Luscious might be an understatement. It’s kind of mind blowing how four of the most basic ingredients in your kitchen can make something so beyond delicious as this homemade lemon curd, but somehow they do. With just a small sauce pot, a whisk, and four simple ingredients you can make a little jar of velvety sunshine to spread or dollop on top of all your food. And now that I know how fast and easy it is, and that you can freeze it, I will never pay $4 for a jar of it at the store ever again.
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What is Lemon Curd??
Curd is one of those unfortunate words, like “moist,” that never really sounds appetizing. BUT I promise you, this stuff is heaven. Lemon curd is a dessert spread, kind of like lemon custard, or like a sweet version of hollandaise sauce (I hope I didn’t lose you there). It tastes a LOT like the filling for lemon squares (did I get you back on board?). It’s super rich and smooth, but still light and bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
What is Lemon Curd Used For?
EVERYTHING. Well, almost. You can use lemon curd anywhere you use jam or preserves, so on toast, biscuits, scones, etc. It’s also a great topper for yogurt (try Lemon Berry Yogurt Breakfast Bowls), oats, parfaits, cakes, pies, cookies, donuts, pancakes, waffles, crepes, cheesecake, need I go on? Anywhere you want lemon flavor, grab a spoonful of your homemade lemon curd.
Homemade Lemon Curd Methods
I made approximately 578 batches (exaggeration) of lemon curd this week, testing all sorts of methods from the microwave to the stove top, adding ingredients in all sorts of different orders, but I found that the method below created the silkiest, lightest, and smoothest homemade lemon curd without an excessive amount of work (only about 10 minutes compared to 2 minutes for the microwave version).
So be aware that there are a million ways to make homemade lemon curd, but the method below is my favorite. It’s actually quite similar to the way I make hollandaise sauce (see Almost Eggs Benedict).
Fresh vs. Bottled Lemon Juice
Freshly squeezed lemon juices is and always will be better than bottled, but during my one million test runs of this recipe, I found that bottled lemon juice did not make my lemon curd any less delicious. I don’t know if it’s all the sugar and butter, but I didn’t notice a massive difference between fresh and bottled in this recipe. So unless you have some lemons in your freezer that you’re trying to use up, save yourself some trouble and pour your lemon juice instead of squeezing it.
That being said, if you are using fresh lemons, go ahead and zest your lemon before juicing it. Adding lemon zest to the lemon curd will make a marked difference in the flavor. 👍
How Long Does Homemade 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.
And that’s where I’m really in danger. When I scooped a spoonful of frozen lemon curd today to test its freezer durability, it tasted a LOT like a really rich lemon sorbet. So I’m going to have to stop myself from eating this as a frozen dessert. 🙊
Homemade Lemon Curd
Servings 8 2 Tbsp eachIngredients
- 1/4 cup sugar ($0.08)
- 1 large egg ($0.25)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice ($0.16)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.54)
Instructions
- Add the sugar, egg, and lemon juice to a small sauce pot. Before placing the pot over the heat, whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook while whisking continuously. The mixture will become very frothy as you whisk. When the liquid becomes hot enough to cook the egg, the mixture will begin to thicken and no more liquid will separate from the foam. It will take about 5 minutes of whisking over medium heat for the mixture to thicken, but will vary depending on your cookware. The mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon (see photos below).
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add one tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking until it has fully melted into the sauce before adding the next. As the butter is melted into the sauce, it will become less frothy and more silky in texture, and look more glossy rather than foamy.
- Once all of the butter has been whisked in, transfer the lemon curd to an air-tight container and refrigerate until completely cooled. The curd will thicken further upon cooling.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Whisk
Notes
Nutrition
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I love spreading my homemade lemon curd on English muffins. Since it already has tons of butter in it, it’s almost like butter and jam rolled into one!
How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd – Step by Step Photos
I’m adding a few more step by step photos than usual, since I really want you to see the texture changes that occur during this process. Lemon curd is easy to make, but you have to use your eyes to know when it’s time to move on to the next step.
It can be helpful, but is not critical, to take your butter out of the refrigerator and slice into 1 tablespoon pieces before you begin. Letting it warm up slightly can make it easier to melt into the sauce later.
Add 1/4 cup sugar, one large egg, and 1/3 cup lemon juice to a small sauce pot.
Before placing the pot over heat, whisk the sugar, egg, and lemon juice together until smooth.
Place the pot over medium heat and begin to whisk continuously. You’ll be whisking for about five minutes until the mixture thickens. It will get very frothy as you cook and whisk and will seem like nothing is happening, but once it reaches the magic temperature it will almost suddenly thicken. The photo above is when the mixture was at the half-way point. Very frothy on top, but there was still a layer of liquid under the froth.
When the mixture gets hot enough, the egg will begin to thicken the sauce and the entire mixture will become thick and frothy, with no layer of liquid on the bottom. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. When you drag your finger through the mixture on the spoon, the sauce should stay put and not run back to fill in the line.
Here is another view of what it looks like once thickened. It’s still very frothy in texture. There is no liquid on the bottom of the pot. It’s all thick froth. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the heat.
Whisk one tablespoon of butter into the sauce, making sure it is fully melted (from the residual heat of the sauce) before adding the next tablespoon. As you whisk in the butter the sauce will become less frothy and silkier. It will also look a little more glossy and translucent, and less white/opaque.
Here is what it looks like once all of the butter has melted in. More glossy and translucent, less frothy. While the lemon curd is fairly thick at this point, it thickens further once refrigerated.
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.
You can scoop frozen lemon curd out as needed, and it will thaw quickly at room temperature. I’ve died and gone to lemon heaven. ☀️🥰🍋
Can you make it with just egg yolks? I have a bunch of left over egg yolks from making angel food cake.
Also I’ve made it as it before and it’s phenomenal, so yummy.
I think that would be fine! I would do 2-3 yolks depending on the size, just enough that it looks like a whole egg.
Looks super easy but how much curd does recipe make?
About 1 cup!
I’m thinking of making a larger amount to put in mason jars and give as gifts. Do you think cooking times would change? Size of cooking vessel? How long does it last after making?
Oh gosh, in theory that should work fine, but we only tested in small amounts so I don’t want to give you a 100% that it would work. I think that using a bigger pot and doubling it at least would work fine. It will last in your fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Hi I just found this and I was reading and thinking it sounds easy but are we cooking straight onto to heat or a double boiler please
We opted not to use a double boiled and it turns out great!
Super easy! Thank you!!
It could just be my lemons, but after it set there was a strong metallic after-taste to my curd. Any idea why this might be? I did use salted butter, so that could be it too?
Did you happen to use an aluminum pot or bowl to make it? Lemon juice is very acidic and can react to certain metals, causing a slight metallic taste. Most stainless steel is fine but aluminum is reactive.
I had that exact same thing happen. It tasted amazing at first and then after refrigerating, it tasted like straight up metal. I ended up throwing it away. I used a stainless steel pan and stainless whisk. Maybe my whisk is aluminum and I didn’t realize it. Im going to try again with my stainless steel pan and a wood spoon instead of whisk and see if it tastes different. I don’t know if using a spoon vs whisk will work, or change the texture, but I’m going to give it a try
I have made lemon curd before in more complicated ways, but I love how simple this recipe is to make a small amount for just me in so little time. Waiting for it to set up is the hard part, and sometimes I don’t wait! I took the curd to my book club meeting to spread on my very blueberry muffins which are so good, but also so healthy with oatmeal and lots of blueberries and minimal sugar. Thank you so much for improving my lemon curd loving life!
PS: I don’t like the taste of bottled lemon juice so I wouldn’t use it, but I have been known to add the True Lemon granules (no sugar only lemon) to enhance lemon flavor in my cooking. Not necessary in the curd though.
Simple recipe with big flavor!!! I mix nonfat Greek yogurt to the lemon curd and freeze. It tastes like a frozen lemon cheesecake/ice. Delicious!!
At what point would you add the zest? Will that give it more ‘pucker power’.😋
Hi Amanda, Add the zest when you take it off the heat, when you begin adding the butter. It will not add much more pucker, as the zest is more floral than sour. xoxo
So fast, so cheap, so easy, so good! I was looking for a cake filling to make and this was THE one! So flavorful, I’m going to try using it for lemon tarts this week instead of canned lemon pie filling.
First time making this and it was a perfect topping to my homemade pound cake. Yummmnnn
I used your recipe to make the lemon curd filling for my MIL 80th bday cake with some minor changes & it was perfect. I doubled the recipe except for the lemon juice which I kept at 1/3 cup since I used the bottled kind & I only used the egg yolks. It was perfect in texture & perfect tasting for the white cake.
Thank you!
Made this lastnight to use on blueberry pancakes this morning for a special birthday breakfast…this lemon curd makes your mouth water and keeps you wanting more…after the pancakes were done, I decided eating it by the spoonful was just what I needed…its soooo good!
I wonder if this recipe could be made using limes. I live in Baja California where limes are plentiful but lemons are very spendy! Gonna try it!
Hi, Cindy!! You should definitely use limes if that’s what you have on hand or if it’s more budget-friendly for you! It will be so, so, so good! Really, any kind of citrus will work in this recipe. ~Marion :)
Dear Beth,
The lemon curd recipe looks amazing!
And freezing it, esp. the Sorbet part, sounds Perfect!
I’m a control freak so I can’t sign up for weekly stufff, but I will remember you and be looking for great recipes now and then. (Retired)
Keep up the good work and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Thanks, Doris! :)
Can u make a pie if lemon curr
It worked exactly as you said. Very easy. I multiplied it by 6 to make a large batch for gifts.
BUT I remembered that I don’t like whole-egg lemon curd — tasted too eggy.
What suggestions do you have to reduce the eggy taste?
Although lemon curd uses eggs the final product shouldn’t taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you’ve overcooked your eggs. Try adding lemon zest. XOXO -Monti
I’ve been eyeing this lemon curd for a few days and today I finally decided to try it. It is divine!
Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter?
I’m a huge fan of salted butter and know it would be DIVINE in this lemon curd. It will help balance the sweetness. XOXO -Monti
I tried this today and it was so easy and tasty! I have used it in the lemon berry breakfast bowls, sans berries. I love love love lemon so very chuffed to have discovered how easy this is.
This looks awesome. I’ve only ever bought it, never tried making it. Could you can this to preserve it?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with canning, so I’m not sure if this is a good candidate for that. Hopefully someone who knows more about the subject can chime in for you!
I added the butter with everything else.. help!! How do I salvage this?
Just an update that this still worked fine. The texture might have been a little different but still yummy. Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing the outcome!
Loved this recipe! Could I substitute orange juice for lemon juice to make an orange curd?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried that. :)
Did you try? I was thinking the same thing with lime juice.
ANY juice…lime, orange, pomegranate…
I just made this and put it in the fridge for tomorrow. This is one of the best things I’ve ever made. Thank you for another banger!
This lemon curd is a new staple in my fridge! The texture and flavor are incredible, I can’t stop eating it on English muffins, toast, and yogurt, and sometimes even straight out of the jar. And it comes together so quickly that when I run out I can quickly whip together a new batch to replace it no problem. Amazing recipe all around
Delicious! I’m a long time follower of your blog and love it! Wondering if you could specify to use salted butter? I never have salted butter but would have added salt myself. I can usually figure it out based on how it should taste but had never tried lemon curd so wasn’t sure how it normally tastes. I didn’t notice until I was reading comments and saw to use salted. It was sill good but I can see where it’ll be better with salt. I’m loving it freezes well!
Yes, all of my recipes use salted butter. :)
Great recipe, does not make a large amount, which is perfect since I am the only lemon lover in the house. Super easy to follow, standard ingredients, too.
I want to try this and make the lemon yogurt berry breakfast bowls!
I made lemon curd this morning with a different website’s recipe. That recipe only gave the reference of “Hollandaise sauce” when trying to determine if it was thick enough. I don’t know Hollandaise sauce! Then when frantically searching for clarification, I found your method, including the clarification of thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. That alone was a life-saver. This method looks a lot simpler so I’m excited to try it next time I’m making lemon curd. Been a follower of Budget Bytes for a long time so I know it’ll be good!
I’m so glad you found that helpful! And it’s so funny that you mentioned hollandaise sauce. I’ll be posting a recipe for that this week and as I was making the hollandaise sauce I thought to myself, “this is basically just a savory version of my lemon curd…” haha!
Absolutely delicious!
We’d like to freeze jars of lemon curd and then pull it out and somehow thin it for a pancake sauce. How would you suggest we do that? We don’t love curd mixed with whipping cream. Other ideas?
Hmm, I’m really not sure how to go about thinning it to make it pourable. I’ve never tried something like that before, so it would take some experimenting.
Wow! This was easy and so delicious! I am so glad I made a double batch because otherwise I wouldn’t have any for the blueberry shortcakes for dessert tonight. I was always intimidated by making lemon curd, but the step-by-step instructions and pictures made it possible.
Just made a batch to fill my lemon cake. Oh my gosh! This was the quickest and easiest lemon curd I’ve ever made! And I love that it only needed one whole egg and bottled lemon juice worked just fine. I will be making this a lot in the future! Thank you!
This may be the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life, and it hasn’t even cooled yet. I scraped the pot clean like some sort of curd-fiend. Thank you thank you thank you! Trying the black bean quesadillas tonight!
Can you substitute a sugar free sweetener like monk fruit for the sugar in this?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how much it will affect the outcome.
substituted for sugar in beverages, smoothies, sauces, and dressings. Keep in mind, less is more when it comes to these sweeteners. Start with the least amount and add more to taste. Monk fruit and stevia may be used for baking because both are heat stable
Judy, it worked BEAUTIFULLY with my erythritol / monk sweetener!
came here to find this out, thinking it would work. Thanks so much for letting us know, Margo!
Could you use this to make lemon tarts? Or would it be to rich?
Yes, I think it would be perfect for a lemon tart! I don’t know if you could bake it after making it, so I’d probably add it to an already baked tart shell.
I am absolutely obsessed with this recipe! I’m going to the store after work just to buy eggs just so I can make another batch – the first one got all used up on the blueberry shortcakes I made from another of your recipes! Have you tested this with other tart fruit juices? I’m curious to see how it would work with tart cherry or orange juice. (:
Oooooh, cherry is such a great idea! I haven’t tried it, but you definitely have me intrigued!
HollyM29, the lime version (I used bottled juice) was just a delightful as Beth’s original lemon; however, my orange version (made with fresh oranges) was sadly underwhelming.
Haven’t, as yet, tried your suggestion of tart cherry, but looking forward to it!
Oh… I will be making lime curd soon! Thank you so much for posting about it.
i just asked a question about using a sweetener. Such as Splenda or Swerve ,which isa brown sweetener used for baking
This recipe is amazing and so easy. I am going to make the Berry Lemon Chia Breakfast Bowl
I am wanting to cut down on sugar Can I use a sweetener like Splenda or Swerve( which is like a brown sugar sweetener
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried that. Those sweeteners have different chemical properties than sugar, so they can often affect more than just the flavor in a recipe.
Hi Beth,
First of all let me say how wonderful this recipe is, as are all of the recipes I’ve had on your blog.
In the directions, you say ‘When the liquid becomes hot enough to cook the egg’, well my egg
cooked alright and I needed to strain it prior to putting it into the jar. That’s no big deal and the
curds I’ve made in the past have you do this step. I whisked it all together and did as instructed
but your directions do not call for this step, so I’m wondering if I did something wrong?
Nope, I didn’t need to do any straining because if you’re whisking as it cooks and the heat isn’t too high, it shouldn’t make any clumps that need to be strained out. The “cooked” egg is in microscopic pieces and it just thickens the liquid, like a custard. :)
Could this be made using dairy free “butter” such as Earth Balance?
Hmm, I’m really not sure, to be honest. The composition of dairy-free butter is different than real butter, so it may not act in the same way in the recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t really have any experience using dairy-free butters, so I can’t predict how much it might affect the outcome.
I made it this weekend with a plant based (I want to say avocado oil?) butter and it turned out amazingly!
Just read
Going to try
How do I know if my pan is aluminum…I noticed you used a metal pan…mine is fabreware…
Mine is stainless steel. It might say on the bottom of the pan?
Holy Moly! I needed to use up some lemons I had used the zest for in some cupcakes earlier this week and boy, this is delish! I don’t even think I have had lemon curd before and now I think it will be a staple! So good, thank you for helping me not waste lemons!!
Rock solid recipe that I’ve already started adding to a bunch of different pantry and fridge staples. I don’t even typically like many lemon-flavored foods, but this one is the exception.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Salted for this recipe :)
This was super easy to make and so delicious! I’ve made a double batch twice in a week. My daughter and I especially love it with Greek yogurt and homemade granola. Next up are some scones. So looking forward to that!
For some reason the grocery stores in my area stopped carrying the lemon curd I would buy. So happy I found this recipe. It’ll be a fridge staple from now on. Thanks for another great recipe, Beth!
Oh, I should mention I did add a touch more sugar to the second batch. I love the look of the lemon zest but it made it a bit more tart. The little addition of about 2tsp of sugar toned the overt tartness down. So good!
I like my curds to be more tart, will adding less butter (2-3 tbs) at the end still create a creamy texture but make it less sweet?
I don’t think that reducing the butter will make it less sweet, to accomplish that you’ll want to reduce the sugar. And just be aware that when you adjust any of the ingredients it can also affect the texture. :)
This recipe is awfull and does NOT WORK do not try! Give 0 stars 0————- if I could!
I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work for you. If you’d like I’m happy to talk through what could have gone wrong with the recipe, you can email us at support@budgetbytes.com
I want a nice creamy lemon curd! IS this the right recipe?
This could be it for you!
I have searched through about 20 Lemon Curd recipes. This one seems easy enough for a first try. The reviews sold me.
Thank you!
Made this lemon curd twice and used it in sandwich cakes. It’s absolutely delish and soooo easy to make. (Have seen recipes which advise straining eggs and a lot of messing around…. 😬!!)
This lemon curd is sooo smooth and good! It satisfies my sweet craving just on its own. Thanks!
Surprisingly easy! I wanted something to put on my cheesecake I baked since I didn’t have strawberries. Delicious and tangy! My new favorite
This was a complete delight! Simple, absolutely dreamy amount of tang. In the midst of everything happening right now—such a comfort and boost of sunshine in a jar. Can’t *wait* to pair it with earl grey scones in the morning. 🤤
Do you know if therapeutic grade/ingest-able (is that a word) essential oils would work in this recipe?
We haven’t tested oils in the recipes so we can’t recommend using them.
“Velvet sunshine in a jar” is right. Good lord. This WILL become a habit. Almost too rich to eat straight, but amazing stirred in yogurt with blueberries, granola and a heaping helping of seeds and nuts.
One warning for those who double/triple/etc. the recipe: expect it to take a lot longer than 5 minutes to thicken. I knew it would take more time but underestimated how much more. I tripled it and was starting to worry when it still wasn’t thickening after 15 minutes, but it got there eventually.
Thank for this tip, Beth.
As I will be making multiple batches of this recipe, I was concerned over the question of time length.
After adding the butter, my curd is not thick at all, it is still very liquidy/runny. Perhaps I didn’t wait long enough for it to thicken before adding the butter? Should I try putting it back on the burner? Is it still safe to eat, I don’t want to waste it even though I messed up! Ah well.
I’ve made this recipe at least half a dozen times – mixing up my citrus every time. I’ve tried lemon, lime, grapefruit, and a lemon-grapefruit mix. They all turned out pretty good! The grapefruit one wasn’t as tangy/bitter as I was expecting, so I’m not sure if I’ll try that again without another kind of citrus. After watching quite a bit of the Great British Baking show, I’m probably going to attempt some other kinds of fun combinations like lime-raspberry! Lately, I’ve been using the curd with some vanilla granola, fresh fruit (strawberries, kiwis, oranges), and some shaved coconut for breakfast. I love this curd recipe!
I’ve made this twice and both times, had tiny bits of cooked egg in the lemon curd. I thought i followed the directions exactly. What could I be doing wrong?
Fay, I had that issue as well but fixed it by using a different burner on my gas range. I have one burner that is stronger than the others and heats up faster. I switched to a different one that provided a slower, lower heat and it was perfect.
I think Sarah is right, and it sounds like the mixture is getting too much heat. :) Try lowering the heat, or if needed, use a smaller burner to reduce the heat more. And make sure you’re whisking continuously.
Fantastic! I’ve never had lemon curd before but love anything lemon. This really is so easy and simple! It really packs a lemony sour punch! I can’t wait to try it on the lemon biscuits or basic biscuits. I think I’ll try it on crepes first tho!
Thanks so much for this recipe! As a grad student on a limited budget (but with unlimited stomach capacity for tasty food!), a lot of the recipes on this site have become staples in my meal rotation– I’ve particularly been making a lot of this lemon curd recently (I’ve decided that dipping lady fingers into lemon curd is an almost guaranteed generator of joyfulness 😊 ), which has been very comforting in these current troubling times. 💕
I just made it this morning. Enjoyed it with Greek yogurt and blueberries. Yummy!
I made a double-sized batch of this just now. Extremely simple! I poured the filling into an empty pie crust and topped the whole thing with blueberries. Now the trick is to wait for tomorrow night and unveil it as a surprise dessert for Valentine’s Day.
Tried it this afternoon and it was awesome! So easy to make and worked just as the recipe said. Used it to make lemon tart.
Delicious!
GREAT recipe! Easy way to use up some leftover zested lemons I had kicking around from Christmas cookies. Delicious.
Thank you Emily!
Great recipe! Super fast, easy, and turned out great. I followed exactly as written.
Thank you Brittney!
How many ounces does this recipe produce? Planning on making a large batch to jar and gift this holiday season, so am trying to figure out how many times to multiply it. Thank you!
This recipe produces about 10 ounces. You can use the servings box to increase the amount. I’d suggest making it in smaller batches though to keep the consistency the same.
I’ve made lemon curd in very large batches, (enough for 12 – 1/2 pint jars) without any problems in taste or consistency. The recipe called for 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks per recipe with the total egg use of 20 eggs to get 6 pints.
Do you have any suggestions for subbing the egg? Half my family is allergic, but this sounds so delicious. We don’t mind sacrificing a little in texture.
Unfortunately I don’t have any good suggestions for that. :( The egg is such a critical ingredient for creating the right texture and flavor that changing it out will drastically change the outcome. It would probably take a lot of testing to find a solution, but it’s possible someone has already solved that puzzle! I would try Googling “egg-free lemon curd” to see if anyone has found a suitable replacement.
There might be a vegan lemon curd recipe on the internet. That is always my suggestion for anyone with egg allergies. I’ve seen a lot of egg replace for things like meringue with an ingredient called aquafaba, which is just the liquid from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans. There might be something along those lines in the vegan world.
made two batches so i could save it in the freezer. that’s how good this came out!!!!
Hooray!
Made this last night, and it was super easy! The result was buttery smooth – very tart and lemony:)
Hooray! Happy you enjoyed it Jess!
Delicious! I use these to make the yogurt bowls Beth has a recipe of and it is absolutely scrumptious!
This was very easy to make and I had all ingredients already on hand! It tastes great in your yogurt breakfast bowls recipe.
Amazing recipe! Just made this and it was delicious and easy. On a gas stove the mixture thickened a lot faster than 5 min, so keep an eye on it!
It looks amazing in pictures and I’m definitely making this lemon curd on this weekend. Hopefully, it will taste better.
hi great stuff try Italia lemon juice available at. HEB cheaper Then lemons and its pure lemon juice I squeezing a 16 oz. bottle water dynamite,,just buy one lemon if you need some zest. can I use this in a tart like lemon pie filling??
Yes, I think this would work great in a tart or a pre-baked pie shell. :)
For my baby shower I mixed lemon curd with whipped cream and piped it into lady fingers. A quick sprinkle of powdered sugar makes these little pastries pretty and delicious!!!
YUM!!
Do you know if a sugar substitute such as stevia, erythritol or monk fruit could be used?
Unfortunately I don’t cook with those ingredients, so I’m not sure how they’d work. I will say that the sugar does affect both the texture and flavor of the curd, so changing that ingredient will likely drastically change the outcome.
I made a batch with Swerve granular. It turned out fine in terms of consistency, and the recipe worked exactly as when I’ve made it with sugar, but it definitely had the weird erythritol “cooling” effect. It almost seems like the lemon brings out that quality. I might try tweaking it, or I might just make it with sugar for a splurge. This recipe is perfection as it is.
CHANTAL, This came out deliciously using my erythritol / monk fruit blend!
I want to live in a bowl of this stuff. It is SO good. Based on my previous enjoyment of most recipes on your site I took a leap of faith & made this for part of a Father’s Day dessert.
I made an icebox cake with cheesecake pudding layered with nilla wafers & this lemon curd. YUM! The tart really helped cut the sweetness & 6 of us killed a 9×13. Cannot wait to make this again & just eat it with a spoon.
That sounds incredible!!
Oh, my goodness! This sounds so good. What a lovely hostess gift that would make.
Is it important to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, or is the stuff in a bottle just as good?
There’s a paragraph about that in the post, but in short, I found bottled juice to be just fine for my tastes. :)
Haha well, my burner must be too hot because I ended up with little bits of scrambled egg I think! And then it never got as frothy … I’m guessing because the egg was not spread throughout. I’m planning to eat it anyway 😜 but if I try turning it down next time, I assume it may just take longer to thicken if I don’t get it right? Or maybe I should try the water bath someone mentioned …
Ps I added zest and WOW that’s lemony! I love lemon luckily 😀
Water bath is an option, but you can also lower the heat and just make sure you are constantly whisking. If you’re using a thin cookware the heat transfers more quickly and intensely in some spots instead of being more even and gentle, so that may have been the culprit as well. A water bath acts to more evenly distribute the heat and make it more gentle, so it’s an added safety net. :)
Can this same method and ratios be used to curd other citrus fruits like limes, tangerines or grapefruit?
I haven’t tested other citrus juices yet, but I assume it would work similarly. You may need to tweak things slightly, since they all have different levels of sweetness and acidity, but I think in general it would work similarly.
I know you’ll probably not see this, but I wanted to let you know that I made this with lime juice and I used the exact same amounts of everything for it, and it tastes great…so as far as lime you can just follow the recipe exactly as is (except of course lime juice instead of lemon juice. As far as the other citrus fruits are concerned, I think the only thing you might need to adjust would be the sugar, and honestly that’s probably more personal preference than anything.
Hi Beth ~ Do you think it’s possible to veganize this using flax or chia eggs and non dairy butter??
I don’t think that would work for this recipe, unfortunately. The chemistry of this emulsion is very specific and changing even a little bit will definitely alter the outcome.
In NZ it’s often called Lemon Honey – perhaps a nicer name than ‘curd’ for you to consider!
Haha, yes, I like that much better! :D
Can ghee (clarified butter) be used instead of butter?
It definitely won’t turn out the same. The milk solids in the butter is important for making the lemon curd rich and creamy.
Two things that refuse to buy: lemon curd and sauerkraut. Both super easy and inexpensive to make, and so much better than any store bought!
I definitely need to start making my own sauerkraut. I LOVE purple sauerkraut.
Just checking but pretty sure…. Unsalted butter?
I actually use salted butter because I use that for toast and things and never feel like buying two types of butter. Haha! But you can use unsalted, you’ll just need to add a pinch or two of salt to your lemon curd to help the flavors pop.
Lemon curd is also delicious on toasted leftover pound cake. And also on a spoon. It’s one of my favorite things! (Grapefruit and lime curd are also delicious!)
I’m trying to cut down on sugar in my diet. Would you expect a drastic difference in results if I halved the sugar?
Yes, unfortunately the sugar is really important to both the flavor and texture of this recipe.
Delicious and so easy. Can’t wait to try it in that yogurt bowl!
I just made this. Life will never be the same. What a dream! 🍋🥰
I made this tonight & it couldn’t have been easier. Can you double the recipe ? I wasn’t sure so I made 2 batches, but doubling would be easier.
Yes, this should be effortless to double. The only difference will probably be how long it takes the egg/sugar/lemon mixture to thicken. :)
I just made this tonight and it is amazing! Super easy!
Yum! My greatgrandmother used lemon curd as the filling in a yellow layer cake which she then frosted with 7-minute icing. The cake probably had lemon zest in the cake, too, as I remember it as all delicately lemon flavored. I never had her recipe and am absolutely delighted to see your easy and inexpensive method !
Made this right away and thus far have used it atop English muffin bread. Scrumptious!
The mixture does tend to boil toward the end, so I would watch it closely as it enters the 3.5-5 minute range.
Looks delicious! I would love to make this for my vegan girlfriend, did you try the recipe with any egg substitutes?
No, unfortunately there is some very specific chemistry happening with this recipe and if you change out the egg it most likely will not work.
Would there be any problems if I double this recipe ; half for now and half to go into the freezer for later?
You should be able to double it pretty effortlessly. :) It will probably take longer for the lemon/egg/sugar mixture to thicken, but everything else should be the same.
I’ve always wanted to try to make lemon curd…you’ve given me the courage! Thanks for the recipe, and what I made trust will be super helpful photos!
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it. How much does this make? I’m wondering what size jar I’ll need.
It makes about 1 cup. :)
Just made it tonight to go on top of some Belgian waffles. The pictures you provided were very helpful. You’re right– it is velvety!
Would this be good spread over some of your lemon-blueberry cornbread? Or lemony overkill?
IMHO, lemon overkill is impossible. Haha!
If you were using the lemon zest, would you add it with the sugar/juice/egg during the cooking process? Also, it looks like you might have used salted butter. Would you suggest adding salt if using unsalted butter?
Yes, I used salted butter so if you’re using unsalted definitely add a pinch or two of salt at the end. I would probably add the lemon zest with the sugar, juice, and egg.
Great post! Interesting method, especially with the butter. I used to be a pastry sous chef and was taught to make the lemon curd over a water bath – never in a pot over direct heat. Additionally, we would add heavy cream to thicken and lighten the curd. Sometimes we would add gelatin sheets if we really wanted to stabilize the curd. I have never made curd with butter. I’ll have to try that some time.
Sounds great, and I look forward to trying it! How would you describe the consistency of this, room temp and chilled? I am considering using it for a packed lunch as a bread spread, or in a sandwich. I just want to see if it will run too much as it warms or not! I might consider adding a touch of xantham gum or cornstarch to thicken it to a thicker, more jelly-like consistency it it is a bit runny.
Regardless, I look forward to trying the recipe, and experimenting a bit until I get it just right for my preferences!
It’s not quite as jelly as other fruit preserves, it’s more like a soft spread. It does get a little less thick at room temperature, but not excessively so.
Hooray! I’m excited by how easy this looks.
Going to make a batch of this tomorrow, really looking forward to it. I’ve made dozens of varieties and loads of different fruits, but I’m always on the hunt for a new way to make it or to give a new twist to it. A simplified version? Yes please! One other thing, and I am SO SO sorry. Especially sorry to your future waistline…. straight out of the freezer in a solid spoonful is amazing – but try using it as a swirl in other flavors from vanilla to strawberry and beyond and you won’t be able to put the curd down. Thinned out a bit, it also makes a staggering wonderful meld between sorbet and icecream. Richer and creamier than a sorbet and not quite as rich as an icecream. (That last bit sounds like it would be easier on the pounds… but no. You just eat more of it.
Yes, the frozen curd is definitely going to be the death of me! 😭
Wow, what a neat recipe!! Do you think the butter could be replaced with anything for a dairy-free version?
No, I’m very doubtful that a non-dairy substitute would work here. There is really specific chemistry happening in the curd and any swaps will probably change the outcome greatly.