9 Best Passion Fruit Dishes

This tropical fruit is the star of many fun food and drink recipes

By
Syrie Wongkaew
Syrie Wongkaew
Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 02/7/22
Close-up of fresh passion fruits on table
Thu Thai Thanh / EyeEm/Getty Images

Passion fruit is a small, round fruit with a hard purple casing and a delicious, sweet, and tangy yellow pulp with edible seeds. This fruit flourishes in tropical weather, and you'll find the fresh fruit in summer with purees and juices available year-round.

The sweet-tart flavor of passion fruit is found in drinks, desserts, condiments, and even poultry glazes. It's a fantastic fruit to play with in the kitchen. Let's explore some fun recipes from around the world.

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  • 01 of 09

    Passion Fruit Butter

    Passion Fruit
    Mark Gillow / Getty Images

    Passion fruit butter is also known as passion fruit curd, and it's a favorite in Australian and South American cuisines. It's a deliciously sweet, creamy condiment that can be used in a variety of recipes or simply enjoyed as a spread. It is simple to prepare, using only five ingredients, and a fantastic way to enjoy this tropical fruit.

  • 02 of 09

    Salsa de Maracuyá

    Passion Fruit Sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Marian Blazes

    Salsa de maracuyá (Spanish for passion fruit sauce) is a basic fruit sauce that's a South American favorite. This recipe pairs the fruit with garlic and vinegar to give it a savory touch that is fabulous with chicken. You can also skip those ingredients and turn the sauce into a delicious dessert topping. So versatile, this sauce takes a mere 20 minutes to make. 

  • 03 of 09

    Passion Fruit Salad Dressing

    Passionfruit salad dressing recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

    While fresh passion fruit is at its best, you'll definitely want to try this tropical salad dressing. This recipe is incredibly simple to make using six ingredients and a blender or food processor. You'll love the sweet touch a little honey adds to the mix and it's perfect for a strawberry spinach salad or drizzled on steak or chicken.

  • 04 of 09

    Chicken Breasts With Ginger Passion Fruit Sauce

    Passionfruit
    pasmal/Creative RF/Getty Images

    Chicken and passion fruit are the perfect pairing. This recipe goes even further, bringing fresh ginger into the mix. Add some apple cider, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the broth, and you'll have a chicken entree you will not forget anytime soon. Dinner is ready to be put on the table in less than an hour. Serve this juicy and flavorful chicken with a side of coconut rice.

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  • 05 of 09

    Passion Fruit Mousse

    Passion Fruit Mousse

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

    While entrees are great, the passion fruit really shines in dessert recipes. It makes a fabulous mousse, especially when topped with a crust of macadamia nuts and coconut. Whipped cream and some raspberries or passion fruit seeds add a gorgeous finishing touch. This is the summer dessert you'll want to serve when you really need to impress your guests.

  • 06 of 09

    Passion Fruit Tart

    Passion Fruit Tart
    GrenouilleFilms

    Tarts are another fun way to get the sweet taste of passion fruit onto the dessert table. They're surprisingly easy to make, so if you haven't tried one yet, here's your chance. The filling uses a number of eggs and egg yolks, softened butter, sugar, and passion fruit pulp. Take your time whisking the filling as this is a slow process to get the right thickness. The zing of this passion fruit tart recipe can rival the best lemon tarts and it's a pure pleasure to eat.

  • 07 of 09

    Passion Fruit Caramels

    Chi Chi Dango Mochi

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

    If you want to dabble in candy making, pick up some passion fruit puree and whip up these caramels. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the caramels to set. Rich, chewy and so delicious, the fruit gives the sweet candy a tart flavor that's a lot of fun and rather addicting. Dip them in melted chocolate for an even more indulgent treat. 

  • 08 of 09

    Passion Fruit Sangria

    tropical cocktail with passion fruit, lime and mint
    wmaster890 / Getty Images

    Passion fruit is also a perfect flavor to bring into your drinks. A recipe like this white wine sangria makes it easy to share the fruit's tropical taste at your summer parties. The best part is that it uses passion fruit juice, which is just as easy to find as pineapple juice. Easy to make and ready in less than 15 minutes, chill this sangria overnight or throw some ice in the pitcher if you want to serve right away.

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  • 09 of 09

    Spiked Passion Fruit Horchata

    Spiked Passion Fruit Horchata Cocktail
    Kimberlee Reimer/Moment Open/Getty Images

    The spiked passion fruit horchata puts a passion fruit twist on a traditional Mexican drink. Horchata is a creamy rice drink that looks like milk. It's the perfect base for cinnamon tequila and a passion fruit puree, creating a tropical drink that is both sweet and soothing. So easy, this drink only takes a few simple ingredients and a blender to make.