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 homemade lemon curd last in the fridge? ›

The flavor also mellows a bit as it refrigerates. It's quite sour at this point but it gets creamier as it refrigerates. You can refrigerate the lemon curd for 1-2 weeks, OR freeze it for a few months.

How to make curd from milk and lemon? ›

Here is how you can do it. Take lukewarm milk in a bowl and squeeze out juice of half a lemon into the milk. Give a gentle stir and cover the bowl with a lid. Wrap it with a cotton cloth and set it aside for 12 hours.

How do you make lemon curd set faster? ›

Here are some easy fixes:
  1. Cook longer: Most Lemon Curds are runny because they don't get cooked long enough to thicken the egg yolks. ...
  2. Increase the temperature: If you've cooked the curd for a full 10-15 minutes, and it's still not thickening, then increase the temperature of the stove slightly – and don't stop whisking!
Apr 1, 2022

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.

Can you freeze homemade lemon curd? ›

Shelf Life: Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use.

Why do you boil milk before making curd? ›

Heating milk before adding the yogurt starter ensures that only the beneficial bacteria is cultured. 2. Heating the milk creates a firm spoonable yogurt. At 195°F / 91°C the structure of the whey proteins become denatured and open up.

How much vinegar to make curd? ›

Ingredients
  1. 2 cups of milk.
  2. 4 teaspoons vinegar.
  3. You can also use 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, or as a nice alternative, orange juice, which will make a slightly sweeter curd for use in home made cheesecakes. If the curds don't seem to be forming, add an extra teaspoon or two of your chosen citrus juice.

What can I do with lemon curd that didn't set? ›

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

How do you know when lemon curd is done? ›

Don't be tempted to use bottled lemon juice of any kind as it'll be far too acidic and will ruin the flavor. You'll know the curd is ready when it noticeably thickens in consistency and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Keep the heat low, don't turn it up to quicken the process or the eggs will scramble.

Can you overcook lemon curd? ›

Your lemon curd could get chunky and grainy if you let it overcook. One thing you should remember while making lemon curd is that you should never let it reach a point where it starts boiling. The ideal temperature for lemon curd is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and it shouldn't cross that.

Why does my lemon curd taste eggy? ›

Does lemon curd taste eggy? Although lemon curd uses egg yolks and/or egg whites, the final product shouldn't taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you've overcooked your eggs. In saying that, traditional lemon curd does have a distinct after taste which doesn't sit well with some.

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.

What is a good 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.

Can you buy lemon curd in the grocery store? ›

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.

How to tell if lemon curd has gone bad? ›

If the curd changes color, has a significant change in texture (such as lumpiness or wateriness), or if it has an unpleasant smell, you should assume that it has gone bad and dispose of the remaining curd instead of eating it.

What is the shelf life of homemade curd in fridge? ›

How long can we keep curd in the fridge? It can be stored at low temperatures (less than 5 degrees C) for several weeks. You can usually store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks but it becomes much stronger at the end of that period.

Is it OK to reheat lemon curd? ›

Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken. Put it over a low heat, stirring constantly. Ensure it coats the back of a spoon before taking it off the heat.

How do you store cooked lemon curd? ›

Once it's done cooking, you can go ahead and pour it into a mason jar and seal it. I've read that it can last up to two weeks in the fridge but use your judgment (taste and smell) to see if it's good. It'll at least last a week. Alternatively, freeze the curd in an airtight container.

References

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