This Homemade Lemon Curd takes five minutes to prep and ten minutes to cook, and it’s made with just five ingredients. It’s deliciously creamy, and tangy, and it’s great on pancakes, scones, crepes, Pavlovas, and so much more!!

Lemon Curd.

If you’re anything like me, your mouth starts watering when you just think about eating something luscious and lemony. I love all things lemon…so much that back in the Spring I got on this lemon kick and posted a few lemon recipes sort of back to back.  I finally realized that there might be a few people out there that actually don’t like lemon desserts. I hope you’re not one of them.

If you do love lemon desserts, hop over and look at a couple of my many lemon desserts, Lemon Chiffon Cake, and Lemon Cake Roll.  I can’t even tell you which recipe is my favorite because I love all lemon recipes.

Today I’m sharing my quick and easy Homemade Lemon Curd recipe with you. There’s a reason I’m sharing this lemon recipe first.  You’ll see soon enough, but first things first. This Lemon Curd is luscious, creamy and slightly tart. It will have your mouth watering while you’re making it.

You can eat Lemon curd with, in and on so many things. You can use it on pancakes, angel food cake, scones, in Pavlovas, crepes, cupcakes, between cake layers or added to buttercream frosting. You can even spread it on toast. The possibilities are endless!

I used this Lemon curd in my Mini Lemon Curd Pavlovas, Lemon Curd & Berry Pavlova, and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Ingredients

Real Butter – The butter helps to thicken it, along with making it creamy. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.

Eggs – We need 4 large eggs. They help to thicken the lemon curd.

Lemon Zest – Make sure to zest only the yellow part, not the white part. That’s the pith and it’s bitter.

Fresh Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice from fresh lemons for the best citrusy flavor. You will zest the lemons then juice them.

Granulated Sugar – We use the right amount of sugar to result in a tart, but not too tart lemon curd. Make sure to use white granulated sugar, not brown.

Salt – Salt enhances all the flavors. You can omit it if you prefer too.

How to make Lemon Curd

Cream the butter in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, or use a hand mixer. Add the sugar, salt & zest and mix well.

Add the eggs one at a time to the mixing bowl, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and mix well to combine. The lemon juice will make it look curdled. Not to worry!

Add the mixture to a medium saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cindy’s tips!

  • Make sure to cook the curd over low heat. This will take at least 8 minutes. If you turn the heat too high, you will turn the eggs into scrambled eggs. The mixture should gradually thicken but never come to a boil. You’ll know it’s ready when it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If you want a thicker curd, you can cook a couple minutes longer.
  • Whisk the mixture constantly. Don’t stop whisking until you remove the pan from the heat. If you stop whisking the mixture in the bottom of the pan will turn into scrambled eggs and be lumpy. If you don’t trust yourself, you can use a double boiler. If you do end up with any lumps, pour the curd into a mesh strainer and push it through with a spatula.
  • Once you transfer the curd to a bowl or jar, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd, to prevent a skin from forming on top. Once the curd is completely cooled, remove the plastic wrap and place an airtight lid on the bowl or jar you’re using.
  • Make to to allow the curd to cool completely before using it for things such as fillings between cake layers.
Lemon Curd.

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love hearing from you! 🙂

Wanna see different recipes each day? Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, & Instagram.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 15
  • Yield: 2 cups 1x
  • Category: Condiments, Sauces
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

This Homemade Lemon Curd takes 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes of cooking time, and it’s made with just 5 ingredients.  It’s deliciously creamy, sweet, and tangy, and it’s great on pancakes, scones, cake filling, crepes, Pavlovas, mousse, and so much more!!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • Dash of salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 4 large lemons
Instacart Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Zest the lemons, making sure to remove the yellow zest only, not the white pith. Set aside. Cut the lemons in half and juice them, reserving 1/2 cup of lemon juice and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, or use a hand mixer. Add the sugar, salt & zest and mix well.
  3. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, using a spoon to remove the Chalaza from each egg yolk. (See notes below for more information on the Chalaza). Add the eggs one at a time to the mixing bowl, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and mix well to combine. The lemon juice will make it look curdled. Not to worry!
  4. Add the mixture to a medium saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Spoon lemon curd into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a skim from forming on top. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  6. Yield: 2 cups.

Notes

  • The Chalaza is that little white thing that’s attached to one side of the egg yolk. Most cooks, remove it from the egg yolk when making puddings and custards. For more information on the Chalaza, see my post titled “What is that nasty little white thing on my egg yolk”.
  • Make sure heat is on low when cooking the curd and whisk or stir constantly. It should never come to a boil. I set my electric stove burner on #3.