Thick & Buttery Homemade Lemon Curd (2024)

Learn to make lemon curd at home like a pastry chef with this step-by-step tutorial including tips and techniques I've learned from commercial kitchens. My easy lemon curd recipe uses a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks, just enough sugar, a hit of lemon zest, and lots of butter.

This is the same reader-favorite recipe as the lemon curd filling in my gluten-free lemon bars and lemon tart that I adapted from my cookbook, Alternative Baker. It takes just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make, and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for several months.

This foolproof lemon curd recipe is the one I made over and over again when I was a pastry chef. Now I'm sharing all my tips and tricks for making it at home, using a few techniques I picked up in pro kitchens. If you're a beginner, I hope my step-by-step tutorial will quell your curd-making fears. And if you're a seasoned curd-maker, I hope you'll love the streamlined method and balanced flavor of this creamy curd.

This 5-ingredient lemon curd has a bright, tangy flavor and thick, smooth consistency. It takes about 20 minutes to make 4 cups of curd and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for longer storage.

Stir this luscious lemon curd into yogurt, swirl it over cheesecake, serve it with scones or crepes, layer it with sponge cake, or bake it into lemon bars or lemon tart.

This lemon curd is:

• thick & creamy
• smooth & silky
• tangy & bright
• balanced – not overly sweet
• versatile; great for use in and on a variety of recipes

Once you've mastered this method, you can make other citrus curd recipes as well, such as lime curd tart, blood orange curt tart, and the grapefruit curd tart in Alternative Baker.

Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions

This lemon curd uses few ingredients, so be sure to get ones that taste good: fresh butter, juicy lemons, and eggs with bright yolks and firm whites. Here's what each ingredient adds to this easy lemon curd recipe:

• Lemons: form the base of this curd (obviously!) Be sure to use ripe, juicy lemons for the best flavor and texture. They should be vibrant yellow and have a tiny bit of give when you squeeze them.
  • Meyer lemons will also work here; just use the smaller amount of sugar, 1 1/4 cups, since Meyers are sweeter and less acidic. For other citrus fruits, see my recipes for lime curd tart and blood orange tart.
• Eggs: Some lemon curd recipes use all whole eggs or all egg yolks. I like to use a combination of 4 whole eggs and 2 yolks. The egg whites help the curd set while the yolks add extra richness, color, and emulsifying power. This is the place to splurge on excellent eggs! Fresher eggs will make thicker curd that sets better, and the curd will be especially vibrant if you use farm-fresh eggs with bright yolks. My favorite widely-available brand is Vital Farms, but I usually get them from my local farmers market for the best quality.
• Sugar: adds just the right level of sweetness to balance the acidic lemon juice.
  • For refined sugar-free, you could use maple sugar, subbed by weight (warning that it's pretty expensive and you'll need a lot of it!) or coconut sugar (but it will be brown and have a much more molasses-y flavor). Liquid sweeteners might make the curd too runny, so best to stick with granulated here.
• Butter: the butterfat thickens and sets the curd, while the dairy softens the flavor of the citrus.
  • You could use a dairy-free butter; I'd recommend Miyoko's unsalted cultured butter since most DF butters are quite salty and we don't want that here. Or try using 7 tablespoons coconut oil.
• Salt: just a touch of salt sharpens the flavor of the curd.

Method: Make Lemon Curd Like a Pastry Chef

Rather than use a water bath, which is cumbersome and takes more time, I like to cook my lemon curd directly in a saucepan set over low heat. I learned this technique in pastry school, and again in restaurant kitchens and bakeries. It works well for melting chocolate and making ice cream custard, too!

This recipe takes 20 minutes to make and yields 4 cups of curd. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to several months.

See Also

How to make lemon curd – tips and mistakesEasy Lemon Curd (One Pot!) - Scientifically SweetHow to Make Lemon CurdMesophilic: How to fix thin yogurt? — Positively Probiotic

Troubleshooting

Here are some common lemon curd woes and how to remedy them.

Problem: My Lemon Curd is Too Runny

What went wrong? The curd wasn't cooked long enough to allow the egg to thicken, or not enough butter was added.

How to fix it:

1. To thicken runny lemon curd, put the curd back into your saucepan, place over the lowest possible heat, and stir constantly. The curd will thin out at first as the butter melts, but it will eventually begin to thicken back up. Make sure it coats the back of your soft spatula enough to hold a line when you swipe your finger through it, and measures 165-170ºF. Strain to remove any eggy bits that may have seized in the cooking process, return to jars, and chill until cold.
2. Alternatively, heat the curd until it's warm to the touch, then remove from the heat and whisk in another few tablespoons of butter. The butter will solidify as it cools, thickening the curd further.

Problem: The Curd is Chunky or Grainy

What went wrong? The curd was overcooked, or the uncooked ingredients sat too long and the acidity curdled the eggs.

How to fix it:

1. Try straining, then immersion-blending your curd to bring it back together or smooth it out.
2. If this doesn't work, try adding another few tablespoons of butter to the warm curd to bring it back into emulsion.

How to Use Your Perfect Lemon Curd

Aside from eating it straight from the jar, this versatile recipe can be used in a variety of recipes and applications. Here are some of my favorites:

• Gift it in cute jars to your friends and neighbors
• Use it as a lemon curd filling baked into gluten-free lemon bars or lemon tart with almond flour crust
• Fold it into whipped mascarpone and spoon it into glasses for quick lemon mousse
• Swirl it over gluten-free cheesecake for lemon cheesecake bliss
• Serve it with buttery almond flour scones and homemade crème fraîche for a teatime treat
• Spread it over almond flour crepes and top with whipped crème fraîche and fresh berries
• Spread lemon curd filling between layers of sponge cake or pipe it into the center of lemon cupcakes
• Plate slices of gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake or lemon almond olive oil cake with a swirl of lemon curd

Storing Lemon Curd

Some best practices to ensure safe and delicious curd.

• Do you need to refrigerate homemade lemon curd?
  • Yes! Lemon curd contains eggs which, even when "preserved" with acid, sugar, and fat, need to stay cold to stay safe. Store-bought lemon curd can be at room temperature after it's been pressure-canned to exacting standards, but needs to be kept cold after opening. So just say "no" to botulism and chill your curd.
• Can lemon curd be frozen?
  • Yes! I tested freezing a jar of this curd and it worked beautifully. The thawed curd is a tiny bit looser compared with unfrozen curd, but I guarantee nobody else will notice this!
  • To freeze lemon curd, fill straight-sided glass jars with curd and leave 1/2-inch of head room on top to allow the curd to expand. Lid the jars and freeze for up to several months. Thaw in the fridge overnight to enjoy.

Got extra egg whites from making this lemon curd?

Here are some recipes that use them:

• Vanilla Brown Butter Macaroons
• Brown Butter Financiers
• Kumquat Sesame Financiers
• Poppyseed Plum Financiers

Lemon Curd for Everyone

Whether you enjoy this curd as a spread or filling, with or without dairy or refined sugar, smeared on a pastry or spooned straight from the jar, I hope you love it as much as we do!

Got any favorite uses for lemon curd? Tell me in the comments!

Bojon appétit!For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along onInstagram,Facebook, orPinterest, purchasemy award-winning gluten-free baking cookbookAlternative Baker, orsubscribeto receive new posts via email. And if you make thishomemade lemon curd recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps@The_Bojon_Gourmetand#bojongourmet.

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