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. ☀️🥰🍋
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!