This homemade lemon curd comes together in 10 minutes and with just 5 ingredients! All you need to do is whisk it all together and you'll have a delicious spread to use in so many ways!
If you enjoy this recipe, you'll like my Easy Lemon Bars or my Lemon Curd Tart.
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To be totally honest, we sometimes eat it with just a spoon instead of using it for whatever recipe it was intended (like this fluffy and gorgeous Angel Food Cake.
Originally published June 2019 and updated for content May 2022.
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a buttery, sweet dessert topping (or spread) that has a lovely tart lemon flavor. You can make it with 5 ingredients with a whisk and a saucepan on your stove top and use it in so many recipes. If you are a lemon fan, this recipe is just for you!
Homemade lemon curd is seriously that good! Since we love angel food cake so much, there is usually a batch of lemon curd here about once or twice a month.
This easy lemon curd comes together in just minutes and is so creamy and full of wonderful tart lemon flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. Homemade lemon curd is so much better than store-bought, which has all these extra ingredients that let it have a long shelf life.
Ingredients needed to make lemon curd
To make this easy lemon curd recipe, all you'll need is:
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest and juice
- Eggs
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
How to make lemon curd
Making lemon curd at home is really simple. You won't ever need to buy lemon curd at the store again! This recipe is fool-proof, takes less than 10 minutes, and makes about 1 ½ cups lemon curd.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and eggs to a saucepan and whisk over medium-low heat until the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, which could take about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the butter, then continue stirring until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Spoon the homemade lemon curd into a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps before storing it in an air-tight container.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make up to 10 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin.
- The curd thickens as it chills.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Leave 1 cm space for expansion.
- Thaw in the fridge and whisk smooth before using.
Our Top Tips for making the best lemon curd
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs so everything whisks together smoothly and evenly.
- Always choose freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice flattens the flavor.
- For an extra-thick lemon curd, replace two egg yolks with one whole egg. You'll use 2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg total.
- Cook the curd over low to medium-low heat and whisk constantly to prevent curdling.
- The curd is done when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a clean line (around 77-80 °C).
- Remove from heat before adding butter, then whisk it in gradually for a glossy finish.
- If the curd looks grainy, strain it while hot for a perfectly smooth texture.
- The curd thickens as it cools, so don't overcook it on the stove.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQ's
This recipe makes about 2 to 2¼ cups of lemon curd.
How that translates into servings depends on how you use it:
8 servings if you serve ¼ cup per person (toast, pancakes, yogurt)
12-16 servings if you use 2-3 tablespoons per person (cakes, tarts, fillings)
One 23-25 cm tart with a standard curd layer
Two 20 cm cake layers filled generously
Yes, you can use vegan butter sticks instead of regular butter. I've made homemade lemon curd both ways and enjoy the taste either way!
The heat was too high or it wasn't whisked constantly. Always cook over low to medium-low heat and whisk nonstop.
Yes. It firms up significantly after chilling for a few hours.
The eggs cooked too fast. Strain the curd to restore a smooth texture.
What to Do With Lemon Curd
There are so many ways to eat this tart spread! Here are a few ways my family loves using our homemade lemon curd:
- As a spread for scones, waffles, or pancakes
- As a filling in this Lemon Curd Bundt Cake
- As a filling in this Lemon Curd Tart
- Atop slices of Angel Food Cake
Some other lemon recipes you'll love:
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Lemon Curd
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest , finely grated
- 4 large eggs (whole)
- 4 egg yolks
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice (I used organic)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into pieces (I used vegan sticks)
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the colored zest from the lemons, leaving the white pith and add the zest to your sauce pan.
- Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and eggs in a small saucepan on medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking the entire time for at least 10 minutes.
- Place the diced butter in a medium bowl.
- Place the pan over medium heat and add in the butter (or vegan butter). Stir until the butter has melted. Keep stirring until the curd is thick enough to coat back of a wooden spoon. Take care not to boil and to whisk very quickly; 5-7 minutes.
- Spoon out the curd over a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Be sure to spoon it out a small portion at a time into the sieve. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd let the lemon curd cool slightly.
- If using for a lemon tart, spoon into tart shell. Leave in refrigerator to cool down if you are using for another recipe.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: The lemon curd can freeze for to 3-6 months. Simply thaw in the refrigerator.
- Thicker Lemon Curd: For thicker lemon curd, replace 2 of the egg yolks with 1 whole egg. This means you will use 2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg. Keep the rest of the recipe and instructions the same.
- Lemon Juice: This recipe is not the same with bottled lemon juice. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice only.
- Butter: You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter and just omit the salt that is in the recipe. We have made this with butter and with vegan butter sticks. Either way, it's delicious. So if you have someone dairy-free, make it with the Earth Balance butter sticks (or your favorite vegan sticks).
I made a batch of this over the weekend and the texture is like silk! Thanks for the recipe!
I tried another lemon curd recipe before and it didn't work. Now I gave this one a try and the tips were very helpful. It was delish!
This homemade lemon curd was so good and refreshing!
How may cups of curd does this make?
Hi Robert-This lemon curd recipe yields about 2 cups (around 480 ml) of lemon curd.
I really enjoy this lemon curd recipe. I make it with Meyer lemons when they are in season.