Homemade lemon curd is quite a treat for citrus lovers. It’s tart and sweet, lusciously smooth and creamy. Only 4 ingredients and 30 minutes to enjoy this luscious dessert topping!
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I love lemons just as much as I love chocolate and caramel.
A few years ago, I went overboard and bought a case of 35lbs of lemons!!! True story… And I didn’t regret it one bit, because I learned to make a lemon curd.
What is lemon curd?
Technically, lemon curd is a custard-like citrus sauce, almost like a pudding, but better.
It’s smooth and creamy, tart and sweet.
Lemon curd is an ideal filling for many pastries, like creme puffs, cakes and such. If you’re a true lemon lover, you’ll appreciate that tangy rich lemon bite. And if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy it by a spoonful!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
This lemon curd recipe is so easy to make and tastes 100x better than a store-bought curd!
Unlike many lemon curd recipes out there, my recipe calls for whole eggs, instead of just egg yolks, and produces the same rich and creamy curd! Yay!
Ingredient Notes:
You need simple ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry.
- Lemon juice – Nothing compares to freshly squeezed lemon juice when it comes to making lemon curd. You’ll need 4-5 medium lemons.
- Lemon zest enhances the lemon flavor. Only zest the top yellow portion and avoid bitter white pith! A microplane zester is handy tool for this job.
- Eggs – My recipe is developed specifically for whole eggs. You’ll still get the lusciously rich curd!
- Sugar – Don’t be tempted to reduce the sugar amount. It yields perfectly balanced sweetness and plays an important role in thickening the sauce.
- Butter makes the curd lusciously creamy. It also helps to thicken it. If you want your curd to be on thicker side, you may add 1-2 tablespoons of additional butter. Choose unsalted butter for this recipe.
How to make this recipe:
Let me walk you through the entire process, step by step!
1. Cook the curd
- First, whisk all the ingredients in a saucepan before turning on the heat. That way you’ll prevent scrambling the egg whites.
- Then turn on the heat to low and cook the mixture, whisking continuously.
- In about 8-10 minutes, the mixture will thicken and bubble up.
- The curd is ready once it reaches 170°F. Another way to test is to run your finger on the back of a wooden spoon dipped in the curd. If the trail stays, it’s ready!
Tip
Stir the mixture continuously to prevent scorching it on the bottom.
2. Cool and add butter
- For lusciously smooth texture, run the mixture through a sieve.
- Then cover the curd with plastic wrap, making sure it touches entire surface. This prevents forming an unappealing film over the curd. Let the curd cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add butter and stir until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Pour the curd into a airtight container, cover with plastic wrap to touch and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t rush through this process. If you cook the mixture over medium to high heat, you’ll end up with lemon scrambled eggs!
- Continuously whisk the mixture while cooking. No need to whisk vigorously though, just keep stirring slowly while the mixture heats through and cooks
- Cool the curd before adding butter. It’ll prevent the butter from melting into liquid and keeps the curd lusciously creamy!
- Cover the curd with plastic wrap to touch to prevent any film forming on top.
- Once the curd is chilled in the fridge, it’ll thicken more.
Lemon Curd Uses:
There are absolutely endless ways to use lemon curd.
- Curd and English scones are a classic way to serve lemon curd.
- Drizzling it over pancakes and waffles are a perfect way to start your morning!
- For brunches, lemon Chantilly parfaits would be a huge hit!
- Homemade lemon curd is a fabulous for filling cakes, like my lemon layer cake.
- Serve it over ice cream!!
- If straight lemon curd is too much for you, mix it with whipped cream and fill creme puffs, tartlets, or a crepe cake.
- And last but certainly not least, you can use your lemon curd in this lemon raspberry cheesecake bars (my fave!).
Storing Directions:
Store the curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze it for up to 2 months.
FAQs:
I admit, the lemon curd never tastes eggy to me, but I’m not particularly sensitive to egg flavor. Typically, refrigerating homemade lemon curd overnight minimizes the eggy taste.
Avoid using reactive metal saucepan and whisk. Stick with stainless steel. Also, taste the curd after refrigerating overnight, as it may help to improve the metallic taste.
Hope you enjoy this fabulous bright and zesty curd soon!
Homemade Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice Note 1
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest Note 2
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter cubed Note 3
Helpful Equipment:
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest for a minute.
- Turn on the heat to low and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F (75°C), 8-10 minutes. The mixture will be thick and it'll leave a trail if you run a finger on back of spoon dipped in curd.
- Remove from heat. Place a mesh sieve over a bowl and run the curd through it. It makes the curd silky smooth!
- Then cover the curd with plastic wrap, making sure it touches entire surface. This prevents forming an unappealing film over the curd. Let the curd cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add butter and stir until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Pour the curd into a airtight container, cover with plastic wrap to touch and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Tips & Notes
– Store the curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
– Or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on May 8, 2015.
I tried making lemon curd last week and the bottom of the pan ending up burning. Oops! This however, looks super delicious. 🙂
Ooh no, turn the heat down next time and don’t stop whisking. 🙂 Hope you have better luck next time. Thank you, Jenna!
I am obsessed with lemon curd on toast- My family friend brought some back from London for my mum but I stole it. I should probably make her this now….
Haha, you’re too funny. You do owe it to you mom, but I’m sure she will enjoy the homemade version from son much better. 🙂 Thanks, Arman!
I adore lemon curd! And I might even have a pretty similar recipe coming up next week… Lol. But I don’t think you can ever have too many lemon curd recipes! This is gorgeous!
Haha that’s funny, Ashley! And no, no such thing as too many lemon curd recipes. Can’t wait to see your version.
This is perfect timing for me…my lemon tree is dropping lemons left and right, and we need to clear the tree. I can see juicing (and lemon curd) in my future!
Lemon tree?? Ah, you’re so lucky, girl!! I wish I had lemon tree in my backyard! Yes, do make lemon curd for sure. 🙂
You know what? I have never made lemon curd before! And lemons are SO cheap right now, it’s almost like this is meant to be!
I’m so jealous, Nagi! Do make lots of this lemon curd and freeze to enjoy all winter. Thanks!
Mmm!! This lemon curd looks fantastic, Shinee! I just want to grab the jar out of my screen and eat it by the spoonful! I recently enjoyed it with cream as a filling for my strawberry shortcakes and it was a great combo. I love how you used it in a cheesecake bar – that sounds divine! 🙂
Yep, those cheesecake bars are amazing! And the lemon curd with whipped cream is so good too! Thanks, Beeta!
This is one of my favorite things. Now I want to make some. And some cake to go with it.
Do it! Sooo good!
I just want to grab a spoon out of that jar and take a bite! This looks so tart and delicious 🙂
Thank you, Medha!
I love lemon curd and yours looks delicious (as do the beautiful little bows around the jars)! I’ve never made lemon curd with whole eggs, it’s good to know that it tastes just as great with the whites. I don’t like to separate eggs either cause I never know what to do with the whites other than whip up mountains of meringue…
Yeah, as much as I love meringue, sometimes I just don’t feel like it, you know? 🙂 Thanks, Nicole!
One of my all time favs as well, this looks incredible!
Thank you, Matt!