Full of lemon flavor, this Lemon Curd is easy and practically fool-proof! You’ll never want to buy it store bought again.
If you are a lemon lover like I am, this is the base recipe you need in your repertoire! It’s a basic recipe that you can use in lots of other recipes, or if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy just stealing spoonfuls!
It’s no secret that if I had to choose my favorite flavor, it will always be lemon. Lemon Pie, Lemon Pancakes, Lemon everything.
If you are as obsessed with lemon as I am, then you’ll be equally obsessed with lemon curd. (And if you’ve never had lemon curd before, then you are in for a treat!) But if you’ve been spending your hard earned money on those little tiny jars of lemon curd at the grocery store, now is the time to stop. And to make it yourself at home. It’s really easy, a lot less expensive, and it’s one of those recipes that is satisfying to make yourself at home.
Ingredients
Lemons: As tempting as it is to buy the bottled lemon juice, you’re going to need fresh lemons for this recipe. You’ll need the zest from one (do this before juicing the lemons!) as well as 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. This usually takes me 4-6 regular sized lemons.
Sugar: You just need regular, granulated sugar. I haven’t tried cutting back the amount of sugar, because the sugar is what helps it all to thicken. It is sweet, but it’s also very tangy. I think it’s the perfect combination.
Eggs: I use whole eggs in my recipe. Most lemon curd recipes you’ll find use only egg yolks. But when I started making this, I hated the waste, so I started using the whole egg and it all worked out just fine! Many, many batches later, I still swear by using the whole egg.
Butter: I usually use unsalted butter, because that is what I keep on hand. But you could use salted butter, as the salt will actually help to enhance the flavors in this lemon curd. In fact, you could use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt just for that balance, if desired.
How to Make Lemon Curd
ZEST AND JUICE:Zest one of your lemons, then juice the lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice.
COMBINE AND WHISK:If you have a double boiler, you can definitely use it here to make the lemon curd. But I think most people do not own one, (including me!), so I just make my own using a small pot and a bowl. Fill the pot with about 1 inch of water, and place a bowl on top that is big enough so that it is gently heated by the hot water, but not touching the water. Place this over medium heat. Combine the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and eggs in the bowl and whisk to combine it all.
COOK TO THICKEN: This is the step that most people are intimidated by, because sometimes you just don’t know how long to cook the curd. There are factors that can affect the cook time. Elevation is one thing that can affect how long it takes for the curd to thicken. I am above 4,300 feet above sea level, and it usually takes me 20-30 minutes until mine thickens. But if you are closer to sea level, it will thicken faster. It’s mostly important to watch the lemon curd and to know when to move onto the next step.
In the photos above, I walk you through the thickening stages. For me, even after 10 minutes the mixture is still pretty thin and doesn’t stick to a spatula. By 15 minutes, it starts to stick a bit more, and at 20 minutes, you can really see the curd forming. At 22 minutes, the curd sticks to the spatula enough to come off in big drops, and if I run my finger down through the curd on the spatula, (carefully, because it’s hot!), the curd will stay where it is instead of covering up the line that I drew. This is when you want to start adding the butter.
ADD THE BUTTER: Your butter should be cut into small pieces, and you’ll start whisking it in, 1-2 pieces at a time. Whisk until the butter is at least halfway melted before adding another piece. Continue until it is all whisked in and melted.
REFRIGERATE: You are pretty much finished – it just needs to go into the refrigerator to continue to thicken up. I like to pour it into a glass jar, but any container with a lid will work.
Uses For Lemon Curd
Now that you’ve got your homemade lemon curd, you may be wondering how to use it. Here are some of my favorite uses!
- It is great on top of toast or pancakes or waffles. I actually have another Lemon Sauce Recipe that my mom always made for pancakes (and it’s super, super easy and fast to make), but this lemon curd can be used, as well.
- Use it to top scones or crumpets.
- Use it as a cake filling.
- Lemon Curd makes a delicious filling for crepes!
- This Lemon Meringue Angel Cake is delicious and beautiful!
- Use it to fill these Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes.
- This Coconut Poke Cake with Lemon is the poke cake for lemon lovers, and has a delicious layer of lemon curd.
- Fill mini tart shells with the curd and top with fresh berries.
More Lemon Recipes
Lemon Ice Cream
Lemon Muffins
Lemon Cheesecake
Lemon Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Lemon Cream Pie
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Lemon Curd
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: English
Description
Full of lemon flavor, this Lemon Curd is easy and practically fool-proof! You’ll never want to buy it store bought again.
Ingredients
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-6 lemons)_
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Fill a small pot with about 1 inch of water and place on the stove over medium heat.
- In a larger glass bowl, (you want one that will sit on top of the pot on the stove without touching the water), combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and eggs. Whisk well to combine. Place the bowl on the pot on the stove and start whisking.
- Whisking the whole time, cook until the mixture starts to thicken and will coat the back of a spoon. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. When it starts to thicken, feel free to switch to a spatula, or you can use a whisk the whole time.
- Once it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, start adding in the butter, one small piece at a time, whisking until it is almost melted before adding another piece.
- Once all of the butter has been incorporated, transfer the curd to a glass jar or lidded container and refrigerate until cool.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 14 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
Keywords: lemon curd, lemon curd recipe, curd, how to make lemon curd
Twen says
This turned out great, thanks!
Pat barned says
Can I can the lemon curd after it’s been made so I can keep it on the shelf?
Deborah says
I’m afraid that I have very little experience with canning, so I can’t say for sure. I did find an article online that said it can be canned and stored for 3-4 months, but it was more specific in the method of canning.
Kim says
How long would you keep it in the refrigerator? I want to make some for Christmas gifts in the little cute jars.
Great recipe…delicious.
Deborah says
It should be good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Ginny says
I use a copper bowl and it does not leave a metallic taste. awesome recipe! thanks for sharing
Bash says
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing. How long will the lemon curd stay once it’s made? (I’m assuming iI won’t eat it all at once :p)
Deborah says
I would think that you’d be able to keep it in the fridge for about a month – if you can keep your spoon out of it! 😉
Dolores Dulaney says
iThis may sound dumb but how do you use it when it is done. Like between cake layers or what? I have seen recipes for it,but never knew what it was for. love anything lemon. Thanks! 🙂
Deborah says
Not a dumb question at all!! I have some of my favorite ways to use it linked at the bottom of the post, but it’s also great on toast, on pancakes, a great tart filling, in between cake layers, on a pavlova, as a crepe filling, or my favorite – just eating it with a spoon. 😉
Daniela says
Hi, I just tried your recipe today. Definitely, the best lemon curd I’ve ever made, thank so much for posting this! I’m glad I found a recipe that cooks the curd in a bowl instead of a pan, the ones I’ve made in the past where ok but tasted a little like metal and though my friends and family loved it, it always made me kind of sad that I couldn’t get rid of the metal flavour. This one was perfect, it made me very happy 🙂
Deborah says
@Daniela, I’m so glad it worked out so well for you!
Ruby says
Hello – does the lemon curd thicken after being refrigerated?
Thanks in advance.
Deborah says
@Ruby, it will thicken more after being refrigerated. I do like to cook it until it is pretty thick, though, but it will set up nicely once refrigerated.
Thomas says
Wow. Super good, thank you!
I would like to suggest you try using a normal double boiler instead of your glass bowl, though. I think that’s adding a couple of unnecessary minutes to your heating time. (Glass isn’t a fantastic insulator, but it is compared to a metal bowl.) I used steel and didn’t have any chunks, blobs or problems of any kind.
Thanks again. Delicious!
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
I feel ashamed that I have never taken the time to make lemon curd! I know I have been missing out, so thanks for showing us how easy it is!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Making lemon curd has been on my bucket list for weeks now! Okay, I really need to get to it this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!
Kristy says
Oh I need this right now! I love lemon. Seriously, love lemon. This looks fantastic and I loved the shot and explanation with the stripe down the center of the spatula. That will be a very helpful comparison when I make this. 🙂
Barbara says
Yummy! And so many ways to use it!
Joanne says
Whenever I make curd of any kind I feel kind of like I’m making magic…like how can such simple ingredients turn into such heaven!
Jennifer | Mother Thyme says
You have inspired me to make some lemon curd. It has been awhile since I have and I have on my list to make some; now I think I will be whipping some up this week. Great post!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I still haven’t made lemon curd but yours is perfectly sunny!
Chels R. says
See this is what I was waiting for! I’m gonna make this! When I get back from California, I am going to make THIS!
Cassie says
I keep telling myself that I need to make lemon curd but haven’t gotten to it. I am drooling over yours, Deborah!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
When I saw some of the teasers on instagram, I knew this was going to be amazing!
Mercedes says
I just finished a post about lemon curd as I just made it for the first time last weekend! It was so much easier than I had feared!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
I love the versatility and ease of lemon curd. Yours looks perfect, Deborah!
kellypea says
I love, love, love lemon curd and find it nearly impossible not to want to lick the wooden spoon when I’m making it. If you’ve never made curd with other citrus, definitely do. I think lime is my favorite, but blood orange has a surprisingly delicate taste. Great “how-to!”
Miss @ Miss in the Kit chen says
I must get some lemons and make this, I love lemon!
Maria says
Love lemon curd! I could eat it from the jar!
kelley {mountain mama cooks} says
I’ve never bought lemon curd…..I’m lazy like that. I always rely on the grocery store to help me out! Thanks for showing how EASY it is to make!
Julie @ Table for Two says
I totally didn’t know lemon curd was that easy to make. It seemed like such a daunting and hard item…I guess I’ll have to make some soon 🙂 thanks for this tutorial! The step by step was great!
Rosa says
A great post! Love the detailed pictures.
Lemon curd is so delicious that I could eat it at every meal. ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa