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 Information
If you like this recipe, you might also like this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake:
Linda Bieg says
As an Anglophile I have scones and tea on a regular basis with lemon curd, of course.
This recipe was extremely easy and the results were amazing. I almost don’t want to wait for the curd to cool! I want to eat it now! Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s way better than store bought.
Prof Russell Smith says
Wow… just wow. Fabulous and easy recipe… the best ever lemon curd. Thank you.
Melissa says
Thank you Julia! I just made this and it was perfect! Took some time but was worth it. Glad I doubled this recipe. I didn’t zest the lemon peel and instead used strips of the rind minus the pith (white) and fished them out at the end. I’ll be using this for lemon tarts, brushing white melted chocolate (stops the crust from getting soggy) into pre-baked tart shells and topping with meringue and baking briefly to toast the meringue. Your recipe is definitely a keeper!
Kerrie says
Just used this amazing and simple recipe for my mother’s 90th birthday cake! Beautiful taste and straining out the zest definitely makes it silky. Easily 5 stars.
Alison says
This recipe is so good and so easy. I love lemon curd. I didn’t have a jar on hand, but I had lemons so I dove in. Requires just a few simple ingredients (less lemon juice than I’d imagined) and patience to stir constantly over low heat until thick. I created wonderful lemon curd to top a cranberry tart and had a small jar leftover for the fridge. I did adjust the heat up to Med low to shorten cooking time. I may never buy it again
Jo says
I only have one lemon so is it ok to add lemon juice with it?
Julia Foerster says
Yes, that should work.
Bev says
So easy, a great consistency and so delicious. I will certainly be usinf this recipe again.
Pamela J Pick says
I love this recipe and it turns out perfect every time. I sometimes freeze in small portions, it’s easy to thaw and it tastes excellent.
Dianne says
Easy recipe. Taste great.
Hilary says
Love this recipe for a filling for my lemon cakes and cupcakes! Such a bright flavor! Thank you!
Pam M says
This lemon curd is delicious. I have already sent on the recipe to friends. I think using a fine mesh strainer is a must and having small jars with airtight lids. Light, tangy and lemony. A treat!
Jackie says
Can you use salt free butter?
Mary Anne says
tastes yummy! I have a question. I want to use this as a filling for a cake. So do I need to refrig the cake to keep the curd fresh?
Thanks!
Julia Foerster says
A few hours on the counter are probably fine but then I would refrigerate the cake.
Brandy says
Used this recipe on a couple occasions with great success. Wondering if I could sub out the lemon juice and zest for lime and make lime curd with this recipe??
Julia Foerster says
I haven’t tried it myself but I’m sure it would also work for lime curd. Let me know how it went if you give it a try!
Brandy says
The lime curd turned out great! Just subbed out the lemon for lime ingredients and it was delicious!
Birdie says
Hmmm, I’ve tried this twice- but my eggs cook in it, even after I tried tempering them…
Julia Foerster says
Sorry this happened, Birdie! What kind of stove are you using? This usually happens if your stove runs hot.
Lyn says
Such an easy to follow recipe I quadrupled the ingredients as I have an abundance of lemons here in Spain so this recipe will be used ime and time again might even try with oranges
Charlene M Noblick says
Absolutely the easiest and best lemon curd I have ever made. Thank you so much!
Sandra says
I’m living in Greece at the moment & the lemon tree in the garden has produced 100’s of beautiful, big lemons, so I was searching for a quick & easy lemon curd recipe, luckily I found this one. Made exactly as the recipe stated, it turned out fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Lissa M says
My go to lemon curd for my famous lemon coffee cake!
pete says
Simple – Great result , doubled the batch to use up the lemons – will save and use again and again. # blokescoolingincovidlockdown !
Melinda says
I actually tweaked it & used pineapple Jell-O instead of a half a cup of sugar & just 2 eggs, left out the 2 egg yokes because I figured the Jell-O would turn it yellow enough, and it turned out nice and thick And delicious. 👍🏻