Lemon Curd Recipe

How to make the perfect homemade Lemon Curd Recipe! This recipe makes a tart (easy!) version that’s perfect for using as a filling or spread! Recipe includes a step-by-step how-to video!

When Life Gives You Lemons…

Make Lemon Curd!

Have you ever made your own before? Bright and sunny, creamy and tart, it’s is a refreshing treat that’s surprisingly simple to make. You need only 5 ingredients: lemons, eggs, sugar, salt, and butter.

For years, whenever I was making a recipe that called for curd I would just buy it from the store (I used store-bought in my Lemon Blueberry Tarts and in my Strawberry Lemon Layer Angel Food Cake). The reality is, it’s easy. If you can squeeze a lemon, you can make this recipe. Below I walk you through all the tips and tricks to make sure yours comes out perfectly every time, and I even made a short and simple video (in the recipe card).

How Long will it Keep?

Up to two weeks if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

What Can I Do With It?

If you’re anything like me, it’s for eating right out of the jar. However, lemon curd typically is not meant to be enjoyed alone, it’s just too tart! Here are a few other options:

• Use as a sunny layer in my lemon cake or petit fours.
• Spreading over freshly baked Scones.
• Use it as a filling in macarons.
• As a filling for Vanilla Cupcakes or vanilla cake.
• Served on the side along with a slice of Pound Cake or (my favorite) Angel Food Cake.
• A tart filling for Cream Puffs — I recommend folding the lemon curd with some whipped cream so the filling isn’t too pucker-inducing.
• Topping off a stack of Buttermilk Pancakes or Blueberry Pancakes.
• With a warm slice of Gingerbread. I’ve never tried lemon curd with Gingerbread myself, but every holiday season I get so many comments from people telling me how wonderful the two are together!

What do you do with yours?

Tips

• When zesting your lemon, make sure to avoid the white “pith”. Essentially, you want to zest the yellow part only. Once you break through that, the white layer between the yellow skin and the lemon fruit is the pith. The pith is bitter and doesn’t taste very good.
• I always use a thermometer to test that the curd reaches at least 160F before it finishes cooking. Because we’re using egg yolks, you want them to reach at least 160F so that they are safe to consume.
• Watch the heat! Keep your heat low and stir constantly and don’t let it come to a boil! You don’t want to end up cooking your eggs.
• For best results and a smooth lemon curd, pour through a fine mesh strainer before serving. This will filter out the zest (you don’t need it once the curd has finished cooking) and give you a perfectly smooth curd.

Keep in mind the curd will thicken as it cools, so while it still may seem a bit loose as it is cooking it’ll thicken in the refrigerator.

Enjoy! I’d love to know what you do with yours, and if you try this out how you like it! 

More Recipes You Might Like:

• Homemade Lemonade
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Be sure to check out the video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 100 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

Lemon Curd Recipe

How to make the perfect homemade Lemon Curd Recipe! This recipe makes a tart curd that's perfect for using as a filling or spread! Includes how-to video!

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Servings: 13 fl oz

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 large egg yolks¹
• ▢ ½ cup fresh lemon juice² (120ml)
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces (113g)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon zest³

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk until well-combined. Transfer to stovetop over low/medium-low heat and add butter and lemon zest.
• Cook, stirring constantly (do not let the curd boil) until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon (see video below for visual). I also like to use an instant read thermometer to check that the curd reaches 160F (to ensure eggs are cooked all the way through).
• Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the lemon curd to avoid a skin forming. Allow to cool to room temperature for 20-30 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator or divide into serving jars. Chill for several hours then use as desired.

Notes

¹Looking for a recipe for your leftover egg whites? Here are a few suggestions:

• Meringue Cookies
• White Cake
• Angel Food Cake (you would need even more egg whites for this one)

²This took 3 whole lemons for me

³Zest the lemon before squeezing, it's much easier that way than trying to zest an empty lemon skin. Be sure to avoid the bitter white pith when zesting (don't grate all the way down to the actual lemon!)

How to Store

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fl oz | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 21mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Tools I Used:

• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Weck Glass Jars
• Heavy Bottomed Sauce Pan

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