Never buy lemon curd from the store again! No really, don’t, it’s gross. And making it at home is so easy! This lemon curd is creamy, tart, and perfect for topping your toast. Or topping your spoon.Originally published July 10, 2015.
Table of Contents
- This recipe for Lemon Curd is so tart and creamy!
- Best Lemon Curd ingredients
- How to Make Lemon Curd
- Easy Lemon Curd Recipe tips
- Best Lemon Curd Recipe storage
- Lemon Curd Recipe FAQs
- You might like these recipes too!
- Lemon Curd Recipe
Last night Eric and I were sitting around the dining room table eating ice cream withhis family. There was a lull in the conversation, so Aunt Joy poked her 9-year-old son Blake. “Tell us a joke, Blake.” Mumble mumble mumble. “What?”
“They wouldn’t be appropriate for the table.” 9 YEARS OLD MY FRIENDS.
Speaking of inappropriate jokes, we were at my sister-in-law’swedding reception last week, and I went over to Nana and Bumpa (Eric’s 85-year-old grandparents) to get them on the dance floor. Uptown Funk was playing. I was singing. The first time I said“Uptown funk don’t give it to you,” Nana gives me this shocked look and says, “Oh!” with her mouth hanging open. “No, no, no, Nana, FUNK, not the other one, you know, funk, like funky music.”It was a lost cause from the start.
This recipe for Lemon Curd is so tart and creamy!
What is lemon curd?
Lemon curd is a smooth, sweet, buttery lemon spread. It’s made with four simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. The consistency is like pudding, but it’s less creamy. It’s cooked (no raw eggs) and usually served cool or cold on top of or inside other things (like gingerbread, toast, or cupcakes). I personally eat it warm, with a spoon (and put it on everything in my kitchen).
Now, have you bought lemon curd at the store? That stuff is like pure corn syrup plus gelatin I think, and I’m not even talking about the cheap brands. The homemade stuff is absolutely incomparable. It is perfectly tart and creamy and gives you that little zing in your mouth that is a must for any citrus dessert.
It’s a super easy recipe, too. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool down in the fridge, although I certainly wouldn’t say no to a nice hot spoonful of lemon curd.
Best Lemon Curd ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Lemon zest (optional)
- Lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
- Sugar
- Eggs (7)
- Butter
How to Make Lemon Curd
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
- In a small saucepan, stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat together 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Whisk very well.
- When the liquid on the stove is ready, slowly pour some of it into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly.
- Return the pot to the stove and add the rest of the eggs while stirring. Continue to whisk pretty constantly over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. When you drag your whisk over the top of the mixture, it should leave marks.
- Pour the curd through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir the chopped butter into the lemon curd until it’s completely melted.
- Press a square of plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd and refrigerate until cold, about 2-4 hours. Transfer to a Tupperware.
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe tips
How to thicken lemon curd
Lemon curd will thicken as it cooks. If you haven’t cooked it long enough (meaning that a whisk dragged across the top doesn’t leave marks), no worries–just keep cooking it. Remember that it will thicken more as it cools, especially after you’ve added the butter (a solid at room temperature).
Can you overcook lemon curd?
Yes, you definitely can. The goal is just to cook the lemon curd until a whisk dragged through the curd leaves marks. After that, you risk scrambling the eggs in it. Now, if you overcook your curd (you’ll know because it will have little lumpy egg bits in it), don’t despair! You can put it in the blender or food processor and blend it until the egg bits are gone.
Best Lemon Curd Recipe storage
Lemon curd can be kept in any regular storage container–plastic Tupperware, fancy jam jars you’ve washed and saved, whatever you like. Just keep it in the fridge so it won’t spoil.
How long does lemon curd last?
Lemon curd lasts for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze it for several months (perfect for early Christmas prep to give out as neighbor gifts).
Best Lemon Curd uses
I made several batches to get it just right, but originally I made itto use as a filling for a layer cake. Here are some other ideas:
- spread it on toast
- top ice cream
- Use it as a filling in this Coconut Layer Cake
- stuffed cupcakes
- filled donuts
- top pancakes
- Throw it in a pie shell and top with whipped cream
- fruit dip (I love it with bananas, strawberries, in a bowl with blueberries or raspberries)
- Stir into plain Greek Yogurt and top with granola and/or fruit
- Fold into whipped cream and top a cake with it
- Top a bagel or breakfast pastry
- Top a pavlova
- Fill crepes
- Spoon a bunch on top of softened cream cheese and serve with crackers
- Spread on gingersnaps or these Soft Ginger Cookies
Good luck with all these suggestions, by the way. When I make lemon curd I hardly ever make it past thespoon.
Lemon Curd Recipe FAQs
What to serve with Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a great topping or filling for anytime you want some of that tart-sweet magic.
As a topping for:
Toast
Ice cream
Pancakes
Greek yogurt
Bagels
Pastries
Gingersnaps
As a filling in:
Coconut Layer Cake
Cupcakes
Donuts
Crepes
Soft Ginger Cookies
What is lemon curd made of?
Lemon curd is made of lemon juice, sugar, butter, and eggs. It’s a bit like a lemon custard.
Why did my lemon curd turn green?
Sometimes lemon curd can turn green if it comes into contact with something made of copper or aluminum. Weird right?? You can just avoid this by not using a pan or bowl made with those materials. If you didn’t use metal and your lemon curd turns green, it’s probably aliens. Or the lizard people.
Why does my lemon curd taste eggy?
If your lemon curd is eggy tasty (or eggy textured), you might have overcooked or scrambled the eggs. Also, you might not have stirred and whisked when you were supposed to. This is one of those recipes where it’s really helpful to read the instructions through before you begin (I’m sooo guilty of not doing that sometimes!). That way you’ll have all the tools you need at the ready to keep the eggs from rebelling on you.
You might like these recipes too!
Gingerbread Pancakes << lemon curd would be AMAZING on top of these.
Meyer Lemon Tart << ever had Meyer lemons? They are so uniquely delicious!
Cinnamon Honey Butter << this makes another fantastic neighbor gift.
Raspberry Lemon-Glazed Muffins << if you love lemon like I do…you’re going to love these muffins.
Coconut Syrup << make an ultimate Hawaiian breakfast with this homemade syrup.
Lemon Curd Pound Cake from Cookies and Cups
Easy Lemon Tarts from Crazy for Crust
Lemon Curd Stuffed Cupcakesfrom A Side of Sweet
Lemon Curd
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Chill Time: 2 hours hrs
Total: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Servings: 8 Servings
Never buy lemon curd from the store again! No really, don't, it's gross. And making it at home is so easy! This lemon curd is creamy, tart, and perfect for topping your toast. Or topping your spoon.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, optional*
- 3/4 cup lemon juice, fresh, 3-4 large lemons
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs , + 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 stick, chopped**
Instructions
In a small saucepan, stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat together 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Whisk it very well.
When the liquid on the stove is ready, slowly pour some of it into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly. I usually pour in about half, but you can do more or less. This is called tempering the eggs.
Return the pot to the stove and add the rest of the eggs while stirring. If you don’t stir you may curdle your eggs.
Continue to whisk pretty constantly over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. When you drag your whisk over the top of the mixture, it should leave marks.
Pour the curd through a mesh strainer into a new bowl (or the same one, washed). Unless you are an expert curd maker, you will probably have a few solid egg pieces in there, which is totally okay! Just strain them out.
Stir the chopped butter into the lemon curd until it’s completely melted. This is a good time for a large spoonful of hot lemon curd.
Press a square of plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd. If you just cover the bowl, you will get a film on your curd.
Refrigerate until cold, about 2-4 hours. It will thicken up some as it cools.
Transfer to a tupperware. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
*The lemon zest adds great flavor and will make it more tangy. If texture is more important to you than flavor and you are looking for a super creamy lemon curd, then leave it out.
**I’ve seen similar recipes that call for up to 8 tablespoons of butter. Go for it! I think it tastes great with 4 tablespoons, but I’m not one to turn down extra butter…
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 155
Keyword: curd, lemon
Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!
Categorized as , Breakfast, , Dessert, Sweet Breakfast
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