This easy apple curd recipe is a sweet, creamy fruit spread perfect for topping off oatmeal, spreading on toast or incorporating into desserts. Learn how to make apple curd with simple ingredients here! Egg-free, gluten-free, with a vegan option.
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🍏 What is Apple Curd?
Apple curd is a thick, creamy, sweet fruit spread made with apples, spices and a thickening agent such as eggs or starch. Apple curd is one of the more comforting fruit curds you can make.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super easy to make.
- Creamy and comforting.
- Rich, decadent and flavorful.
- Numerous uses and ways to enjoy.
- Gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free, with vegan and dairy-free options.
🍰 What to Do with Apple Curd?
- Spread on baked goods like scones, muffins, quick breads and pastries.
- Incorporate into pie fillings (apple pie, anyone?), tart fillings or cake fillings.
- Use as a delicious filling for thumbprint cookies.
- Spread on toast, english muffins or bagels.
- Top off your pancakes, crepes or waffles.
- Stir into oatmeal or yogurt.
- Mix into ice cream.
- Enjoy just as it is - with a favorite spoon!
🗒️ Ingredient Notes
Apples: I love to use green tart apples like Granny Smith apples, but nearly any variety of apple will do the trick! Honeycrisp apples and Pink Lady apples are other favorites of mine.
Cinnamon: What are apples without a touch of cinnamon? If you really do not like ground cinnamon, however, you can omit it.
Nutmeg: I find a touch of nutmeg in combination with the cinnamon really takes this apple curd recipe to a whole other level. It adds some warmth and some natural sweetness all of its own and is my secret ingredient.
Apple cider vinegar: While lemon juice is the most common acid you'll find in a fruit curd recipe, I actually find I prefer the use of apple cider vinegar in an apple curd recipe in particular. It just works and work really well. However, if you do not want to use or do not have any, any vinegar or citrus juice will work well for the acid component.
Sugar: I love to use refined sugar-free coconut sugar in this recipe, but regular white sugar or dark brown sugar will work excellently, as will liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. Feel free to experiment and use a favorite sweetener of your own!
Tapioca starch: This is the component that will add some thickening power to this curd recipe. You can easily replace the tapioca starch with corn starch, potato starch, arrowroot powder -- essentially any starch you have on hand. You can omit, but the curd will be slightly thinner (but will still work thanks to the natural fruit pectin in apples!).
Vanilla: A good dose of vanilla extract does a great job of taking this homemade apple curd to the next level. It adds warmth and comfort to this apple curd. You can also use vanilla bean powder, or omit it altogether if you do not have any on hand.
Butter: Butter makes this apple curd extra creamy and adds that heavenly butter undertone that is rich, comforting and really greatly complements the other components in this dish. Both unsalted butter and salted butter work, though I'm partial to the salted variety. If you are vegan or dairy-free, you can use plant-based butter or coconut oil. You can omit the butter component, but the curd will be slightly tangier, as the butter softens the sharper notes in this recipe.
♨️ How to Make Apple Curd
Step 1: In a small saucepan, pot or skillet over medium heat, add the peeled and chopped apples, spices and water. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, or until the apples are softened.
Step 2: Mash the apples or puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Step 3: In the same pan, combine the apple purée mixture with the tapioca starch slurry, sugar and vanilla. Mix and cook until creamy and thick.
Step 4: Turn off the heat, then whisk in the butter.
Step 5: Enjoy right away or store in the fridge for up to one week!
🍐 Variations
Guess what?? This recipe is versatile! You can:
- Add different spices like ground ginger, grated ginger root, allspice, cloves or cardamom.
- Incorporate another fruit, like pear or banana.
- Add a touch of citrus zest like lemon zest or orange zest.
- Use a different acid such as a citrus juice like lemon, lime or orange.
- Use a ghee or coconut oil instead of butter.
💭 Top Tip
Do you really want to cut down on time? You can replace the fresh apples with applesauce in a pinch! Warm 2 cups of applesauce in the pan, followed by adding the starch, sugar, vanilla and following the remaining steps of the recipe.
🥡 Storing
Apple curd will keep stored in an airtight container (I like to use a jar with a secure lid) in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can also freeze apple curd in the freezer in freezer-safe containers or a freezer bag for up to 4 months.
❓ FAQ
Firstly, I've made many a fruit curd the traditional method with eggs, and guess what? It's not really necessary to create a delicious curd. Secondly, I survey you, my readers, from time and time, and I've discovered that many of you are either vegan or allergic to eggs. Seeing that I find I can create a near identical consistency without the use of eggs or egg yolks, it was an easy choice for me. And, I think you'll agree!
While they are both apple spreads, apple butter is less sweet, less rich and more like an elevated applesauce. Apple curd on the other hand, is richer, sweeter and has more complex flavor notes.
🍎 More Delicious Apple Recipes
📖 Recipe
Apple Curd
Ingredients
- 4 large apples of choice peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons granulated or liquid sweetener of choice I like to use coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (or any starch) mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to form a slurry
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil
Instructions
- In a skillet or saucepan over medium heat, add the apples, water, vinegar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the apples are very soft.
- Once the apples are soft, add the sugar, starch slurry and vanilla extract.
- At this point, you can either put the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth before returning to the pan, or you can use a potato masher or the back of a spatula to roughly mash the apple mixture.
- Whether you chose a smooth or more rustic apple curd, cook the curd 1-2 minutes longer while stirring frequently.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in the butter or coconut oil.
- Enjoy right away or let cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Serve cold or warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Rehoboth says
Excellent post
Sonia says
I love this apple curd. It is an amazing topping for my overnight oats or SGreek yogurt.
Kristen Wood says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Genevieve says
Made this for oatmeal and it was soooo good. Love that bit of acidity!
Matej @ CookWeWill says
My kids loved your apple curd! Next time I'm making a bigger batch for sure and freeze it for laters. Great recipe, thank you.
MacKenzie says
I made this apple curd on Sunday and have been enjoying all week. I don’t think I will be able to eat my oatmeal any other way. Delicious.
Ksenia says
I just love that this curd has texture! It felt so substantial and yummy
Greta says
I love this apple curd recipe. so tasty! thanks for sharing it!
Jenn says
This is so good! Really creamy and full of apple flavor. I put it on a muffin and was in delish heaven!
Allyssa says
This is my new favorite apple curd recipe! Turned out really delicious and super tasty! Perfect for any gatherings! Will surely have this again! Thanks a bunch for sharing!
Shelby says
This apple curd is delicious! I use it on top of my overnight oats and it gives it such a comfort feel.
Gen says
I was planning to use this for desserts but you mentioned using it as a spread and this was heaven on a piece of toast with butter. I’ll have to keep a jar on hand!
Kristen Wood says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Tara says
Oooh this apple curd sounds fantastic for pairing with oatmeal. I love all those spices and how easily everything comes together.
Colleen says
This apple curd is amazing on oatmeal and we also loved this on waffles! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kathleen Pope says
We love curds and I was intrigued by your apple curd! Love that it uses coconut sugar instead of white sugar. We used it in our oatmeal, drool!!!
Andrea says
I can't believe I've never heard of this. It's full of such great flavor and will definitely go perfect with my morning Oatmeal.
Andrea says
I've had apple butter before but this apple curd is amazing. The flavor is so rich and I put it on my oatmeal and it was fantastic!
Carrie Robinson says
Oooooo.... I have never heard of apple curd before, but I love apple butter so I know I would love this also. Totally trying this soon. 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo says
I cant wait to try this I am a huge fan of apple and made lemon curd many times this is brilliant!
Kechi says
This apple curd looks delish! I can literally spread it on any thing. Glad that I can easily freeze the leftover for a couple of months.
Dannii says
I got loads of apples in my veg box, so this is a perfect way to use them up.
Ieva says
Really good! Not too sweet and brilliant texture! ONe of our favourite things for breakfast toast! Thank for the recipe!
Jess says
I love this on toast!