Bright, tangy and smooth, an Easy Lemon Curd Recipe using up winter’s most popular citrus. Fresh lemons are used to create a creamy, custardy delight that’s wonderful on pastries, in tarts or just enjoy by the spoonful.

Lemon Curd in a jar on a white napkin with a spoon next to it.


If you’re looking for a bright, taste of sunshine in the dead of winter, boy, do I have the recipe for you. This rich, creamy Homemade Lemon Curd is just what you need to wake up those tastebuds and convince them that summer is right around the corner. Even though, it is not.

We love to spread our fruit curd on all the things like our favorite toasted bread on Sunday morning or go savory and use as a tangy barbecue sauce for bbq chicken on the grill.

What is Lemon Curd?

Lemon Curd is a flavorful, creamy spread with bright citrus flavor made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s a great addition to cakes, pastries, or as a topping for tarts and has the consistency of pudding.

Perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, this easy Lemon Curd is smooth, creamy and beautifully vibrant in lemon-y flavor. You can use it as a lemon filling for lemon bars, lemon meringue pie and lemon tarts. I also love it spooned over pound cake and topped with whipped cream.

Fresh and Simple Ingredients

  • Sugar – Granulated white sugar provides the sweetness and balances the lemons perfectly.
  • Fresh Lemons – You’ll use both the lemon juice and lemon zest for this recipe. I use regular lemons because I like the tart lemon flavor, if you want something a little tamer, Meyer lemons are less tart and a little sweeter.
  • Eggs – I use large eggs for this recipe. Fresh egg yolks create the rich texture. To use up the whole eggs, save the egg whites for another recipe.
  • Butter – I use salted butter because I feel it adds the best flavor. You can use unsalted butter as a substitute but stir in a pinch of salt to balance the flavor.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Lemon Curd being spread on a croissant.

How To Make Lemon Curd

This Easy Lemon Curd Recipe takes just minutes to make with just three ingredients….lemons, sugar and butter.

  1. Pulse the sugar and fresh lemon zest in a food processor to break down the zest a bit. I’m not a big fan of curds that are swimming with long strands of zest that were unable to break down during the cooking process, so the food processor takes care of that a bit.
  2. Whisk the eggs and sugar mixture together in a small bowl until light, fluffy and a pale yellow color. Then whisk in the fresh lemon juice.
  3. Set up a double boiler or place a glass bowl on top of a saucepan with 1 inch of water.
  4. Cook the egg mixture in the top of the double boiler over medium-low heat until it’s thick and creamy, smooth and irresistible. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Reduce to low heat. (Be careful not to overcook or scorch the mixture or the lemon curd will have an eggy taste similar to scrambled eggs.)
  5. Stir in the cold butter until smooth and creamy.
  6. Cool the hot curd to room temperature and then transfer to storage containers or glass jam jars.

Now, you can either dig into the best lemon curd with a spoon or create some wonderful treats to usher in some of that Spring weather we’re all hoping for.

Tips for Perfect Lemon Curd

  • Use a rubber spatula to stir the lemon curd while it’s cooking so you don’t scorch the egg mixture and scramble the eggs.
  • If you have a few lumps in the curd, you can pour it through a fine mesh sieve and press it through using a silicone spatula into a separate container. This will strain out any lumps.
  • Use the double boiler method by placing a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water so your lemon curd is not over direct heat.
  • Fresh lemon juice is best, avoid the temptation to use bottled lemon juice.

How to Store Lemon Curd

Transfer the lemon curd to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Lemon curd freezes well, too. Just be sure to use a freezer-safe container and freeze for no more than 3 months.

Lemon Curd in a jar with a spoon in it.

How To Use Lemon Curd

While my favorite things to do is slather a big spoonful on a piece of toasted brioche, it’s also so good in between layers of crepe to create a crepe cake, stuffed into a cupcake or swirled into some vanilla ice cream.

Make a simple tart by filling a pie crust with lemon curd and then topping with whipped cream. The options are really limitless!

We even used it to make these Blueberry Lemon Rolls, they’re simply perfect for brunch!

More Easy Fruit Spread Recipes

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Lemon Curd in a jar with a spoon in it.

Get the Recipe: Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

Yield: 1 pint
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Super easy Lemon Curd is bright, fresh and satisfying. A great addition to a cheeseboard, brunch spread or in your fridge.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 lemons, zested and juiced
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 8 tablespoons butter, cubed

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Instructions 

  • Add the sugar and zest to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the sugar and zest until moistened and the zest has broken down until smaller bits. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Add the egg yolks to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth, approximately 1 minute.
  • Whisk in the lemon juice (you should have 1/3 of a cup, if not…add a bit more lemon juice).
  • Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to measure 1 inch up the side of the pan. Bring the water to a simmer.
  • Place a heat proof bowl over the saucepan (bowl should not be touching the water) and pour the lemon mixture into the bowl.
  • Whisk the mixture until thickened and can coat the back of a spoon, approximately 8-10 minutes.
  • Immediately remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the butter, two cubes at a time. Stir the butter until completely melted before adding more.
  • Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 2023kcal, Carbohydrates: 253g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 116g, Saturated Fat: 66g, Cholesterol: 1217mg, Sodium: 855mg, Potassium: 843mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 213g, Vitamin A: 4215IU, Vitamin C: 286.2mg, Calcium: 283mg, Iron: 5.7mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American