Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (VIDEO)

Homemade Lemon Curd tastes like the best part of Lemon Bars – the creamy lemony center. This lemon curd has a wonderfully fresh and vibrant lemon flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the tanginess.

Making your own Lemon Curd Recipe is easier than you think and it tastes better than store-bought. It also keeps really well. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to make it from scratch.

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My In-laws live in California and have several lemon trees growing in their backyard. Every year they give us a large box of homegrown lemons and I sure put them to good use. I do everything from freezing the zest to freezing the lemon juice in ice cube trays and then enjoy their lemons all through winter. If you love lemons, check out our post on What to do with Lemons.

Lemon Curd Video Tutorial

Watch Natasha make easy Lemon Curd. All you need is a saucepan, whisk and sieve to strain it through. It requires only 6 ingredients (including salt) and takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Just like nearly everything, homemade tastes best.

What is Lemon Curd?

Lemon curd is a spread made out of fresh lemon juice, eggs, sugar, zest, and butter. The eggs in the recipe thicken the mixture, giving it a custard-like consistency. It’s often used as a dessert topping or spread for cakes, cookies, tarts, etc.

Serve this over Sponge Cake, with Strawbery Scones or Crepes. It’s also a tasty filling for Lemon Curd Tartlets. There are so many uses for Lemon Curd.

Ingredients

The key to making great lemon curd is to use fresh lemon juice. Avoid using concentrate or you’ll wish you just bought a jar of the stuff.

• Eggs – use 3 large whole eggs right out of the fridge.
• Sugar – We found that 1/2 cup of granulated sugar cuts the tartness perfectly.
• Salt – a pinch of fine sea salt balances the flavors.
• Lemon – since you’ll need the zest and juice, make sure to zest a lemon before squeezing the juice.
• Butter – use unsalted butter, sliced into pieces for quicker melting.
• Vanilla Extract – we always use real vanilla extract.

How to Make Lemon Curd

1. In a medium saucepan – vigorously whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until frothy.
2. Add lemon juice while whisking and stir until combined.
3. Add butter pieces and whisk constantly over low heat until mixture is thickened (8-9 minutes). Lemon curd thickens around 160-170˚F. Once you see it start bubbling, let it gently simmer for a few seconds then remove it from the heat at 175-180˚F on a thermometer. It should coat the back of a spoon without running when you pull your finger across the spoon.
4. Strain – pour the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve, stirring over the sieve with a whisk to help it strain through. Discard the solids.
5. Add vanilla – stir in vanilla extract until combined.
6. Cool and store – once lemon curd is at room temperature cover and store in the refrigerator up to one week.

Pro Tip: Lemon Curd is cooked at 170˚F. You can use an instant-read thermometer to gauge progress. I take it off the stove at around 175-180˚F which is when it starts to lightly bubble.

Common Questions

Make-Ahead

• To Refrigerate: once cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• Freezing: transfer to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1/2″ of headroom at the top and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
• To Reheat: lemon curd should be served cold. There is no need to heat it.

This recipe is so versatile and delicious and it keeps really well. I hope it becomes a new favorite for you. Let me know your favorite ways to enjoy lemon curd in the comments below.

More Lemon Recipes to try

If you need a good recipe for using up lemon juice, add Lemon Curd to your recipe repertoire. Here are some more great lemon desserts to try:

• Lemon Bars
• Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze
• Classic Lemonade
• Canning Lemons
• Lemon Poppyseed Cake
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Lemon Posset (3-ingredients)

Lemon Curd Recipe

4.98 from 107 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Fresh homemade Lemon Curd has vibrant lemon flavor and tastes like the creamy filling in Lemon Bars. It’s so much better than store-bought and this is the easiest method that comes together quickly in a saucepan.

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Prep Time: 6 minutes mins

Cook Time: 9 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 20 people (makes 1 1/4 cups)

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, from 3 lemons, strained
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a medium (2 qt) saucepan, combine eggs, sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt. Whisk vigorously until well combined, frothy, and lightened in color.
• Whisk in lemon juice until blended.
• Add butter pieces and set the pot over low heat, whisking constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture is thickened (7-9 minutes). The lemon curd will thicken around 160-170˚F. Once you see it start bubbling, let it gently simmer for a few seconds then remove it from the heat at around 175-180˚F on a thermometer. When it's ready, it should coat the back of a spoon without running when you pull your finger across the spoon.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (if you stir in the sieve with the whisk, it will push the mixture through the sieve faster). Discard the solids left in the sieve.
• Stir in vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool to room temperature then store covered in the refrigerator to fully set. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition Per Serving

60kcal Calories5g Carbs1g Protein4g Fat2g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat1g Monounsaturated Fat1g Trans Fat34mg Cholesterol10mg Sodium17mg Potassium1g Fiber5g Sugar141IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C5mg Calcium1mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Curd Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

60

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4

g

6

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

34

mg

11

%

Sodium

 

10

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

17

mg

0

%

Carbohydrates

 

5

g

2

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

 

141

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

2

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

5

mg

1

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: homemade lemon curd recipe, lemon curd

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 60