Learn How to Make Lemon Curd from scratch! It’s easy to make and much more delicious than store-bought! This lemon curd recipe has the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
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Lemon Curd Recipe
Afternoon tea, anyone? Lemon curd is sweet, tangy, and is used similarly to a jam on scones. We have Great Britain to thank for this gorgeous lemon dessert. Cheers!
If you’re not a fan of tea and scones, don’t worry. I’ll allow you to break tradition. As a matter of fact, this easy lemon curd recipe is versatile and can be used as a filling for macarons, tarts, and other lemony and springtime desserts. I’ve linked some ideas for you to incorporate lemon curd into your next Saturday baking spree below.
Grab a spot of tea, keep calm, and carry on.
What You Need To Know About Lemon Curd Recipe
This lemon curd is based on my Paleo Lemon Curd recipe, which is a honey lemon curd because honey is used in place of sugar. It also calls for a paleo-friendly fat source in place of butter. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking but I suggest starting with this base recipe.
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What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon Curd came about in 18th century Great Britain with a stroke of genius and loads of lemon zest.
The recipe is easy peasy lemon squeezy (see what I did there?). Lemon curd is made of eggs yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. See, it’s really simple. It’s well worth the time investment because homemade lemon curd really takes the cake in comparison to the store-bought jars.
Lemon Curd Uses
- Dollop this bright lemon curd into yogurt or chia pudding for a special breakfast treat
- Spread lemon curd on toast or gluten free scones
- Fill a cream puff pastry with lemon curd
- Use in pies
- Fill your favorite cupcakes for a lemony kick – it’s perfect in my gluten free lemon cupcake recipe!
- Use as a filling in layer cakes – Gluten Free Lemon Cake pictured below
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Lemon Curd Ingredients
- Egg Yolks
- Granulated Sugar
- Fresh Lemon Juice – not from concentrate or bottled
- Lemon Zest
- Unsalted Butter
Equipment Needed to Make Homemade Lemon Curd
- small saucepan
- heatproof glass bowl
- whisk
- plastic wrap
- airtight container
How to Make Lemon Curd
Step 1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer and place a heatproof bowl on top.
Step 2. Add in the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the bowl. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. The mixture should thicken quite a bit and resemble hollandaise when it’s fully cooked.
Step 3. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Step 4. Place plastic wrap on top of the bowl so that it is touching the curd– this will help keep a skin from forming.
Step 5. Once the curd has cooled completely, remove the plastic wrap and transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Tips for Making Lemon Curd
- I cannot stress this enough. Use lemon juice that you have squeezed yourself rather than the bottled kind. Bottle lemon juice is concentrated and is much stronger.
- You can freeze lemon curd in the freezer for 3-4 months.
- Add an extra egg yolk for richer, thicker lemon curd.
- Use the leftover eggwhites in Flourless Chocolate Cookies, Meringue Cookies, French Macarons, Pavlova, Gluten Free Funfetti Cake, Chocolate Meringue Cookies, or Gluten Free Coconut Cake.
Other Lemon Curd Desserts To Try
- Gluten Free Lemon Cake (Lemon Curd Cake)
- Use this as a filling in Lemon Cupcakes
- Add as a topping for Pavlova
- Use as a filling for French Macarons or Cream Puffs
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Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed and room temperature
Instructions
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer and place a heatproof bowl on top.
- Add in the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the bowl. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. The mixture should thicken quite a bit and resemble hollandaise when it’s fully cooked. The curd is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter.
- Place plastic wrap on top of the bowl so that it is touching the curd-- this will help keep a skin from forming.
- Once the curd has cooled completely, remove the plastic wrap and transfer the mixture to an airtight container, preferably a glass jar.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- For a thicker, pudding-like consistency, cook the lemon curd a few minutes longer.
- Read the blog post for tips and uses for lemon curd.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
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