This tart and creamy lemon curd is a lemon lover’s dream! It’s tangy and sweet and comes together in minutes. Get ready to top all your favorite foods in luscious, lemony goodness.
Lemon curd is the topping of champions. It’s delicious on toast, pancakes, muffins, and scones. It makes a perfect filling for cupcakes, pies, doughnuts and cakes, and it is heavenly on cheesecake. You will love the sweet and tangy, creamy topping so much, you will literally want to put it on everything. You might think we’re exaggerating, but just you wait until you try homemade lemon curd. While it isn’t difficult to make, the outcome sure is impressive.
What is a fruit curd?
Fruit curd is a rich, fruit juice based jelly-like spread that can be used as a topping or filling for anything from toast to pies and cupcakes. It is like a custard, but uses egg yolks and butter instead of cornstarch for thickening and texture.
What do I do with lemon curd?
Lemon curd can go with almost anything that would pair well with lemons, especially baked goods. It makes a great dessert topping, but it can go on things like toast and English muffins as well. It is a great add-in for yogurt, and the perfect filling for doughnuts and sweets. If you’re in the mood for something lemony, this is sure to satisfy.
Storage Instructions:
This curd stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and up to 3 months in the freezer. The texture isn’t quite as nice after it has been frozen, but it is still good and beats store-bought curd by a long shot.
If you’re a lemon lover and like lemon curd, here are some more sweet and tangy favorites you will enjoy:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Wow best curd pie I ever made! I substituted monk fruit granular sugar instead and made this with 14 egg yolks and just under 1.5 cups of lemon juice and butter. I poured it into a pre baked butter puff pastry topped it with whipped cream then blackberries. It was a nice tart very lemony, and the best pie I ever tasted! I did have about 1 cup or a little more leftover after I filled the pie shell. Also might have fluked this one, the measurement of half of 3/4 cup was eyeballed. The zest 1.5 tbsp was likely heaped a little, and I stirred it in towards the end with the butter, I did not strain with a sieve either. So glad I tried this!
Wow best curd pie I ever madel! I substituted monk fruit granular sugar instead and made this with 14 egg yolks and just under 1.5 cups of lemon juice and butter. I poured it into a pre baked butter puff pastry topped it with whipped cream then blackberries. It was a nice tart very lemony, and the best pie I ever tasted! Also might have fluked this one, the measurement of half of 3/4 cup was eyeballed. The zest was likely heaped a little, and I stirred it in towards the end with the butter. So glad I tried this!
A cinch to make, but needs a little salt. Delicious!
I made this recipe to go woth angel food cake, I only used 8 egg yolks but it turned out just fine!
Very easy and delicious recipe, thank you!
Tasty delicious without being over-powering. Thanks for a great recipe to do my first lemon curd!
Will bottled lemon juice work as well??
Bottled lemon juice does not have the same bright flavor as fresh, but it will still work. The flavor profile will just be a little different.
My husband is an Englishman and as tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I’m going to whip up a batch today for him.
I just found your site via FB and LOVE your recipes. My style of cooking indeed.
Thank you for doing this work (yes, I know it’s work. . . )
Only had 2 egg yolks. Just pretended the recipe called for 8 yolks and divided the quantities by 4. Still turned out great.
I have bookmarked your web site.
Many more batches will be made in the future.
Thank you.
PS. Any other fruits (my guess they will need to be citrous) that could replace the lemons?
I juiced the lemons ahead of time, unfortunately I didn’t realize I needed lemon zest. Naturally, I made it anyway, and since I had so much juice, I made a double batch. Rachel, your lemon curd recipe is DA ? !! Your recipes are quick and easy. The results are amazing! The reactions, stupendous! I can’t wait to try your shepherd’s pie, pot pie, pound cake, chocolate cake, and creme brulee cheesecake cupcakes.
Who needs free trials, or hoity toity, star-studded, loud mouth, subscriptions. Not me, nope, guurrrl, you’re hella dope!
I’ve loved each of your recipes, and consider you, my “go to” Recipe Guru!
Rachel, thank you, thank you, thank you, for all you do, for free, just for me.
Fondly,
Shari Mannering
Woodland, CA
Absolutely delicious!
I was looking for a recipe for left over egg yolks. Due to my making a angel food cake. Lots of egg yolks, like 13! I came across this recipe and in the time I was baking my cake. This recipe was a snap to make. Now I had lemons on hand and butter. Zested the lemons, juiced them, which took this most time. I adjusted recipe for large amount of yolks and I used salted butter verses unsalted. Because it’s what I had. With the help of my husband with the mechanics of stirring and pouring. We both were licking our fingers and oooing and ahing over the yummy goodness! Thank you for sharing! Cooking new things and enjoying the food is so exciting and satisfying!
Excited to teach my son how to make this!