This Homemade Lemon Curd is easy to make and full of bright lemon flavor. This simple recipe uses just 5 ingredients and comes together in 15 minutes. Perfect for adding a creamy citrus flavor to your favorite desserts including cakes, tarts, cookies and scones.
The Casual Foodist contains affiliate links, when you make a purchase through these links the Casual Foodist receives a small commission that helps support this site at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Using a few simple ingredients this lemon curd recipe is far better than store-bought and incredible easy to make. Starting with fresh lemons this lemon curd gets a double dose of citrus using both lemon zest and lemon juiceI prefer to use less sugar and more lemon juice in my lemon curd to allow that bright citrus flavor shine through.
Instead of using a double boiler (less dishes to do and a much simpler method) I whisk the lemon mixture with the eggs and egg yolks and cook over lower heat to keep the eggs from scrambling. Finishing with a bit of butter makes this lemon curd luscious and creamy. Be sure to take a look at my Homemade Cranberry Curd that’s perfect for the holidays.
While this silky lemon curd is delicious straight from the jar with a spoon where it really shines is bringing lemon flavor to other desserts. I’ve used this lemon curd in my Limoncello Tiramisu, made a double batch for my French Lemon Tart, and also as a filling for my Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies.
- spread over toast or scones
- place a dollop of lemon curd on your pancakes or crepes
- Swirl into your morning yogurt
- Use to make some luscious lemon cookies
- Use as a cake filling for lemon cake
- Pipe into the center of muffins or cupcakes
- Make a lovely lemon tart or lemon meringue pie
- Spoon on top of a pavlova along with whipped cream and berries
- Use with puff pastry to make pastries or mini tarts
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Fresh lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Large eggs
- Large egg yolk
- Unsalted butter cut into cubes
- Kosher salt
Cooking Tips
- Ensure you cook your curd over medium-low heat while stirring frequenting to ensure the eggs don’t scramble
- Don’t skip the step of straining the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer to ensure a smooth, creamy texture
- Feel free to use salted butter if that’s what ou have on hand, just reduce the added salt
How to Make Lemon Curd
This lemon curd recipe is incredibly easy to make with no double boiler needed. Combine sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Add in the eggs and egg yolk to the pot and whisk together.
Heat over medium-low heat heat stirring contantly with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the lemon mixture bubbles up and coats the back of your spoon or spatula.
Remove the pan from heat and add in the cubed butter and salt, stirring to ensure the butter has melted and everything has combined.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the zest or any bits of cooked egg. Transfer to a glass jar(I absolutely love these adorable tulip jars!), allowing the curd to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. Serve as desired.
Storage
Store homemade lemon curd in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. Lemon curd freezes well too, just make sure to let it cool to room temperature before freezing. Lemon curd will last in the freezer up to 1 year, be sure to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
If you like this Lemon Curd Recipe be sure to take a look at some of my other recipes!
If you make this Lemon Tart please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Youtube, Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making!
Lemon Curd Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 mesh strainer
- glass jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice appriximately 3-4 lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Add in the eggs and egg yolk to the pot and whisk together.
- Heat over medium-low heat heat stirring contantly with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the lemon mixture coats the back of your spoon or spatula.
- Remove the pot from heat and add in the cubed butter and salt, stirring to ensure the butter has melted and everything has combined.
- Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer to remove the zest or any bits of cooked egg. Transfer to a glass container, allowing the curd to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. Serve as desied.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Leave a Reply