This easy Lemon Curd recipe is smooth, creamy and bursting with tart citrus flavour. It’s simple to make with fresh lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. With our PRO tips, you’ll be making bakery-style lemon curd in no time!
Estimated reading time: 31 minutes
We LOVE lemon anything here at The Busy Baker, and we’re so excited to be sharing this lemon curd recipe with you today! It’s one of our favourite recipes to make in the spring, and we love to serve it with scones, crepes, and especially with meringue and homemade pavlova. It’s easy to make in just a few minutes, and it calls for basic ingredients like fresh lemons, eggs, sugar, and butter. If you love lemons as much as we do, we know you’re going to love this delicious easy lemon curd!
Lemon curd is a thick, creamy, sweet-tart spread or filling made from lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. It has a smooth, creamy texture that’s very silky, and a bright, citrusy flavour that makes it a favourite in so many desserts and baked goods.
Lemon curd is a classically British treat. The word “curd” refers to a method where lemon juice is added to cream to curdle it (to create curds). It’s a popular filling for tarts, sponge cakes, and meringue, and it’s often served with scones during an English afternoon tea.
- It’s velvety and rich – It has a silky smooth texture that is thick enough to spoon or spread..
- It’s citrusy and vibrant – A perfect balance of tartness and sweetness.
- It’s versatile – You can use it as a filling, spread, or topping for desserts.
- It’s easy to make – It’s ready in just a few simple steps with minimal clean up.
- It’s freezer friendly – You can store it for weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
There are so many ways to serve this delicious lemon curd recipe. Here are a few ways we enjoy:
- Slathered on our favourite Homemade Biscuits
- Served dolloped on Buttermilk Waffles or Croffles (Croissant Waffles)
- Served inside or on Crepes
- Served with Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes
- On top of our classic New York Cheesecake
- Served with our Best Classic Scones
- Spread on top of our favourite Perfect Pavlova or with Lemon Raspberry Meringue Nests
To make sure your homemade lemon curd turns out perfectly every time, be sure to follow our best PRO tips and tricks below!
Freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly zested lemon peels give the best flavour to your curd.
Blitz your sugar with the lemon peel in a mini chopper or mix them by hand, trying to get the lemon zest to release as much of its oils as possible into the sugar. You’ll know the oils have released when the sugar has a wet sand consistency.
Cooking your curd over medium-low heat in a small saucepan or on a double boiler will prevent it from curdling and give you a great texture.
Whisk constantly as you cook your curd to make sure it’s smooth and lump-free!
If you’d like your curd even more silky, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the zest after it has cooked.
Make sure you keep the curd in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours so it can harden properly.
To prevent your curd from forming a skin, make sure the plastic wrap adheres to the whole surface as you store it in the fridge.
If you’re having trouble with this lemon curd recipe, here’s a few issues you might encounter and how to fix and prevent them:
If it has lumps, simply strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove them.
To thicken your lemon curd, cook it for a little while longer. Remember that it will thicken as it cools in the fridge as well.
Make sure you don’t cook your lemon curd on high heat. If you cook it too fast, the egg cooks and curdles, destroying the curd.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy lemon curd recipe (paid links):
- measuring cups and spoons
- medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Microplane Zester
- Silicone Spatula
- microwave safe bowl
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious easy lemon curd recipe (paid links):
- 1 cup sugar
- the zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup lemon juice the juice of 2-3 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Time needed: 30 minutes
Here’s how to make this delicious homemade citrus spread!
- Prepare the ingredients.
Mix the sugar and the lemon zest until the sugar has the texture of wet sand and the lemon zest is fragrant. You could also pulse them a couple of seconds in a mini chopper.
Add the yolks, whole egg, lemon juice, and salt and mix well until you have a homogenous liquid. - Cook.
On a double boiler, or in a saucepan over low heat, cook for about 10 minutes, mixing continuously.
Remove from heat and incorporate the butter one tablespoon at a time. - Chill & store.
Place in a container and cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap on the surface of the curd and pushing out as many air bubbles as you can. This will prevent your curd from getting a skin.
Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until the curd is completely set. - Enjoy!
Serve with scones, pancakes, waffles, in pavlova nests, as a topping for cheesecake, or however your family likes!
What do you eat lemon curd on?
It is great for spreading on top of cakes or even Pavlova. We love eating it on Homemade Biscuits, Buttermilk Waffles, Croffles (Croissant Waffles), Crepes, Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes, New York Cheesecake, Best Classic Scones or even Keto Ice Cream.
Is lemon curd the same as lemon pie filling?
No, lemon pie filling is a custard and is thicker because of the cornstarch as it needs to be sliceable. Lemon curd is a thickened only by egg and butter. You can’t use lemon curd in lemon meringue pie or pie filling as lemon curd.
Why did my lemon curd curdle?
Curdling happens when the heat is way too high and the eggs cook too fast. Make sure you cook on low heat or on a double boiler over simmering water, stirring continuously.
How to fix lumpy lemon curd?
For a smoother lemon curd you could strain it through a fine mesh sieve,
Can I freeze lemon curd?
Yes! It freezes well for up to a year if protected well form freezer burn.
Can I use store bought lemon juice?
We wouldn’t suggest that as fresh lemon juice (and zest) give the best flavour. Bottled lemon juice usually contains preservatives that can alter the lemon flavour of your curd.
Can I use grapefruit or limes?
Sure, you can make grapefruit or lime curd but the flavour will differ. You can also mix them for a citrus curd.
Is home made lemon curd in a jar shelf stable?
No, unless it’s properly canned, lemon curd isn’t shelf stable. We suggest you keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to a year.
We hope you love this easy Lemon Curd recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, how would you serve this delicious lemon curd? We’d love to know!
More Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Chicken
- Healthy Lemonade
- Watermelon Lemonade
- Avgolemono Soup
- Easy Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Perfect Lemon Pound Cake
If you made this, share a photo!
Are you trying this recipe? Use the comment form below to share your take; now with support for image uploads and comment voting!
Lemon Curd
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 lemons zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice the juice of 2-3 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Recipe: Instructions
- Mix the sugar and the lemon zest until the sugar has the texture of wet sand and the lemon zest is fragrant. You could also pulse them a couple of seconds in a mini chopper.
- Add the yolks, whole egg, lemon juice, and salt and mix well until you have a homogenous liquid.
- On a double boiler, or in a saucepan over low heat, cook for about 10 minutes, mixing continuously.
- Remove from heat and incorporate the butter one tablespoon at a time.
- Place in a container and cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap on the surface of the curd and pushing out as many air bubbles as you can. This will prevent your curd from getting a skin.
- Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until the curd is completely set. Serve with scones, pancakes, waffles, in pavlova nests, as a topping for cheesecake, or however your family likes!
Recipe: Notes
Storage instructions
This lemon curd keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can freeze it for up to a year if protected well from freezer burn.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
TRY OUR MEAL PLAN BUNDLE!
Let us do the work for you with 11 WEEKS of deliciously easy family dinners, grocery lists, meal prep guides and so much MORE!
11 weeks of done-for-you family meal plans for only $9.99!