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Our homemade Lemon Curd Recipe is practically fail-proof and great served on biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins or scones.
It’s also terrific slathered between layers of white cake, dolloped on Pound Cake, Angel Food Cake or stirred into tapioca pudding. Mix the curd with whipped cream and spread over crepes for an incredible treat.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of tangy, bright and ultra-creamy lemon curd. Homemade is so much better than store-bought!
What is Lemon Curd? 🍋
Lemon Curd is a jam-like dessert sauce made in a saucepan with eggs, sugar, salt, fresh lemon juice, butter and lemon zest. It cooks quickly, keeps well for up to a week in the refrigerator and is freezable.
This easy treat has been my go-to lemon curd recipe for more than a decade. It’s a lovely lemon sauce that’s easy to make and tastes fantastic. Don’t buy expensive lemon curd when you can make your own at home for less… and eat it warm by the spoonful! Just saying 😁
Ingredients needed to make Lemon Curd:
- whole eggs and one egg yolk
- granulated sugar
- salt
- fresh squeezed lemon juice (strained of pulp and seeds before measuring)
- unsalted butter
- lemon zest
How to make Lemon Curd
- First zest the lemons and set aside. Juice the lemons and strain out the pulp and seeds.
- Next whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, salt and lemon juice in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add the butter and lemon zest.
- Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the curd thickens.
- Blend briefly with an immersion blender for a silky smooth consistency.
- Cool, cover, refrigerate and serve!
Our lemon obsession
Lemon desserts are some of the best ever! Lemons make the best pie, blondies, macarons, and one of the easiest desserts in the world, Lemon Posset.
Try our Pink Lemonade Recipe for a delightful and refreshing summer beverage.
Squeeze lemon into your marinades and on your salads. You can also rub lemon juice on your hands to remove onion or garlic aromas. LOVE me some lemons!
Another popular and incredibly delicious dessert is our Lemon Cheesecake. This show-stopper is topped with our homemade lemon curd adding plenty of extra tangy lemon flavor. So good!
Lemon Tips 🍋
Lemon zest adds incredible flavor to many recipes. However, you must make sure you only zest the outer yellow layer of the lemon, and no white pith.
If you zest the white pith you’ll end up with a bitter aftertaste. For this recipe we recommend fresh, ripe organic lemons.
What if your lemons are not juicy?
Warm lemons juice much easier than cold. Don’t be afraid to microwave the whole lemon for about 15 seconds to warm it up. Repeat if needed until the lemon is slightly warm to the touch.
Also, to get the juices flowing firmly roll the lemon on a hard counter top or work surface under the palm of your hand. Don’t push too hard, but let it know who’s boss. After you roll a few times, the lemon should soften. Now you’re ready to squeeze out every last drop!
Since posting this luscious Lemon Curd back in 2011 it’s become a staple in our house. It comes out perfect every time. Give it a try and you’ll be hooked too!
Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs lightly whisked
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar (222g)
- dash of salt
- ¾ cup lemon juice strained (6oz) about 4 or 5 large lemons
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed (113g or 4oz)
- zest of 2 lemons (no white pith)
Instructions
- Zest two lemons and set aside. Juice 4 or 5 lemons or enough to make ¾ cup juice. Strain pulp and seeds before measuring.
- In a medium heavy bottom saucepan whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, salt and lemon juice until blended. Add butter and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the curd is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
- For a silky smooth texture, blend briefly with an immersion or stick blender. Pour into a jar and cool. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Recipe Notes
- Makes 2 cups (2 tablespoons per serving)
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freeze lemon curd for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Lemon Curd is great on just about anything!
Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
A New York-styled lemon cheesecake with a sweet graham cracker crust, melt in your mouth filling and a nice zing from the tangy lemon curd topping.
View this Recipe
Lemon-Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
A lime infused shortbread cookie filled with homemade Lemon Curd and topped with a simple lime icing – a real summer treat!
View this Recipe
Lemon Curd Ice Cream
A bright and creamy lemon ice cream with a thick swirl of tangy lemon curd.
View this Recipe
Granny's Pound Cake
Perfect every time – great toasted or served with fruit. Also freezes beautifully
View this RecipeOriginally published July 2011, updated July 2019 and March 2024
Kristy
A great recipe and super easy!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Kristy – glad you enjoyed it!
Sas
Honestly, the best lemon curd ever… Sending you an air hug…
Thanks for sharing…
Tricia Buice
Thank you Sas!!! I needed that hug today, and your kind comment. So happy you enjoyed this curd.
Jackie
Hi
What is a stick blender?
Tricia Buice
Hi Jackie. A stick or immersion blender is a hand-held kitchen tool that is used to blend sauces and soups. You can place the end of the immersion blender (with the blade) down into a pot of soup, press the button and blend without having to pour the hot liquid into the carafe of a regular blender. The blender is small enough that you can hold it in one hand. I love my stick blender and use it all the time. Great for smoothies too 😉
Carlos
Love your recipes. I tried the lemon curd
I did it on my pressure cooker out of this world
Thks
Tricia Buice
Thank you Carlos. You made my day. Great to know it works in a pressure cooker too!
Maria
sorry to say, not my favorite. Lemon curd is made much better using egg yolks only. This recipe tasted good but it took way too long to thicken, and was more jammy than creamy.
Tricia Buice
I’ve never had trouble with the recipe and have made it for years. Jam doesn’t usually have eggs in it so not sure how this turned out jammy. Sorry you didn’t enjoy it but we appreciate you trying the recipe and taking the time to comment.
N Wakershauser
Made lemon Curd and English Muffins – Heavenly. Cannot find online recipe for pound cake with lemon Curd – plz send link
Thanks
NRW
Minneapolis MN
Tricia Buice
Hi Minneapolis! The link to our regular pound cake is at the end of this post. I don’t have a lemon curd pound cake, but that sounds pretty terrific. Sorry if the post was misleading. Glad you enjoyed the lemon curd. I just love this stuff!
Jami Smith
Fantastic testing and so easy to make. I served it with fresh berries and it was a hit.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jami – glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Heather M. Whipple
This looks good.
I would rather use my ceramic non stick pot for this instead of a heavy bottom pot. Since I am already going to use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture anyway.
David Backus
Super easy. Just made this for blueberry danish filling. Delicious!
Tricia Buice
That’s a great idea David – thanks for the feedback. Bet the danish are heavenly! Now I want a blueberry danish for breakfast 🙂
Arica Hardgrove
How long will this keep?
Tricia Buice
Hi Arica. This lemon curd will keep a week in the refrigerator and a few months if frozen. Hope this helps. Thanks!
Karen
How long can lemon curd be stored in the refrigerator?
If I sealed it in a water bath canner, how long can it sit on a shelf?
Tricia Buice
Hi Karen – I have never canned lemon curd but here’s a good post about processing it for longer storage. Lemon curd will keep at least a week or up to two. Click HERE for canning information. This is a terrific curd, hope you give it a try!
Jayne Wenger
Very delicious and easy to make.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jayne 🙂
Sarah
Looks delicious! How long is this good for in the fridge once it’s made?
Tricia Buice
Hi Sarah – sorry I missed this question until now. The curd should keep 7-10 days if well refrigerated. Thanks for your patience!
Margie Bailey
Great recipe for lemon curd. Was wondering if I can use it for lemon meringue pie if I add some gelatin or cornstarch to it. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you for a great recipe.
Tricia Buice
Hi Margie – thanks for the feedback – we really love this curd too. I was thinking about your question. I made mini-tarts with the curd mixed with cream cheese that turned out wonderful – you can see that recipe here – https://www.savingdessert.com/fresh-fruit-tarts/ I’m not sure about adding gelatin and cornstarch as the filling in pies is normally thickened with eggs, which the curd already has. Blending it with whipped cream or cream cheese would make a lovely filling, but it will have a completely different texture than Lemon Meringue Pie. Perhaps doubling the curd recipe and adding more eggs would work. I would study some Lemon Meringue Pie recipes and compare the differences. Thanks for the great question – I’ll have to think about this!
Jean
We love this lemon delight…and the name of your blog. My daughters and I are allergic to wheat and corn. We have found several good pancake recipes. And now we have your delightful lemon curd to top them off…yum.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jean! This lemon curd is great on a stack of pancakes – or just about anything. Thanks so much for the feedback and for trying our recipe!
Howie.
When do you use the blender ? Can you use a electric mixer.?
Tricia Buice
Hi Howie – you don’t have to use a blender or mixer – only if you think it needs it after it’s cooked. Sometimes when you make an eggy filling like this, some of the eggs can lump up a little. No worries!
Becky
This was so easy to make and so yummy! I’ll definately make it again. I must not have whisked my egg mixture enough as I had some cooked egg whites when done. I simply strained it and it was fine.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Becky – we love this stuff and could sit and eat it with a spoon! Straining is always a great idea when working with eggs – and love the smooth texture. Thanks again and have a very Happy New Year!
Rhonda
is there a way to “can” this Lemon Curd?
Tricia Buice
Hi Rhonda. I don’t know if you can since there are eggs in the curd. I’ll research and let you know if I find out anything about canning curd. Great question – thanks so much.
Stephanie
Absolutely delicious will definitely be making this again.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie – we love it too!
Ellen
Where did you get those Weck jars? Are they large? I was looking for a small tulip size maybe 3/4 cup size. The only ones I could find were huge…Thanks for the tip!
Tricia Buice
Hi Ellen. I have always purchased my jars from Williams-Sonoma – here’s a link to the jars that they carry: Williams-Sonoma Weck Jars – I love these jars and have them in many sizes. I can always find something to do with them from using as a small vase to making pickles and I’ve also used the big ones as silverware caddies 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Trudy Tucker
Can the lemon curd be made with Splenda?
Tricia Buice
Hi Trudy – I don’t know if that will work. Sugar dissolves and becomes part of the liquid and naturally becomes syrupy. In theory Splenda might work but I haven’t tried it. Good luck!
Isa Drennan
You could try using splenda and adding corn starch/cornflour to thicken the mix
Tricia Buice
Sounds like a great idea Isa – thanks
Barefeet In The Kitchen
Hi Tricia, I adore lemon curd and have had it on my list of things to try making for ages. I think I'll move it to this week's list now. You are making me crave it! I emailed you a few days ago, but haven't heard back, so I'll leave my email here like you requested barefeetinthekitchen @ gmail . com<br /><br />Have a great day!
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
Oh, Tricia! This is right up my alley of favorite kinds of desserts! Lemon "turd" and pound cake! LOL! It is so sweet that your hubby is interested! I'm sure he enjoys the wonderful benefits of your cooking passion! I'm trying to cut back right now, but this one will be on my bucket list of recipes after I make a little headway with the weight! LOL! blessings ~ tanna
Nienke
Thank you! This looks so delicious. I also have a lemon obsession. So this is one I'll have to make soon! I think it's a good topping for the lemon cupcakes I bake often. Hmm can't wait to taste this!