Make homemade lemon curd in minutes with this quick and easy recipe! It's the perfect way to add a burst of citrus flavor to cakes, pastries, waffles, pancakes, and more.
If you love the fresh taste of lemon, then you will love this easy lemon curd recipe. It only takes 10 minutes to make, and it uses ingredients you already have on hand (it's the perfect way to use up those lemons on your counter!) With countless ways to use this tasty spread, it makes the perfect addition to breakfast, brunch, or baked goods like cakes and cookies.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Egg yolks: Freeze the egg whites or use them in macarons!
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
- Fresh lemon juice: Make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The bottled kind tends to give lemon curd a bitter taste, but it can be used in a pinch. Just know the flavor may be slightly different.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
🔪 Instructions
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add lemon juice, zest, and salt and whisk for a minute or two until well combined.
3. Add in the butter and whisk until melted. Continue whisking for 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
4. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to an airtight container.
🍴 Storage
Store lemon curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to one year.
🌟 Top Tip
Egg yolks can curdle easily during the cooking process. Stir the mixture the entire time it is cooking to prevent curdling. If you have some curdling, you can strain the cooked mixture at the end and still enjoy smooth, creamy lemon curd!
🍋 Serving Suggestions
Lemon curd is a versatile topping and the perfect addition to a variety of different foods! A few ideas include:
- Stir it into yogurt
- Serve it with crepes
- Bake it into pastries
- Spread it on toast, scones, or muffins
- Top your pancakes, waffles, or french toast with it
- Fold it into whipped cream
- Use it as a filling for cookies or cake
- Add it to ice cream
- Stir it into a cocktail
- Whisk it into a vinaigrette
- Use it as a cheesecake topping
- Top pavlova
💭 FAQs
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This is up to you! I don't usually strain my lemon curd, as the zest doesn't affect the texture very much. However, if the egg yolks curdle, you can still save the lemon curd by straining it to remove the lumps.
I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice in this recipe as the fresh lemons provide a brighter and more refreshing lemon flavor. But bottled juice will work in a pinch!
One of the main reasons for lemon curd doesn't thicken is that it wasn't cooked long enough. Make sure you cook the lemon curd for at least 10 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon. It should be the consistency of a hollandaise sauce at this point. After chilling in the refrigerator, it will reach a thick pudding-like consistency.
🍋 Recipes to Serve Lemon Curd With
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Print📋 Recipe
Easy Lemon Curd
Make homemade lemon curd in minutes with this quick and easy recipe! It's the perfect way to add a burst of citrus flavor to cakes, pastries, waffles, pancakes, and more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings 1x
- Category: Toppings
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: English
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add lemon juice, zest, and salt. Whisk for a minute or two until the mixture is well-combined.
3. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Continue constantly whisking (don't stop whisking or egg yolks will curdle) for 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep in mind that the lemon curd will thicken into a pudding-like consistency after it cools.
4. Allow the lemon curd to cool slightly before transferring to an airtight container. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to one week, or the freezer for up to one year.
Notes
1. If possible, use fresh lemon juice rather than the bottled kind. The bottled variety tends to give lemon curd a bitter taste.
2. The lemon curd can be strained if you want a smoother consistency (i.e. you don't like the texture of the zest or the egg yolks happen to curdle.)
Keywords: lemon, topping, dessert, lemon curd
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