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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
I have made this twice already and it really works beautifully, very smooth. I really like it and I’m glad I’ve found the recipe. The only criticism I could possibly have is that it only makes about one cup, it filled up half of my pint jar. I guess I will double the recipe from now on. But thank you for the wonderful recipe
Luscious and very easy to make! Never going back to buying a jar at the store (very expensive in the store) . It was a little watery in the pan and I added a little sprinkle of Wondra flour to thicken it up. It came out perfect. This recipe came out perfect. Thank you for sharing.
Luscious! Never going back to buying lemon curd (which I agree with the Dorothy Kern; it’s very expensive in the store) It was a little watery in the pan buy I sprinkled a little Wondra to thicken it and it came out perfect). This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing Dorothy Kern.
This recipe is so easy and just delicious 🍋🍋. I’m eating it straight out of the jar. Received fresh lemons from a neighbor and it made all the difference in taste vs grocery store lemons. I’ve made twice now, my go to recipe for spring.
I followed your instructions to the letter. Best Lemon Curd I have ever had. Almost the best lemon anything I have ever had.
Great, easy, delicious recipe. I have made this twice now once as a single batch and the other as a double batch and both turned out wonderful for my stawberry-peach-lemon curd trifles. If you use a non-reactive pot then it will not taste of metal. Concerning the issue of scrambled eggs, in a double batch I had about 2 Tbsps of zest, unmelted butter, and what might be called scrambled proteins from the bottom of the pot, but that is why you whisk the ingredients together and allow the temperature to come up gradually and then strain any curd. After the straining the curd is perfectly smooth and tasty.
I am going to try this curd recipe with other flavors as this Summer continues.
I did not know it was so easy to make lemon curd. I will make it and put it in a recipe I think I will try what is Lemon Lush. It looks delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Did not work for me at all. I ended up with an eggy tasting curd that didn’t set. I’m so disappointed.
I’m sorry that happened! When using whole eggs you have to make sure you whisk them before adding – and also be sure to temper them as instructed. Not tempering them properly can result in an eggy tasting curd.
Omggg I just made this and it’s amazing!! Thank you for an awesome lemon flavor!! Will be making again and again!!
This is really good. I really love that you can use the whole egg and not have to separate them and try to figure out what to do with the egg white. Kudos to this recipe!
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