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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 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.
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.
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Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
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
- If your lemon curd curdles, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
- I use a Microplane Zester to finely grate the lemon zest so I don't have to strain the curd after cooking.
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, you might also like this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake:
Would give 10 stars if i could! Best recipe for lemon curd ever. I always get people asking were I got it because it tastes so much better. Love your recipe been using it for years!
Getting ready to make this for the third time in just a couple weeks! Easy and delicious. Make it! You won’t be disappointed.
I had never attempted making lemon curd before using this recipe, but my daughter wanted a lemon cake for her birthday and it was too late to order one from a bakery.
The recipe was very easy to make and the cake was delicious, even for a beginner. I placed the curd between two layers of cake using a Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Lemon Cake Mix. I used a piping bag to create a border of Duncan Hines Creamy Lemon Supreme Frosting along the outer edge of the bottom layer before placing the chilled curd in the center.
Two adjustments I made: I did not have fresh lemons so I used a bottle of fresh lemon juice and added a few drops of Simple Truth Organic® Lemon Extract in place of the lemon zest. Rather than using vegetable oil in the cake, I used melted butter.
One additional thing to note is that it takes a few hours for the curd to cool and thicken. I put mine in the fridge on top of an ice pack with another ice pack on top to speed the process because I didn’t plan it well.
It was incredibly delicious and we will definitely make it again!
First time making lemon curd and I must say this recipe is so easy! Excellent flavor and will definitely make again.