Cranberry curd tart starts with a crumbly brown butter shortbread crust and is filled with a luscious, tangy cranberry curd filling. It’s topped with whipped cream and is the perfect showtopping dessert for the holidays.
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The star of this cranberry curd tart recipe is the cranberry curd filling! It’s made with fresh cranberries, warm cinnamon, and fresh orange juice.
The curd is baked over a brown butter shortbread crust and topped with homemade whipped cream!
This stunning tart is the perfect dessert for the holidays just like my cranberry orange pound cake and ricotta cranberry cake and Christmas cranberry cake!
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Why This Recipe Works
- The crust is as delicious as pie crust, only easier!
- Cranberry curd is perfectly tart and sweet. Cranberries add tart and fresh flavor just like they do in my Cranberry White Chocolate Scones and Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies!
- You can make the whipped cream in less than five minutes!
- Cranberries give this tart the most vibrant, festive color and flavor.
Ingredients
- Cranberries: I prefer using fresh cranberries. Frozen can also be used. Rinse frozen cranberries and set on paper towels to absord excess moisture. Cranberries add a tart, seasonal flavor to desserts. They’re perfect if you love the combination of tart and sweet like these lemon lime bars!
- 1 medium orange: We’re using both orange zest and fresh orange juice. It’s delicious with cranberries!
- Granulated sugar: Use granulated sugar for the curd.
- 2 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cinnamon stick: Cinnamon deepens the holiday flavors of this already festive cranberry dessert.
- Ground cinnamon (optional): I like to add a little ground cinnamon to the crust. It doesn’t have a strong cinnamon flavor, but it adds to the overall deliciousness!
- Unsalted butter: For both the curd and the crust. Use melted butter for the crust or take a few extra minutes to brown the butter.
- Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream: Make sure it’s cold. Cold cream whips best!
- Powdered sugar: Use powdered sugar to sweeten the crust and the whipped cream topping!
- Vanilla extract: To flavor the whipped cream.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Subsitutions & Variations
- Swap in fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in place of the orange. You can also use a combination of lemon and orange.
- Top with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Sugared cranberries like the ones in this recipe for cranberry Christmas cake make a pretty and delicious decoration!
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)–Stir together the flour, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Melt or brown the butter. Stir butter into the dry ingredients. Press mixture into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)–Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Use a fork to poke a few holes allover the top of the crust (but not all the way through the crust).
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)–Heat the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, salt and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the cranberries have split. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)–Puree the mixture.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)–Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk about a cup of the cranberry mixture into the eggs to temper them.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)–Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remainder of the cranberry mixture and chopped butter. Stir to combine. Stir constantly with the mixture on low heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Step 7 (Picture 7 above)–Allow mixture to cool slightly then pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 F until the curd is set, about 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature on a rack for at least an hour then chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and orange zest, if you like!
Step 8 (Picture 8 above)–For the whipped cream, pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl and whip on medium high until it reaches medium peaks.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use cold cream for the whipped cream. Cold cream whips best. You can also place the bowl of your electric mixer and your beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer to chill for fifteen minutes.
- I love whipping my heavy cream to soft, billowy medium peaks. Check out this post called Whipping to Soft, Medium, and Firm Peaks from Fine Cooking for more tips on how to recognize medium peaks.
- Be sure to pass the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove cranberry skins and seeds.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just be sure to use fresh lemon or orange juice. You can also use a combination of lemon and orange.
A curd tart is set when the center jiggles a little but doesn’t slosh around when shaken gently.
This cranberry tart is best when enjoyed the day it’s made, but it will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Cranberry Curd Tart
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted or browned, see instructions
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional or swap in ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry Curd
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- zest of half an orange
- juice of one orange about 2 ounces
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature, chopped into 1 inch cubes
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream cold
- 1-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- Orange zest optional
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon (if using) and salt. Set aside.
- Melt or brown the butter. (Optional) To brown the butter, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once begins to bubble and comes to a boil, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes.
- Stir the melted or browned butter into the dry ingredients with a spatula until combined. Use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Set pan on a wire rack. Use a fork to lightly press holes allover the bottom of the crust. Do not to press all the way through to the bottom of the crust.
Cranberry Curd
- With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, salt and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the cranberries have split. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to puree the mixture then use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids. Whisk about a cup of the cranberry mixture into the eggs to temper them.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remainder of the cranberry mixture and the butter. Stir constantly with the mixture on low heat for 8-10 minutes until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Allow mixture to cool slightly then pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, until the curd is set. It should jiggle a bit when gently shaken from side to side but shouldn't slosh around.
- Let cool at room temperature on a rack for at least an hour then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and orange zest, if desired! Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Whipped Cream
- Pour the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl and whip on medium high until it reaches medium peaks. Dollop over the tart or serve alongside the tart just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Liuda
Hi! Can I use canned cranberry instead of puree?
Natalie
Hi! Unfortunately I haven’t tried using canned cranberry. I’m not sure it would turn out the same, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Please let me know if you have any other questions. -Natalie
Katie
can you use lemon instead of orange?
I’m allergic to orange
Natalie
Hi Katie, Yes you can definitely use lemon in place of orange. Please let me know if you have any other questions. -Natalie
Mara
I premade a batch of curd and refrigerated it. Do I need to still bake the tart with the curd on it or just serve as is?
Natalie
Hi Mara, you could still bake the tart (baking it would help the curd set) but you could also just add the curd and serve it as is. There wouldn’t be a huge difference whichever way you choose…Either way is fine. Hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Hope you enjoy the tart 🙂 Natalie
Barbara Ward
Such color! A wonderful combination of delicious ingredients!
Natalie
Those cranberries just make it absolutely stunning and delicious!!