Looking for a show stopper at your holiday table this year? Look no further than this Cranberry Curd Tart! Like other tarts of the curd variety, this one has lovely notes of both sweet and tart, but the color really sets it apart. (I’m a poet and I don’t even know it!)
Cranberry Curd Tart
In all seriousness though (and dessert after a gut-busting meal is about as serious as it gets), this gorgeous creation is perhaps the perfect post-Thanksgiving or Christmas treat; it’s so light and refreshing and the tartness almost makes you feel less full, if that’s at all possible.
While I wrote this recipe with Thanksgiving in mind, I find myself making it just about year-round. It’s the perfect color for Valentine’s Day, and feels festive enough for New Year’s Eve. And even in the summer – with that bag of cranberries that’s been in your freezer since November- the nutty crust and sweet-tart filling would be great with seasonal fruit piled on top.
If you’ve been intimidated by making curd in the past, I hope you’ll to give it a try; it involves a bit of technique but nothing you can’t handle, I promise! I always run the finished curd through a strainer to make sure I catch any scrambled eggs, that way I don’t stress too much while I’m making it.
This tart needs to be chilled before serving, which makes it a great one to make ahead.
Looking for more holiday recipes? Find them all right here!
Cranberry Curd Tart
The perfect holiday show stopper dessert, and it’s easier to make than it looks.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
for the crust:
- 6 ounces walnuts ((about 1 1/2 cups chopped))
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 egg yolk
for the curd:
- 12 ounces cranberries ((fresh or frozen))
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 8 tablespoons ghee or butter, (room temperature)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- pomegranate arils for garnish, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the walnuts and arrowroot 10-12 times until it’s the texture of coarse crumbs.
- Add the salt, ghee, honey and egg yolk and process until the mixture is the texture of wet sand.
- Press the crust into a 9-inch tart pan. If it’s a bit sticky, dampen your hand a bit so you are able to press it in as evenly as possible, making sure to work it up the sides of the pan as well.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and turn the oven up to 350ºF.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the curd: Heat the cranberries, honey, and orange juice in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until the cranberries all pop and the mixture is mostly liquid, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing as much liquid through as possible.
- Whisk in the ghee until melted and return the mixture to the pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks. Transfer one ladle full of the cranberry mixture to the eggs to temper them, and then whisk the egg mixture back into the cranberry mixture. Heat, over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
- If you see any bits of cooked egg in the mixture, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove them.
- Pour the curd into the tart shell and bake for 10 minutes, or until set. (It will still have a little movement in the middle but will firm up when chilled)
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to chill completely, about 2 hours.
- If desired, garnish with pomegranate arils and serve with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. Serve chilled.
Notes
Make sure to allow time for the tart to chill before serving, about 2 1/2 hours total.
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Mackenzie says
I made this for my family’s Thanksgiving and it was a hit! It was my (and everyone’s) favorite dessert dish. Perfectly tart and balanced flavors and the crust was so so good. I’ve already tasked with making this again next year!
zenbelly says
Awesome Mackenzie, I’m so glad to hear it!
Nancy says
Is there a good sub for arrowroot here (esp. if no dietary constraints)? Minimalist me doesn’t want to buy it just for one recipe, but I’m having trouble figuring out what would be a good swap – AP flour? coconut flour? Almond flour + regular flour? Corn starch (though 1/2 cup seems like too much of that) and if the answer is “nothing”, that’s OK too! Thanks very much!
zenbelly says
any starch or flour should work! Tapioca is always a good swap for arrowroot if you have that, or since it’s a crust and not something bread-like, it’s pretty forgiving. So you can just add some almond flour or AP until it’s a consistency that you can press into the pan.
Laura says
Any issue with using butter instead of ghee for the crust? I think I will try this for thanksgiving this year!
zenbelly says
Not at all you can definitely use butter 1:1
Katie Mills says
Would it work to sub almonds for walnuts in this?
zenbelly says
Probably, or you could just use my almond flour crust recipes to be safe. https://www.zenbelly.com/blueberry-lemon-tart/
Lauren says
Hi Simone! Could you use the crust from the Paleo Grapefruit Tart for this recipe? The crust recipe is below:
1 cup cassava flour
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon maple syrup
zenbelly says
yes definitely!
Mandy says
What can you do with all the leftover cranberry pulp? Anything?! It’s still so tasty!
zenbelly says
I sort of figured the texture would be weird because of all the skins, but I’m sure you should use it for something… Maybe puree it and freeze it and use it for something on your Thanksgiving menu? It would probably be good mixed into stuffing.
Marisa Poster says
Hi there! Can you make this recipe ahead of time? Thanks
zenbelly says
Yep! My ideal is to make the crust the day ahead and finish it the morning I want to serve it and chill. But you can also make the entire thing and refrigerate.
Liza Lim says
Can the curd be prepared ahead of time?
zenbelly says
should be able to yes. It will firm up when chilled so you may need to heat it to make it pourable before baking it in the crust.
Breana McIntosh says
Do you need to refrigerate crust if making the night before and making the curd the next day? Or just leave it out?
zenbelly says
I’m probably too late but if the crust is cooked you don’t need to refrigerate
Nichole says
We have a dairy-free guest (allergy). Could I use a non-dairy ‘butter’ in the curd?
zenbelly says
Yup! I like Miyokos best.
Jess says
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! The color is amazing and was literally one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten. I added some hibiscus flowers and orange peel to the cranberry mixture for even more color/flavor.
Masha says
Hi Simone,
Is there a substitute for honey you would recommend for people who are allergic to it?
Thanks!
Masha
zenbelly says
Hi Masha, You can use any other type of sugar. Most curds are made with cane sugar but I used honey since a lot of people who follow this blog avoid it.
Danielle Richards says
Just curious if you or anyone made this with pecans instead of walnuts? (I’m allergic). This is so beautiful! I really want to make this and I love cranberries!
zenbelly says
Danielle I make it with pecans more often than not, because my husband hates and is maybe slightly allergic to walnuts. It works great!
Danielle says
Thank you!! 🙂