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My easy Lemon Curd recipe is the perfect easy curd! Just a few ingredients and you can make it from scratch. It tastes so much better than from the store.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s always silky smooth and perfectly tart and sweet.
BEST Lemon Curd Recipe Video
Why you need this recipe
I am in love with lemon curd and lemon all the things! I’ve been making this homemade curd for years and decided I finally needed to share it with you.
If you’ve never made homemade lemon curd, you should. It’s so much tastier than the kind from the jar. Plus, store-bought is sometimes hard to find and it’s expensive.
Lemon Curd is a simple recipe made with just a few ingredients and it goes great on toast, in fillings for desserts, or on a spoon. You can use this curd to make things like lemon tarts or fillings for lemon cupcakes or lemon pastry.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in easy lemon curd
All lemon curd recipes are basically similar, with similar ingredients. However, my lemon curd recipe has one big difference:
I use whole eggs.
Most recipes for lemon curd that you see will call for just egg yolks. I hate using yolks and not whites because I always forget to use the whites for something. They end up going to waste which kills me because eggs aren’t cheap. So I developed a lemon curd recipe with whole eggs to eliminate waste.
Here’s what you need:
- Fresh lemon juice: it’s important to juice it yourself
- Lemon zest: learn how to zest lemons
- Granulated Sugar: for sweet
- Whole Eggs
- Unsalted Butter
That’s it! Sometimes I add a pinch of salt as well, especially since I use unsalted butter.
It’s like making a custard, but instead you’re making curd. I like to think of this as a cross between jam and lemon custard. It’s got a consistency that’s between the two and a flavor that’s unparalleled.
How to make lemon curd
Whisk: It’s really important that you whisk all the ingredients together first, before turning it onto the heat. You don’t want the eggs to scramble!
Cook: Then, like when you’re making pudding or a cream sauce, you cook and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. It’ll bubble and coat the back of a spoon and that’s how you know it’s done.
Strain: Now, because we are using whole eggs, we have to make sure that none of the egg whites cooked. This is why I always strain my curd using a fine mesh strainer. It takes out any lumps or chunks and gives a nice silky lemon curd.
Always strain your curd so it stays silky smooth!
PRO TIP
At this point, the curd is a bit thin but don’t worry: it will thicken as it cools.
Commonly asked questions
Did you cook it long enough? It should boil and coat the back of a spoon and be very thick. Let it cool. Once it cools and chills it will thicken. Make sure to use fresh lemon juice so the pectin can work its magic.
Curd thickens because of the eggs and the natural pectin in the fresh lemon juice. That’s why it’s important to use fresh lemon juice! It thickens more as it cools as well.
Store this in a jar or other airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Yes you can! I like freezing it in plastic containers. Just thaw in the refrigerator.
First, make sure it’s been cooked long enough. It should be thick and coat the back of the spoon (thicker than heavy whipping cream) so if it’s still runny, make sure to cook it longer. If you’ve let it cool and it’s still thin, warm it back up over low heat and add a bit of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) and cook until it thickens.
Make sure it doesn’t bubble or it could break. Cook it at a low temperature!
How to use Lemon Curd
There are so many ways to use this recipe! Besides putting it on toast or eating it with a spoon, you can use it anywhere you’d use jam or pudding. Here are some of my favorite recipes to use this in:
- Lemon Tarts
- Lemon no bake dessert
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Cake Roll
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Mini Cheesecakes
Easy Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3 large large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter diced
Instructions
- Place eggs, sugar, salt, juice, and zest in a medium saucepan. Do not put it over the heat yet. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Place over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Turn all the way to low and add the butter. Stir until smooth.
- Remove from heat and pour into jar(s). Makes just shy of 2 cups.
Recipe Nutrition
Tools for success:
- Lemon juicer
- Strainer
- Saucepan
- Whisk
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Last Updated on April 30, 2023
This is absolutely delicious and comes together very quickly. The only thing I changed was added one egg yolk. Perfect. I did put it through a sieve as I did not want the lemon rind. I used the puff pastry dough to make small tartlets, so very easy and I put raspberries and blackberry alternating on the plate. Really pretty and I had to send the recipe out to many people.
I added half a sample bottle of Bacardi ….
Best lemon curd I have ever tasted and, it was very easy to make.
Super easy recipe! Like that it uses the whole egg not just the yolks. Whisked all the ingredients together at low heat (reduced the chances of the egg whites cooking) and then used wooden spoon to finish. Silky smooth!! Tarts were amazing dessert enjoyed by all.
i ended up using 3 medium size eggs and it works well too
First time ever making lemon curd it was easy and delicious!!! Now I will figure out ways how to use ! Density is perfect! I used whole eggs and strained at the end.
Hi, i want to try out this recipe but i feel like 3 eggs is too many for the yield that i want. do you know what’ll happen if i make it with 2 eggs only? Really like how you use both egg whites and yolk btw!
I haven’t tried it with just 2 eggs, but if you do let me know if it works.
i ended up using 3 medium size eggs and it works well too
I used this on shells made of soft ginger cookies and they were awesome…nice little bite size and everyone loved them!!
i wish in the recipe instructions that you mention the need to have it boil. the recipe only says keep it over low heat and does not mention getting it to a boiling point. i hope it sets like it’s supposed to.
I’m going to make this now for dessert. I just love everything lemony!
Best recipe I’ve used for Lemon Curd – Thank you! 5 Gold Stars…
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