This lemon curd is luxuriously smooth and creamy, and so easy to make. Made with just 5 ingredients using a easy foolproof technique to set you up for success—no egg tempering required. There are so many delicious ways to use this tart and sweet filling, so definitely bookmark this recipe!
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What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is an emulsion of lemon juice, egg yolks (and sometimes whole eggs), sugar, and butter. Lemon zest can be added for extra lemony flavour, or leave it out for a gentler taste. When made properly, lemon curd is thick, rich, and silky smooth—perfect for using as a spread on biscuits or scones, or as a filling in cakes and trifles. It’s almost magical in that it somehow manages to be both tart and sour while being rich and creamy all at the same time!
Why This Recipe Works
Most lemon curd recipes have you heat up the lemon juice and then temper the egg yolks by streaming the hot juice over them while whisking. You then heat the mixture over low heat until it’s thickened, then mix in the butter until melted. Other recipes have you whisk all of the ingredients except the butter together. Then cook very carefully on low heat or over a double boiler until thickened, before whisking in the butter. These methods can absolutely work, but they’re prone to failure—it’s too easy to accidentally cook the egg yolks or wind up with a split, greasy lemon curd.
This recipe uses an ingenious technique I learned about from Sarah Kieffer’s blog, where you beat the butter, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy before heating everything on the stove over medium heat. This thoroughly combines the egg yolks in sugar, which increases the temperature at which they coagulate (or cook), so you’re less likely to wind up with scrambled eggs. I adapted Sarah’s recipe (which uses a combination of egg yolks and a whole egg) to use just egg yolks to get an even richer taste. Save the extra egg whites to make macarons, meringues, or pavlovas!
Ingredients You Need to Make Lemon Curd
Only 5 ingredients are needed to make this delicious spread!
- Lemon juice squeezed from a fresh lemon is best. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice, it just isn’t nearly as good as fresh. Since lemon juice is the main ingredient, you’ll want to stick with fresh-squeezed—you’ll really notice the difference here. You can use the zest too if you want a stronger lemon flavour in the curd. If you do, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar before creaming it with the butter.
- Egg yolks help the curd thicken and gives it a luxurious and rich texture.
- Sugar balances the tartness of the lemons.
- Salt enhances the flavour of the curd. I recommend using a fine sea salt.
- Butter makes the curd silky smooth, and helps it to set when chilled. Use unsalted butter if you can. If all you have is salted butter, just leave out the salt called for in the recipe. Make sure your butter is at room temperature (around 68˚F or 20˚C) so it whips up properly.
How to Make Lemon Curd
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Then add the granulated sugar and salt, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the yolks and beat until light, smooth, and increased in volume. Finally, add the lemon juice and mix until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spatula. The curd should reach 170˚F (75˚C).
- Pass the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg that might have cooked by accident. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.
Tips for Success
- After adding the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar, beat until you reach the ribbon stage. You want it to be nice and fluffy and for the yolks to be thoroughly combined with the sugar. Coating the proteins in yolks with sugar raises the temperature at which they coagulate (or cook), which gives you some added insurance against winding up with bits of cooked egg in your curd. Plus, beating in enough air to get the mixture to ribbon stage helps you make a lemon curd with a really luscious texture!
- Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula to keep the lemon curd moving so that none of it stays in contact with the bottom of the pot for too long. You want to avoid winding up with lemon-flavoured scrambled eggs.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the curd has reached the correct temperature. This both ensures the curd will set properly, as well as making sure the yolks have reached a high enough temperature to be safe to eat. This thermometer is my favourite.
How to Use Lemon Curd
Apart from just snacking on it directly out of the jar (which is a totally valid way to enjoy your lemon curd, no judgment here!) there are lots of delicious ways to use your lemon curd:
- Spread it onto a scone or biscuit.
- Use it as a delicious topping on a waffle.
- Use it to fill lemon meringue pie or to top lemon bars.
- Whipped into a plain American or Swiss meringue buttercream base to transform it into a delicious lemon frosting.
- To fill cakes or cupcakes.
- To top lemon thumbprint cookies.
- As a filling in a delicious fruity trifle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Curd stores beautifully in the freezer without any change to its texture. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge before using. Once you thaw it out, use it all up. For safety reasons, you should never re-freeze food that has been thawed out.
This could be due to adding too much lemon juice by mistake, not cooking the curd for long enough on the stove, or not leaving it in the fridge long enough to set.
Yes, as long as the curd was made properly. The cool temperature in the fridge will cause the butter and yolks to solidify, which helps the curd thicken and set.
It’s likely you accidentally cooked some of the egg yolks. Pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer, and next time be more careful to keep stirring it while it’s cooking on the stove.
Foolproof Homemade Lemon Curd
Ingredients
Method
- Add 115 g unsalted butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 300 g granulated sugar and ¼ tsp fine sea salt and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add 7 large egg yolks and beat on medium-high until smooth, light and increased in volume, about 4 minutes. Add 80 g fresh-squeezed lemon juice and mix until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. The mixture should reach 170˚F (75˚C).
- Pass the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg that might have accidentally cooked, into a heat-proof bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Chill completely in the fridge, at least 2 hours. Curd can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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