This easy lemon curd recipe is a must have for all you lemon lovers! Homemade lemon curd is sweet and tangy, creamy and smooth, delicious and easy to make with only 4 ingredients.
When we have lemons we skip the lemonade and make lemon curd! Homemade lemon curd is so much better than anything you can buy and super easy to make. It's a fresh go-to item that can be eaten on its own, made into mini pie bites, spread on pancakes, biscuits and scones, or used with baked goods like cakes, tarts, and cookies.
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Only 4 Ingredients Needed
- Eggs yolks. Gently whisk these until they're well combined and then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl.
- FRESH lemon juice and fresh grated lemon zest. We don't recommend using bottled juice or zest, it changes both the flavor and consistency of the curd.
- Sugar. Granulated white sugar.
- Butter. We use unsalted butter, but salted will also work. Using a good butter, like Kerrygold, will make a difference. However, we made this with other brands and it is still delicious!
Love Lemons? Try another of our favorite lemon recipes.
Easy Lemon Bars
What's the difference between lemon curd and lemon pie filling?
These are very similar. Curd is just eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Lemon pie filling is thickened with flour or cornstarch and contains very little, if any, butter. Curd usually has a stronger lemon flavor. Both are good, but lemon curd is buttery, sweet, tangy, and amazing! It is creamy, smooth, and one of our favorite things!
So, is lemon curd a dessert, a breakfast, or a spread?
Answer - it's all three! It is great spread on biscuits, muffins, pancakes, waffles, or scones at breakfast. Scoop into premade pie shells (mini or full size) for a sweet dessert. Top with some fresh berries in individual dishes for an elegant dessert. Use as a filling between cake layers or to fill cupcakes, donuts, or cookies.
How to Make Easy Lemon Curd
Homemade lemon curd is very easy to make. Follow a few simple steps and some Must Do Tips and you will have a creamy and smooth, tangy and sweet curd!
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Save the whites for breakfast eggs or try our Sugared Pecans!
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl.
- Strain the whisked yolks through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof mixing bowl. Don't skip this step. It will remove the chalaza from the yolk and result in a smoother finished curd. (Here is a good breakdown on the anatomy of an egg for the curious!)
- Add sugar and lemon juice to the strained egg yolks.
- Cook the egg mixture in a double boiler, over medium to medium-low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove egg mixture from the heat,
- Mix in the butter a piece at a time. Stir continually as the butter melts.
- Add lemon zest with the last piece of butter and mix. All butter should be combined with the egg mixture at this point.
- Store in a glass jar until chilled.
PRO TIP: When heating the egg mixture, use medium to medium-low heat and stir constantly. Avoid boiling the mixture, as it can lead to clumpy lemon curd resembling scrambled eggs.
A Few Musts When Making Lemon Curd
- Only use fresh lemons. Bottled lemon juice (no matter what brand) just doesn't provide the same tangy taste. Take the time to juice and zest fresh lemons.
- Use a double boiler. Do not cook lemon curd over direct heat! You will end up with scrambled eggs. Use medium heat or medium-low heat and stir or whisk constantly while on the heat.
- Store in a glass container. Use a glass container with an air tight lid for best storage. Place in the fridge for up to 10 days. If not using the curd within 24 hours of making it, place a piece of plastic wrap on the top of the curd to prevent a crust from forming.
- Let curd cool completely before putting a lid on the container or serving.
PRO TIP: Don't use a metal bowl.
Metal bowls can tend to leave a metallic taste in the curd. Use heatproof glass, ceramic, or non-metal.
Equipment We Used
You don't need any special dishes for a double boiler. We make our own with a heat safe bowl (non-metallic) and a sauce pan. Add about 2 inches of water to the bottom of the sauce pan and place the bowl on top of the pan.
- The bowl should NOT touch the water.
- The bowl SHOULD rest on the sides of the pan. Make sure the bowl is heatproof!
How to Use Lemon Curd
This simple lemon curd is so versatile and can be used in so many delicious ways!
- Stand alone dessert. Place into small cups, top with some fresh fruit and serve.
- Filling for baked goods. Adds a tangy burst of flavor when used as a filling for cakes, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, and muffins.
- Spread on breakfast pastry. Use as a spread instead of jam on toast, biscuits, or scones.
- Tart and pie filling. Use as a filling in tartlet, tart, pie, or mini pie shells. Top with some fruit or whipped cream to finish it off.
- Cheesecake topping. Try lemon curd instead of a traditional fruit topping.
- Topping for ice cream or yogurt. Spoon over your favorite ice cream or yogurt for a tangy addition.
Saving Leftovers
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, this lemon curd will store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
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FAQ's
The lemons will react with metal leaving a metallic taste. Make sure to use a glass, ceramic, or non-metal bowl as the top in your double boiler. Remember the utensil you are using too, if it is metal you run the risk of metallic taste. Use a silicone or wood spoon, spatula, or whisk.
This usually means that the eggs cooked, like a scrambled egg. The mixture may have been cooked at too high of heat. Slow and medium-low heat is the way to go. Another cause for lumpy curd is if the egg-sugar-lemon juice mixture is not stirred CONSTANTLY while heating. Remember, cook slow and stir or whisk constantly until the mixture remains on the back of a wooden spoon.
We don't recommend freezing lemon curd as it may separate from the butter and also change the texture. However, lemon curd will last up to 10 days in an airtight glass container in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Curd
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
This easy lemon curd recipe is a must have for all you lemon lovers! Homemade lemon curd is sweet and tangy, creamy and smooth, delicious and easy to make with only 4 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 7 egg yolks
- 1-2 lemons, depending on size and juice
Need a total of 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and ½ cup fresh lemon juice - ½ cup butter, cold
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Place egg yolks into a bowl and lightly whisk until combined. Using a mesh strainer, strain egg yolks into a heat proof non-metal bowl. See notes below for more information on what bowls to use.
- Cut butter into 10-12 pieces and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Zest the lemons using a microplane or zester. Only remove the yellow outer layer of the peel, the white pith can be bitter and make the curd bitter.
- Juice the lemons, removing any seeds or pulp.
- Add ½ cup lemon juice and sugar to the strained eggs and mix until well combined.
- Place the heatproof bowl over a sauce pan with simmering water on medium to medium-low heat. Stir or whisk continuously until mixture thickens. Make sure you heat this slowly and continue to whisk. Heating too fast or not stirring can result in scrambled eggs.
- Mixture is done when it has thickened to a consistency to coat a wooden spoon and not run when you pass your finger through the mixture. (See photos in post for example.) This should take between 20-25 minutes.
- When done, remove the bowl from the sauce pan and add butter, one piece at a time, stirring until mixed into the lemon-egg mixture. Repeat with remaining butter 2-3 teaspoons at a time.
- Add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest with the last piece of butter and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour into a glass dish, cover and refrigerate until cooled, at least an hour.
Notes
Don't use a metal bowl for the double boiler. Metal can tend to leave a metallic taste in the curd. Opt for a heatproof glass, ceramic, or non-metal as the top part of your double boiler setup.
Don't boil the egg mixture, heat over medium to medium-low heat and stir constantly until it is done. It will thicken and stick to the back of a wooden spoon when it is done.
Use fresh lemons for the lemon juice and lemon zest. Bottled lemon juice, no matter the brand, doesn't have the same flavor and will not be as good.
Store curd in a glass container. Once cooled, cover tight and store up to 10 days in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 12.7 g
- Sodium: 4.6 mg
- Fat: 7.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 95.9 mg
Dev DiMattia says
Absolutely loved these!! I filled the mini tartlets and topped with raspberries and those were my favorite in terms of balance. Anything lemon thooooo
Rhonda says
Raspberries - yum! So glad you loved them.