Sweet yet mouth-puckering and exceptionally juicy, passionfruit is one of the most underrated fruits, which is why we’re adding it to every cocktail and dessert we can. Though the plant is native to Brazil, nowadays, you can find it in most grocery stores. The seeds and jelly texture might be mystifying at first glance, but harness the flavor of its juice and you’re in for a sweet treat that tastes like a tropical vacation. It can last up to five weeks in your fridge, though these 21 passionfruit recipes might inspire you to get cooking with it, ASAP.
21 Passionfruit Recipes That Taste Like a Tropical Vacay
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Published Jul 27, 2022
1. Raspberry Choux Puffs
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
These fancy-seeming puffs are hiding a few secrets. First, they’re easier to make than they appear, and second, they’re filled with a sweet-yet-tangy passionfruit pastry cream to compliment the raspberries.
2. Passionfruit Lemonade
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, <500 calories
Fans of sour candy and citrus treats will swoon over this impossibly refreshing beverage. If you’re not able to source fresh passionfruit, you can easily swap in puree, which is sold in specialty stores and online.
3. Passionfruit Strawberry Salsa
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook, crowd-pleaser
Pass us the chips, because we’re about to dive into this sweet-yet-savory dip headfirst. For what it’s worth, we also think it would make an excellent topper for seafood or chicken tacos.
4. Spicy Passionfruit Margarita
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Passionfruit boasts a unique flavor that’s delicately sweet yet tart like citrus, which makes it an ideal mixer for cocktails. One sip of this drink will take you to a beach in Mexico.
5. Passionfruit Pie With A Coconut Graham Cracker Crust
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
Think key lime pie but with a tropical vacation twist. Plus, the crust is as easy to make as anything, if you’re game to crush a few sleeves of graham crackers.
6. Passionfruit Whiskey Sour
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, special occasion–worthy
Speaking of cocktails, this elegant sipper is begging to be enjoyed on a porch or in a backyard. Hot tip: Splurge on Luxardo cherries for the garnish if you can; they’re*chef’s kiss*
7. Blueberry Muffin Granola Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowl
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, gluten free
Yogurt and a few berries? Snooze. Yogurt and blueberry muffin granola? This is a breakfast game-changer. A spoonful of fresh passionfruit takes it from good to delish.
8. New Orleans Hurricane Drink
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, special occasion–worthy, ready in <15 minutes
This NOLA specialty is native to the city’s French Quarter, and features two types of rum, fresh orange and lime juice and passionfruit. Use a flavored rum or blend it into a frozen drink to take it to the next level.
9. Passionfruit Chiffon Pie
- Time Commitment: 12 hours, 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy
In Hawaii, you’ll find passionfruit referred to as lilikoi. If you’re lucky, you’ll also encounter this light-as-air dessert, which has a tart filling and a creamy topping to balance the flavors.
10. Rhubarb Passion Margarita
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
The tropical delight happens to play nice with other fruits, as proven by this rhubarb-passionfruit marg. It’s sweet, sour and heavy on the lime—just the way we like it.
11. Passionfruit Paloma
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no cook
Swap the usual grapefruit juice for passionfruit and you’ll transcend to a tropical island at first sip. Pair the refresher with everything from chips and guac to tacos and grilled fish.
12. Passionfruit Curd
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
You can treat passionfruit juice like lemon or lime and make a luscious, tart curd for filling pies, cakes and cookies (or just eat it by the spoonful).
13. Passionfruit Mojito
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
Bring out the floral flavors of the fruit by pairing it with lime, mint and a splash (or two) of white rum.
14. Tropical Passionfruit Moscow Mules
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, special occasion–worthy
For extra tropical flavor, reach for a pineapple or coconut flavored vodka. The ginger beer will keep it from getting too sweet.
15. The Best Mai Tai
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
Contrary to the cloying, pre-mixed drink you might associate with a Mai Tai, the bev is actually a classic tiki cocktail that deserves all the respect. It’s not traditionally made with passionfruit, but the tropical flavor complements the rum and orange liqueur ever so nicely.
16. Passionfruit Coconut Layer Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser,
Each layer is bursting with sweet-tart flavor (in addition to a buttery smooth frosting). It’s not our birthday, but sure, we’ll take the first slice.
17. Pineapple Passionfruit Fizz
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, ready in <30 minutes
The base is soda water and a homemade fruit syrup, so you can turn this fizz into a cocktail (with coconut rum) or a leave it as a mocktail, depending on your preference.
18. Mango Smashed Pavlova With Mango Curd And Passion Fruit
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Crunchy yet creamy and sweet like a marshmallow, we’d argue the pavlova is an underrated dessert. Bonus: It makes an excellent canvas for heaps of tropical fruit.
19. Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: ready in <15 minutes, no cook, dairy free,
Our motto: A smoothie is only as tasty as the fruit you put in it to hide the healthy greens. We jest…but there’s no denying the power of a little fresh passionfruit to liven things up.
20. Champagne Cupcakes With Passionfruit Curd
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
Sometimes a celebration calls for more than boxed cake mix. These cuties are crowned with a swoop of Champagne-infused raspberry buttercream and a dollop of passionfruit curd to bring out all the stops.
21. Halibut Passionfruit Ceviche
- Time Commitment:1 hour, 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free, dairy free
And here you thought this fruit was just for sweets and drinks. Add it to this fresh fish dish—the halibut gets “cooked” by the citrus and makes for a light meal or snack.
Katherine Gillen is a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she's an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
