Why you’ll love this mango curd recipe
I love mangoes and mango curd is one of my favorite desserts to make with it.
- Simple and easy. You’ll need 1 pot, 30 minutes and just 6 ingredients. Plus, you can use frozen mangoes if fresh mangoes aren’t available so you can make this recipe all year.
- You control the sweetness. Depending on how sweet your mango puree already is, you can adjust how much more sugar you want to add. The recipe also has lemon juice to add some acidity.
- Thick and creamy without cornstarch. We stick to mango puree and egg yolks and watch the magic happen!
Ingredients
You’ll only need 6 ingredients, including egg yolks, sugar and salt (the full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post).
Two few things to note:
- Mango puree — I usually use store-bought mango puree. You want to make sure it’s pure mango and doesn’t have added sugar or other ingredients. If using fresh mangoes, you can use your blender or food processor to puree the mango flesh then strain to remove any fibers left behind. You’ll need ¾ cup of puree.
- Butter — I find that it doesn’t make that much of a difference whether you use salted or unsalted butter. So use whatever you have on hand.
(Got extra mango puree? Make some mango mousse!)
Expert tips
- Use ripe mangoes. You’ll know the mangoes are ripe when they smell floral and fragrant, and are soft to the touch.
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites while the eggs are cold. It’s easier to separate eggs straight from the fridge. This will also help you avoid getting egg whites or egg shells on your yolks. (Check this out if you’re looking for recipes using leftover egg whites.)
- Stay on low-medium heat. Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat! Low and steady does it.
- Stir constantly. It’s also important to stir your mixture constantly to avoid the eggs from scrambling.
- Strain. This step ensures you get the smoothest, most luxurious consistency.
- Place plastic wrap on top. And before I place it in the fridge, I put a plastic wrap right on top to prevent skin from forming.
Mango curd uses
You can use mango curd in so many different ways:
- Use it as filling for cakes and cupcakes. It’s the filling I use for my mango chiffon cake.
- Spread it on buttermilk scones.
- Use it like jam and spread it on toast and pandesal.
- It goes so well on pancakes and waffles too.
- Make mango curd desserts like mango tartlets and mango macarons.
- You can also add it to some yogurt and ice cream, make a parfait, and more.
Recipe FAQs
I love Philippine carabao mangoes when I can get it and here in Canada, we prefer Ataulfo mangoes.
But the answer really is whatever is available to you. Different varieties have different flavor profiles but mangoes are mangoes and they are delicious!
Some mangoes are more delicate than others though, so if you need a more intense mango flavor, you can add a few drops of mango extract.
Plus, you can adjust the sweetness while cooking so your mango curd will always come out perfect to your taste.
Yes, you can use frozen mango. Simply thaw and puree.
For the smoothest texture, strain your puree through a sieve.
A lot of curd recipes use cornstarch as a thickening agent but this easy homemade recipe does not.
It’s just mango puree, egg yolks and butter.
To thicken it, simply cook on low-medium heat and stir continuously until you get that thick, shiny, luxurious consistency.
You’ll know mango curd is done cooking when you can draw a line down the mixture with a spoon and it holds its shape, or takes a while to come back together.
You can continue cooking to your desired consistency. Just remember that it will continue to set and thicken as it chills.
Kept chilled and in the fridge, mango curd should last 3-4 weeks. And you can also freeze it.
Simply place the cooled curd in a freezer-safe container, place plastic wrap directly on top, and cover.
Frozen curd should last several months up to a year.
Once you thaw it and chill in the fridge, it should be okay for up to a month.
More tropical dessert recipes
Love mangoes and other tropical fruits? Check these out:
You don’t really find mango curd in stores often so we really love that we can make it at home.
It’s bright, refreshing, creamy and so good. Having a jar of mango curd makes it feel like summer all year long.
Happy cooking!
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Easy Creamy Mango Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks from large eggs beaten
- ¼ cup granulated sugar see notes
- ¾ cup mango puree I use bottled mango puree, see notes if using fresh mangoes
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted) cut into parts
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and cook over low-medium heat, constantly stirring until the mixture is thick enough, but still spreadable (it usually takes me 30 minutes to get the consistency I want).5 egg yolks from large eggs, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup mango puree, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted), ¼ tsp salt
- Remove from heat and carefully transfer the hot mixture into a heat-proof container. Use a strainer when transferring so you end up with smooth, silky, mango curd.
- Allow to cool slightly then place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd (this prevents skin from forming), cover and refrigerate overnight.
Video
Notes
- Don’t put ¼ cup of sugar all at once. Taste your mixture first then put a little sugar at a time, to taste. I don’t usually put more than ¼ cup when using ripe mangoes.
- I usually use store-bought mango puree. You want to make sure it’s pure mango and doesn’t have added sugar or other ingredients. If using fresh mangoes, you can use your blender or food processor to puree the mango flesh then strain to remove any fibers left behind.
- You can use any variety of mango (just make sure they’re ripe). Some mangoes are more delicate than others though, so if you need a more intense mango flavor, you can add a few drops of mango extract.
- You’ll know mango curd is done cooking when you can draw a line down the mixture with a spoon and it holds its shape, or takes a while to come back together. You can continue cooking to your desired consistency, just remember that it will continue to set and thicken as it chills.
- See post for more tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Sharon
First time making any kind of curd and this is delicious! Used mangoes that were about to get overipe. Perfect!!
Jolina
Glad you liked it Sharon!