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    Home > Recipes > No Bake & Chilled Desserts

    Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 04/03/17 · Updated: 06/14/17 · This post may contain affiliate links

    This easy Lemon Curd recipe is super simple to make and tastes delicious! A smooth lemon spread that also makes a great filling for cakes and cupcakes.

    This easy Lemon Curd recipe is super simple to make and tastes so delicious! A smooth and creamy lemon spread that makes a great filling for cakes and tastes heavenly spread on scones, muffins, or bread.

    Close-up of a glass jar of lemon curd with a spoon in it on a white dishtowel. There are halved lemons and eggshells in the background.

    This fool-proof Lemon Curd recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and uses ingredients you already have at home! Made with lemons, butter, sugar, and eggs, this simple lemony spread is not only a great breakfast addition for lemon lovers but also a perfect filling for baked goods like cakes and cookies!

    My Raspberry Lemon Curd Cupcakes are a perfect example! They are filled with lemon curd which makes them so yummy and bursting with lemon flavor. In this recipe, I add a spoon of lemony goodness before baking so the lemon curd will be a surprise after the first bite.

    But this easy lemon spread tastes also great spread on toast, muffins, or scones! A perfect addition to an Afternoon Tea Party or to your next brunch with friends.

    Top-down shot of a glass jar of lemon curd with a spoon in it on a white dishtowel. There are halved lemons and eggshells next to it.

    How to make lemon curd from scratch

    Making lemon curd at home is really simple. You won’t ever need to buy lemon curd at the store again! This recipe is fool-proof, takes less than 10 minutes, and makes about 1 1/2 cups lemon curd.

    You’ll need a 2-quart saucepan, a whisk, a fine mesh strainer (if you want to strain the lemon zest after cooking), and a clean glass jar with an airtight lid to store the lemon curd. The eggs and butter need to be at room temperature so the curd will be easier to whisk together and smooth.

    Whisk all the ingredients together in the saucepan over low-medium heat until the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk. This will take about 6-8 minutes. You need to keep stirring continuously but after a few minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a smooth and silky lemon curd. The hardest part about this recipe is to let it cool, and not just eat it warm, out of the bowl, with a spoon.

    A glass jar of lemon curd with a spoon in it on a white dishtowel. There are halved lemons and eggshells in the background.

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    A glass jar of lemon curd with a spoon in it on a white dishtowel. There are halved lemons and eggshells in the background.
    Servings: 1 jar

    Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

    This easy Lemon Curd recipe is super simple to make and tastes delicious! A smooth lemon spread that also makes a great filling for cakes and cupcakes.
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes
    Total Time: 9 minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Calories: 822kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    4.98 from 74 votes
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
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    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs.
    • Add the butter and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk, until the first bubble appears on the surface of the mixture and the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, about 6-8 minutes.
    • Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh strainer if you don't want the lemon zest in the curd. Transfer the hot lemon curd to a bowl or jar and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, then take off the plastic wrap and replace with a lid.
    • The curd keeps fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

    Notes

    1. If your lemon curd curdles, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
    2. I use a Microplane Zester to finely grate the lemon zest so I don't have to strain the curd after cooking.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 822kcal
    Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Share it on Instagram and tag @platedcravings or #platedcravings!


    A glass jar of lemon curd with a spoon in it on a white dishtowel. There are halved lemons and eggshells in the background.

    If you like this recipe, you might also like this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake:

    A slice of lemon raspberry cake topped with streusel on a white pate with a fork garnished with raspberries. There is a lemon, a white bowl of frozen raspberries and a glass serving platter with the rest of the cake in the background.

    « Easy Lemon Cream Pie Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ellen Evars says

      November 03, 2022 at 1:08 am

      This lemon curd is so easy and tastes amazing.
      FYI, whenever I have extra lemons or someone gives me several lemon’s, I make lemon curd. You can freeze it for a year.

      My favorite dessert is Pavlova and I always put a double recipe of lemon curd on top of the meringue, topped with whipped cream, and then the fruit. The tartness in the lemon curd really balances the sweetness of the meringue.

      Reply
    2. Cynthia Reed says

      November 01, 2022 at 2:32 am

      How much does this make?

      Reply
    3. Jennifer says

      October 30, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      Can you make this with ONLY egg whites? I have a family member allergic to egg yolks.

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        October 30, 2022 at 8:05 pm

        I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it without egg yolks. I would recommend using a recipe for eggless or vegan lemon curd.

        Reply
    4. Nala says

      August 21, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      5 stars
      SO easy and quick! And tastes amazing!! She’s right though, I couldn’t wait for it to cool down, just had some with some crepes 10/10🤌✨✨✨

      Reply
    5. Deborah Clare says

      August 12, 2022 at 11:31 pm

      This is the first lemon curd recipe I tried. It was that good I haven’t bothered with any of the other’s I bookmarked. It has a lovley thick consistency and tastes delicious.

      Reply
    6. Lydia says

      July 17, 2022 at 9:56 pm

      Fantastic! First time I’ve ever made lemon curd. Used it for the filling in hamantaschen cookies. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    7. SueF says

      July 07, 2022 at 6:15 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this lovely recipe. As a very lazy (and reluctant) cook, this recipe is perfect. It’s super easy and the end result is delicious and beats shop-bought into a cocked hat!!

      Reply
    8. Minnette Vermaas says

      June 29, 2022 at 11:03 am

      I have a million lemons. Can I adjust the entire recipe to work on a full cup of lemon juice?

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        June 29, 2022 at 11:05 am

        I haven’t tried that but it should work!

        Reply
      • Wendy says

        July 04, 2022 at 7:55 pm

        Hi Julie, Have you considered freezing your lemon juice in ice-cube trays? The ice-cubes are a perfect size for a single serve of pancakes. You’ll also have them for a glass or jug of lemonade come summer, or use a single serve to use for colds & sore throats in winter. These are just ideas that you can use one cube at a time. You can also put them into a resealable bag so that you can take them out one at a time so that your bag will reduce in size as opposed to the ice-cube tray that takes up unnecessary space in your freezer as you use your cubes. I hope these are a few ideas for you try try instead of needing to cook with the lemons.

        Reply
      • Deborah Clare says

        August 12, 2022 at 11:34 pm

        I have done that previously because I have made it for gifts for people and it turns out fine.

        Reply
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    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

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