Homemade lemon curd is perfect for spreading on toast, filling desserts or enjoying by the spoonful. Made with fresh lemons and simple ingredients!

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Lemon curd is one of the simplest recipes to prepare. It requires fresh lemons, sugar, eggs and butter. Lemon curd is a rich thick spread with a smooth, creamy texture and a bright, sweet-tart flavor. It’s perfect for adding to desserts or spreading on toast for a zesty breakfast treat.

Once you try this simple recipe you will never want to buy lemon curd from the store because it will never taste nearly as good as this homemade version. The secret to the best lemon curd is to add cold butter at the end, which makes the texture silky soft and thickens beautifully.

With it, you can prepare some of the best Lemon Meringue Pies or Lemon Bars or use it to flavor buttercream filling or frosting on cakes and cupcakes. Check out my full recipe tutorial below, where you will find every ingredient with some important substitution notes as well as some steps, and various tips for making the best homemade lemon curd.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Lemons:

For maximum flavor, you should buy high quality lemons because you will need the zest and juice for the extra zest and zing flavor.

Egg yolks:

For this recipe, we only need the yellow part egg yolks. They will curdle for you quite nicely. Other than that you can keep the egg white and later use it in dishes like Meringue Buttercream or Angel Food Cake.

Butter:

For the recipe, we need curd rub in the mix. Butter is great for that and it adds a creamy and rich.

Note: Make sure to use unsalted butter and I like to keep it cold before adding so it thickens the curd quickly.

Sugar:

For the curd, white sugar is great. Brown sugar is a big no to this recipe because it will change the taste and the color.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD

1. add the egg yolks to a bowl, freeze the whites for another use.

2. zest and juice two lemons, you will need around two tablespoons.

3. add the esi lim sugar to something that can mix it thoroughly, food processor is great for that.

pulse till your combine is light yellow and smells great. sugar can be optional.

4. Squeeze your lemons until you obtain approximately half a cup of juice. Strain to remove any pips and pulp.

5. Transfer the yolks into the pot, while leaving behind any stray parts of the egg (skipping this step is fine.

6. Blend the sugar into the eggs.

7. Whisk the sugar into the yolks until it lightens in color. This means the sugar is starting to dissolve.

8. Add the juice of the lemons slowly while whisking, then mix until fully blended.

9. You want to heat the mixture slowly while constantly whisking until you can see the curd is starting to thicken and gently bubble.

10. The curd is thick enough if you can draw a line on the back of a wooden spoon with your finger and the line holds.

10. The curd is thick enough if you can draw a line on the back of a wooden spoon with your finger, and the line holds.

12. Transfer the curd immediately into a bowl or jar, then cover it with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it against the curd to prevent a skin from forming while it cools. Refrigerate until needed.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Using the correct type of lemon juice is crucial for achieving the right flavor; using a freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best option. Avoid using any type of packaged lemon juice as it will be too acidic and ruin the flavor.
The best indicator that the curd is done is when a thickened consistency is reached and the back of a wooden spoon is coated.
Keeping the heat on low is important; do not raise the heat to try and speed things up or else the eggs will scramble.
Do not stop whisking the curd until it is off the heat as whisking will result in the eggs turning lumpy and scrambling.
If your stove does not have a very low setting, then it is better to use a double boiler to allow for better temperature control and prevent the eggs from overcooking.
To prevent a skin from forming while the curd cools, put plastic wrap directly on the surface immediately after putting it in a bowl or jar.
The lemon curd thickens as it cools, but it is crucial to allow it to cool completely before filling it in cakes.
Cooling the curd can be done by adding cold butter which aids the curd in setting faster.
The curd will finish setting in the fridge.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED LEMON ZEST FOR THIS RECIPE?

You do not have to use lemon zest but its use is strongly encouraged as it contains lemon oils which add remarkable flavor.

MY LEMON CURD WON’T THICKEN, WHAT CAN I DO?

If after cooling, your curd appears too thin (pourable like a sauce), you may add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the curd (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water). Stir the mixture into the curd and gently heat while stirring until the curd thickens. Remember, curd will thicken further during cooling.

MY CURD IS LUMPY, WHAT DO I DO?

If you have lumps in your lemon curd it’s most likely caused by overcooked portions of the egg. Simply pass the curd through a sieve to remove the zest and lumps. If it still appears lumpy, quickly blend with a regular or immersion (handheld) blender until smooth.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SERVE IT?

Lemon curd may be served in various ways such as filling cakes and cupcakes beating into whipped cream and even spreading on scones. The uses are endless such as having it on toast with coffee for breakfast.

DO I NEED TO STRAIN IT?

While there is an option to skip straining, I do suggest doing it to remove lemon zest and any egg pieces.

To get a smoother lemon curd, zest and any lumpy bits can be left behind after pressing lemon curd into a sieve.

HOW LONG DOES IT LAST, CAN IT BE FROZEN?

In the refrigerator lemon curd can last up to a week while in the freezer it can last up to three months. It is to be noted that after freezing, one should thaw it in the fridge overnight before use.