Lemon Curd Recipe

I make lemon curd this way every time because it’s faster, smoother, and doesn’t have that eggy aftertaste that can sometimes happen. It’s bright, tangy, and thick enough to use in just about anything—from cakes to macarons to just eating it straight off a spoon.

Why you’ll love this lemon curd

This version skips the double boiler and uses whole eggs, which keeps things simple while still giving you a silky, rich curd.

• No double boiler needed—this comes together directly on the stove
• Smooth, thick texture without being overly heavy
• Uses whole eggs (no waste, no eggy flavor)
• Comes together quickly compared to traditional methods
• Perfect for filling, topping, or layering into desserts.

What ingredients do I need?

• Lemons: Fresh lemon juice and zest are essential here. Bottled juice just doesn’t give the same brightness.
• Eggs: I use whole eggs instead of just yolks. It creates a balanced texture and avoids that overly rich, eggy taste.
• Butter: Adds richness and helps create that smooth, creamy consistency. Use unsalted so you control the flavor.
• Sugar: Balances the tartness and helps with structure.

How I make lemon curd

If you’ve never tried making lemon curd before, I highly recommend you read my tips below! This method is easy and reliable!

1. Zest and juice the lemons: I always zest first, then juice—it’s much easier that way.
2. Beat the butter and sugar: In a bowl, I mix the butter and sugar until combined.
3. Add the eggs: I beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture. This step is key—it helps prevent the curd from tasting eggy later.
4. Add lemon juice and zest: Mix everything together until smooth.
5. Transfer to a saucepan: Use a heavy-bottom stainless steel pan—this helps prevent curdling.
6. Cook over medium-low heat: I cook it slowly, stirring constantly. Don’t rush this step or turn up the heat.
7. Cook until thickened: After about 10–15 minutes, it should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon, or reach about 170°F.
8. Cool the curd: Transfer to a bowl and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. I place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent skin from forming.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month—just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using.

Ways to use lemon curd

I use this all the time in different desserts:

• Fill cupcakes or layer into cakes. Like in my Lemon Curd Cake or Lemon Cheesecake
• Spread on scones or toast
• Use in macarons or cookies like my Lemon Poppyseed Cookies or Lemon Macarons
• Swirl into yogurt or cottage cheese
• Spoon over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream
• Let it shine in Lemon Meringue Pie!

FAQ

A few recipes you might like

If you’re making lemon curd, you’ll probably want to use it in something like my Strawberry Lemonade Macarons, Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes, Lemon Blackberry Cake, or Mascarpone Puff Pastry.

Make sure to save this recipe, pin it to your pinterest board or share it on your Facebook feed so you always have it with you! With simple ingredients, this lemon curd recipe is something you can always throw together when you need to come up with a dessert quickly.

Lemon Curd

Camila Hurst

This is a quick and easy lemon curd recipe, it doesn’t use a double boiler, so it cooks much faster, and the results are a very thick and creamy tangy curd.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 2 cups

Calories 40 kcal

Ingredients

 

Lemon Curd

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature 84 g
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 133 g
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice 120 ml
• 3 tbsp lemon zest 15 g
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

 

Lemon Curd

• To make the Lemon Curd, in a bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another minute, until creamy.
• Next, add the eggs, one at a time, and mix, making sure the first egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the lemon juice, zest and salt and mix on low speed until combined. The mixture might look separated and that’s okay.
• Pour it into a small saucepan with a heavy bottom and place it over medium-low heat.
• Make sure you don’t let the curd come to a boil at any point, and don’t stop stirring at any point either, because that will lead to the eggs curdling, and the curd will taste like scrambled eggs.
• Heat the curd slowly until a candy thermometer reads 170ºF (76ºC). If you don’t have a thermometer, the curd should be thick and coat the back of a spoon. Once you achieve a nice thick curd, remove it to a bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The curd will set and get very thick as it cools.

Notes

Note 1: Emphasizing the need to use a pan with a heavy bottom and keep the heat low or medium-low. This will ensure the curd doesn’t taste eggy.

Note 2: The reason why we beat the eggs with the butter and sugar before cooking, is because that helps speed up the denaturation process of the eggs, which will prevent the curd from having an eggy taste, it will prevent the eggs in the mixture from becoming scrambled eggs. This method also allows for the curd to be cooked without having to use a double boiler, and way faster. A lot of other methods just put everything in the pan together, but whenever I try those methods, I find that eggy aftertaste of the curd to be unpleasant, which is why I vouch for this method.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbspCalories: 40kcal

Keyword curd, lemon

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