The Chef-Approved, Fruity Ingredient That Will Take Your Desserts To The Next Level

If you have a sweet tooth, it's hard not to fall in love with most desserts. Still, even if you love 'em, it's normal to get tired of indulging in the same flavors. To flip a boring dessert on its head, try using this one chef-approved, fruity ingredient the next time you're looking to take your desserts to the next level. The ingredient in question? Passion fruit.

While this unique tropical fruit might be one of the more avant-garde picks of the bunch (how do you even eat passion fruit anyway?), it can very easily double as an unexpected caramel glaze. Bonus: It's perfect to drizzle onto just about anything from a simple cake to a caramel and chocolate-filled turtle pie.

When speaking with Food & Wine, one pastry chef called it "the pork fat of pastry," and shared that "When a chef doesn't think a dish is good, he'll put a little pork fat on it. When I don't think a dessert is good, I'll add some passion fruit somewhere in the background." According to the outlet, the addition adds an unexpected tartness to desserts which offers balance to otherwise overly sweet flavors. Here's what else passion fruit has to offer.

There are many different ways you can use passion fruit in a dessert, so don't be afraid to get creative. However, the fruit is perhaps best incorporated into a dessert when it is used in a caramel sauce. When combined with a few other elements, passion fruit can easily add subtle, delicious flavor to caramel. One easy way to make caramel sauce with passion fruit is to simply use the juice and combine it with sugar or honey. The fruit has the same color as normal caramel sauce, so those who indulge won't even know what makes this version so different and good. You can also simply fold the pulp of your passion fruit into dessert batters to get that tangy flair, as well.

To make things even more interesting, passion fruit can actually have many different tastes depending on which pick of the bunch you get. From tangy to tart, sweet to sour, the fruit offers a truly versatile flavor to many desserts. While it certainly is a standout ingredient, it can pair well with a whole lineup of desserts. 

This unexpected fruit could be a wonderful addition to a whole treasure trove of desserts, but we'll give you a few of the best suggestions as a jumping-off point.

Passion fruit pairs well with bananas so it would make a great topping for desserts like banana bread, muffins, bars, and pies. Just add a little drizzle of passion fruit to the mix and you're good to go. If you accidentally made your banana dessert too dry, which, let's be honest, we've all been there, passion fruit sauce could be your saving grace as it will bring some moisture back into the dessert. Other fruits like strawberry and peach are also safe bets, so picks like peach pie or strawberry shortcake would also be great contenders for a passion fruit sauce. Fruit combinations aside, passion fruit also blends quite well with creamy desserts like ice cream and mousse. Chocolate is also a great pairing.

Whatever dessert you choose to bake, if you're looking to add something a little unexpected, consider adding some passion fruit to the mix and see what you think.