Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

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.

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 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.
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5 from 11 votes

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 Time2 mins
Cook Time7 mins
Total Time9 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 jar
Calories: 822kcal
Author: Julia

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

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

Calories: 822kcal


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.

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

This easy Lemon Raspberry Cake is topped with delicious streusel and filled with juicy raspberries! Your guests will be begging you for the recipe.

37 Comments

  • Michelle

    This recipe promises to be a godsend!! I just made it for the first time and am delighted with the simplicity of the method and the flavour of the result. It’s also easy to scale up, which will come in handy for larger desserts…but in your experience, how big a tart shell would this original yield be able to fill? I’d guess six inches, tops, but I defer to those who have actually experimented with it! :)

  • Jodi

    Thank you so much for posting this easy lemon curd recipe oh, I have tried probably at least five to six times now to make it and never really been happy with anything that I found that’s easy anyways. This recipe was perfect!

  • Helen

    Tried the recipe for the first time today and ended up with orange scrambled eggs instead. Could you please explain what I may have done wrong? Thank you!

    • Julia

      Sorry, this recipe didn’t work for you, Helen. Sounds like the mixture got too hot. You need to cook it over low heat and whisk continuously, this way the eggs don’t reach a temperature where they would scramble. Depending on what kind of cooktop you have (induction, electric, gas) keeping a constant low temperature might be a bit difficult but you can try turning off the heat after a few minutes. Hope this helps! – Julia

  • Kathy


    Thanks again for the recipe I’m from the UK and made it at home but must say yours is so much faster and better or as good. Thanks again 😁

  • Rose Doucet


    Thank you for this fabulously easy curd recipe. It turned out perfect for me (although I did reduce the amount of sugar a bit). I know you posted this a couple of years ago, but just wanted to let you know it’s still being used :)

  • Frank


    Love this recipe I have always used it as a filling for white cake and Italian butter cream frosting. Less complicated than the one I learned in culinary school and tastes great.

  • DONNA


    I MADE THIS RECIPE THIS AFTERNOON AND IT DIDN’T CURDLE AND I HA E NEVER MADE IT BEFORE
    AND WILL MAKE IT AGAIN IN FUTURE, THANK YOU FOR THE EASY LEMON CURD RECIPE.

  • Katelyn


    I just wanted to let y’all know I just had the memory of a recipe of a grilled lemom lemonade pop into my head, I thought it would be interesting to see how the grilled flavor and carmalized sugar flavors added to the curd. I’ll let you know if it was a success or not worth the effort. I’m always curious to see how to take flavors a little deeper or richer. I’m still making the recipe according to the recipe also for comparison. I’m excited to see how it will alter the flavor! Food geek here!

  • Pam

    My first time making lemon curd. It’s an awesome recipe Using it today to make little lemon blueberry tarts for dessert tonight to share with friends. I’ll use this recipe a lot, thank you Julia.

  • Karon


    I used Meyer lemons and followed the recipe. Delicious!! I was surprised how easy and quick it was. Superb recipe!

  • Jill

    I just want to make sure that you, in fact, use the whole egg? I just thought typically lemon curd uses egg yolk only. Just making sure :)

    Thanks!

      • Kate


        Sweet! I was thinking the same thing I’ve never seen a lemon curd recipe use the whole egg before, so glad I don’t have to separate the little devils. Love when my questions are answered in the comments already.

  • Angelina Blankenship


    I love this! I can just eat it with a spoon. It was so simple to make. I will add this to my list of go to sweets! Thank you

    • Julia

      Thank you, Heather! Lemon Curd is so versatile and delicious. Just had some on a slice of rustic bread – so good!!

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