Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

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This easy lemon curd recipe takes 10 minutes to make and has only 4 ingredients, so whip up a batch of this sweet dessert filling today!

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (1)

What is Lemon Curd?

It is a type of fruit curd, using fruit juice, fruit zest, sugar and egg yolks as a thickener. These are cooked until the mix thickens into a smooth and tasty spread.

Curds typically use citrus such as lemons, limes, or oranges but you can also use berries or other fruit. You can use any type of lemon for this recipe but Meyers lemons are especially delicious.

Ingredients

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (2)

  • Lemons– you’ll use both the zest and lemon juice from 2 medium lemons. Bonus – you can use any citrus you want. Oranges, limes (like in this margarita macaron recipe), grapefruits, it all works beautifully. You’ll want about 1/4 cup juice and 2 tbsp zest.
  • Eggs – The egg yolks are what thickens the curd and the egg whites make it lighter and more spreadable. I’ve tested different ratios, but really like three egg yolks to two whole eggs. But, you can alter the egg yolk to whole egg ratio and it will still turn. More yolks makes a very sturdy curd, which is great for filling cookies and tarts. Whole eggs, make a more spreadable curd, great for brunch and topping muffins and scones.
  • Butter -you can use salted or unsalted. If you use unsalted, you can also add pinch of salt when you add the butter to help cut the sweetness.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (3)

How to make this recipe

  1. Mix or whisk the egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a bowl until it is a pale yellow and transfer to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
  2. Add the lemon juice and zest, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5-7 minutes until it starts to thicken. When it’s done it will bubble up and it leave nice thick coat on the back of the whisk or spoon you use to mix.
  3. Once it’s thickened, remove from heat and add the butter one tablespoon at a time. You want to make sure it’s fully incorporated before adding the next.
  4. While it’s still warm, strain through a sieve. Then cover and let cool before refrigerating until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (4)

Tips and tricks:

  • Zest the lemon them juice it! This seems very obviously, but it’s very easy to forget.
  • Try to only zest the yellow parts of the lemon. The white part can be bitter.
  • Make sure to continuously stir the lemon egg mixture as it cooks. The constant stirring helps ensure the egg whites don’t separate and cook.
  • Straining out the lemon zest is optional. I personally prefer a perfectly smooth curd, so I like to strain it, but you don’t mind the zest you can skip this step.
  • The recipe makes about 1 cup lemon curd and can be doubled or tripled as needed.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (5)

Storing and Freezing Lemon Curd

Lemon curd freezes beautifully. This recipe will last up to two weeks in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to use, let defrost in the fridge and come to room temperature right before using.

Using Leftover Egg Whites

Meringues! Use them in any meringue based dish such as French macarons, pavlovas, marshmallow frosting, and Swiss meringue buttercream. Even some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites.

You can also do baked goods like angel food cake and white cake and cupcakes. And of course, egg white omelets and my personal favorite – co*cktails that use egg whites.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (6)

How to use this spread

Topping: This recipe is a great topping for muffins, scones, croissants, yogurt and other brunch staples. It’s also makes a delicious dessert topping for cheesecake, panna cotta, and pavlova.

Filling: My favorite way to use this recipe is for desert fillings. Cakes, cupcakes, tarts, and macarons and other sandwich cookies. Delicious!

Tried this recipe? What is your favorite way to use it? Let me know in the comments!

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (7)

Easy Lemon Curd

This easy lemon curd recipe takes 10 minutes to make and has only 4 ingredients, so whip up a batch of this sweet dessert filling today!

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: condiment

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 123kcal

Author: Sophia Assunta

Equipment

  • Saucepan

  • Whisk or Fork

  • Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth (optional)

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 whole egg
  • ½ cup sugar
  • Zest of two lemons about 1/4 cup
  • Juice of two lemons about 2 tablespoons
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • pinch of salt optional, if using unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Mix or whisk egg yolk, egg, and sugar in heavy bottomed saucepan until light and pale.

  • Add lemon juice and zest

  • Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thick and bubbling, about 5-7 minutes

  • It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

  • Remove from heat and stir in butter one tablespoon at a time

  • While still warm, strain through a mesh sieve

  • Let cool and then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools.

Notes

  • Zest the lemon them juice it! This seems very obviously, but it's very easy to forget.
  • Try to only zest the yellow parts of the lemon. The white part can be bitter.
  • Make sure to continuously stir the lemon curd mix as it cooks. The constant stirring helps ensure the egg whites don’t separate and cook.
  • Straining out the lemon zest is optional. I personally prefer a perfectly smooth curd, so I like to strain it, but you don’t mind the zest you can skip this step.
  • This recipe makes about 1 cup of lemon curd and can be doubled or tripled as needed.
  • This recipe will last up to two weeks in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 23mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Let me know!Tag @Sophia.Assunta or #Partylicious!

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does lemon curd last? ›

This homemade lemon curd will last in your fridge for 1-2 weeks, but you can also freeze it! You guys know how I love freezing everything. In the freezer, the lemon curd will last at least a few months and the beautiful part is that it only hardens about as much as ice cream, so you can scoop it out as needed.

What can be used as a substitute for lemon curd? ›

If you don't want to use lemon curd then we would suggest using an alternative flavour of fruit curd. We have seen passionfruit, rhubarb and tart orange (or Seville orange) curds being sold online in the UK. All of these flavours would go well with summer berries.

How do you thicken lemon curd at home? ›

To make a thicker curd, you can also add another egg yolk to the recipe, or a teaspoon of cornflour mixed into a tablespoon of water and cook until thickened.

What's the difference between lemon curd and custard? ›

It was also called lemon cheese. While curd resembles pudding or custard, the difference lies in the way it's thickened. Custards and puddings rely on cornstarch, milk and cream, while eggs are the primary thickener for curd, making it lighter and brighter.

Why did my lemon curd turn green? ›

If your lemon curd turned green, it likely had a reaction to something metal. Avoid using a copper or aluminum pan as those will react with the lemon juice and cause the discoloration in the lemon curd, and could even cause a slightly metallic aftertaste.

Does homemade lemon curd go bad? ›

Fresh lemon curd will keep for one to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Why did my lemon curd curdle? ›

Curdling in lemon curd can occur if the mixture is heated too quickly or if the eggs are cooked at a very high temperature.

Do grocery stores sell lemon curd? ›

It's kept in jars and sold in the jam aisle of the supermarket. Yet technically, lemon curd is more of a thick custard than a traditional preserve.

Can you buy lemon curd in a jar? ›

If your baking experiments tend to result in disaster, a little jar from the grocery store might be the solution.

Why won t my lemon curd set? ›

Trouble shooting: Most Lemon Curds are runny because they don't get cooked long enough, to 170 degrees F, to thicken the egg yolks – so cook on! If your curd isn't thickened after 10 minutes, or up to 15 if using a double boiler, then increase the temperature of the stove slightly – and don't stop whisking!

Why won't my lemon curd set? ›

Why is my lemon curd not thickening? Make sure to cook the curd until thickened and bubbling. Stir it frequently with a rubber spatula or whisk to make sure it doesn't get lumpy. Once it's cooked, add cold butter and stir until it melts and becomes smooth.

Why does my lemon curd taste eggy? ›

If you just place all the ingredients in a saucepan without beating the butter and sugar with the eggs first, the curd tends to taste eggy.

What is Sicilian lemon curd? ›

Sicilian Lemon Curd Deliciously rich and smooth, tangy organic lemon curd. Naturally ripened in the Sicilian sunshine, organic lemons are mixed with organic British free-range eggs and just enough organic butter to create our Sicilian lemon curd.

How do you know when lemon curd is thick enough? ›

I cook mine for about 2 minutes because I like thick lemon curd. Test the thickness by dipping the back of a spoon into your lemon curd and drag your finger across it. If it holds the shape without dripping off too quickly, it's done!

Is lemon curd good for you? ›

In any amount of lemon curd, the proportion of unhealthy elements like carbs and fat is going to be extremely higher than good elements like protein. In any serving size of lemon curd, you will only receive a benefit of 2.2 percent of protein while getting almost 27 percent fat and nearly 71 percent carbs.

How long does lemon curd last in fridge? ›

Store the curd: Lemon curd will keep in your refrigerator for up to a month according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 1 year. To thaw, transfer your curd from the freezer to the fridge 24 hours before you need it.

How long can curd be stored in fridge? ›

Buy the freshest curds that you can. Eat what you want, but if you can't finish the bag right away or if you intend to keep it for a while put it into the refrigerator. Once refrigerated, you can usually keep the curds about two weeks.

How many days homemade curd can be stored in fridge? ›

Easy tips to store curd for about 4–5 days in the fridge, Curd should be stored at the back of the fridge shelves where the fridge is the coldest, preferably the down last shelf will be the best choice. You should also avoid mixing fresh and used curd. And make sure you use a clean spoon every time you use it.

How do you store opened lemon curd? ›

It will keep for several weeks sealed in the fridge and for up to a week in the fridge once opened. Yes, you can freeze lemon curd. Perhaps in small practically sized freezer boxes or bags for up to 3 months. Thank you so much.

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