This homemade lemon curd recipe uses just 4 ingredients to make the most mouth-watering lemon curd you’ve ever had. Use it to make lemon bars, cookies, cocktails, and more!
My grandmother made the best lemon meringue pies. Seriously. Actually, all her pies were stellar. But, doesn’t everyone say that about their grandmother and her cooking?
Her crusts were famous in our family. They were always light, flaky and so delicious. I used to save the crust to eat last and I’d savor every delectable mouthful. And what I wouldn’t give to eat a piece of her lemon meringue pie, with the bold lemon flavor of fresh curd.
She mostly made her own lemon curd and boy, what a difference! Nana’s pies were the best because she could control the ingredients. That’s also why her homemade lemon curd was far tastier than canned.
Nothing beats homemade. Nothing.
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Helpful tips
- Be sure to wash your lemons before zesting.
- To wash them, place the lemons in a bowl with three cups of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. After 10 minutes, remove the lemons and run them under cold water, using a brush to scrub the skin.
- The way to pick a great lemon at the market is to first heft it in your hand. The heavier lemons have more juice than the lighter ones.
- When picking a lemon, smell it too. The more lemon fragrance, the fresher the lemon.
- Try to gauge the thickness of the rind. The thinner the rind, the more juice it will yield.
- Before juicing the lemon, roll it between your palm and a hard surface like a counter. Doing this will help release the juice.
- Use as much zest as three lemons yield.
- Here’s a tip on separating the yolks from the whites. You can use a fancy egg separator or you can just crack the egg and use your hands. I place the egg in my hand with my fingers just a tiny bit apart and let the whites drip into a bowl to save for another use. I transfer the yolk back and forth between hands until all the whites have been separated.
Here are some foods that are enhanced by this curd: margarita, lemon bars, on pancakes, on or in cupcakes, on waffles, in scones, on english muffins, in cheesecake and on ice cream.
How to make lemon curd
Step one
Gather the ingredients – fresh lemons, egg yolks, zest of lemon, sugar and butter. That is it!
Step two
After you’ve washed the lemons, grab a microplane and zest three of the lemons. I think one of the problems with lemon curd is people are scared of using a lot of lemon zest. Don’t be afraid! Be bold!
Step three
Juice all four of the lemons and set the juice aside. The lemons I used yielded 1 cup of juice. Adjust the amount of sugar you use to match the amount of lemon juice. It should be a 1:1 ratio.
Step four
Separate the yolks from the eggs. Here’s something funny. I typically use the shells to separate my eggs. I crack the egg in half and transfer the yolk from one shell to the other and let the white portion slip to the waiting bowl. (A)
So, here’s the funny part.
As I was separating the yokes for this recipe, I said to Christopher that either my grandmother Clara and/or my mom used to separate eggs with their hands, letting the whites run through their fingers. I had no sooner said that when, cracking the shell, the entire egg slipped into my hand and I was forced to separate it the way they did! How odd.
But let me tell you. It is a million times easier.
Step five
Get out a saucepan and whisk. Add the yolks to the pan and whisk them until they are combined. (B)
Step six
Add the fresh lemon juice, zest to the egg mixture. (C)
Step seven
Pour the sugar in the saucepan.
Step eight
Turn the heat on medium heat under the pan and whisk until it thickens, which takes around 10 minutes.
You will know it is done when you stick a tablespoon in the mixture and the delicious lemon sticks to the back of the spoon. Take it off the heat.
Step nine
Cut the butter into pats and add two pats to the lemon mixture and stir until they melt. Keep adding pats two at a time until all the butter is gone.
Spoon the curd in a jar, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and keep it on the counter to cool for ½ hour. Cover the jar with its cap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. It will thicken further in the fridge.
Doesn’t that look awesome?
I’m going to make some lemon bars AND a lemon margarita with this curd.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe!
Please feel free to comment of what types of lemon desserts you like to eat.
And as always, may all your dishes be delish.
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 4 lemons (3 of which you zest, juice all, mine yielded 1 cup of lemon juice)
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest (zest the lemons and whatever it yields – use that amount)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar (same amount as the juice you use)
- .5 cup butter (cut into pats)
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, add yolks and whisk until combined5 egg yolks
- Add sugar, lemon juice and zest1 cup sugar, 4 lemons
- Turn the heat on medium and whisk all the contents together
- Keep whisking until the lemon curd thickens, it takes about 10 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil
- Check thickness by putting a tablespoon in the lemon curd. It should coat the back of the spoon
- Remove from heat
- Add 2 pats of butter at a time and mix until melted. Continue adding butter until it is all added and melted.5 cup butter
- Pour into glass container
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on counter for ½ hour
- Cover the jar and place in fridge and let it sit for at least an hour before eating or using
- Spoon some in your mouth
- Smile
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Be sure to wash your lemons before zesting.
- To wash them, place the lemons in a bowl with three cups of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. After 10 minutes, remove the lemons and run them under cold water, using a brush to scrub the skin.
- The way to pick a great lemon at the market is to first heft it in your hand. The heavier lemons have more juice than the lighter ones.
- When picking a lemon, smell it too. The more lemon fragrance, the fresher the lemon.
- Try to gauge the thickness of the rind. The thinner the rind, the more juice it will yield.
- Before juicing the lemon, roll it between your palm and a hard surface like a counter. Doing this will help release the juice.
- Use as much zest as three lemons yield.
- Here’s a tip on separating the yolks from the whites. You can use a fancy egg separator or you can just crack the egg and use your hands. I place the egg in my hand with my fingers just a tiny bit apart and let the whites drip into a bowl to save for another use. I transfer the yolk back and forth between hands until all the whites have been separated.
Nutrition
Originally published March of 2017
Laura
Love it, I put lemon zest everywhere and look forward to curl my toes
Elaine
Lol Laura!
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com
Swoot swoo, look at those naked lemons! *eyebrow wiggle* I adore lemon curd and now you’ve got me craving some!
Elaine
Naked lemons are the best! hehe. Thanks Elizabeth!
Jehan Hale
Love the recipe name and it looks delicious!
Elaine
Thank you Jehan!
Lindsay Cotter
“Curl Your Toes Lemon Curd” haha I love this name!! Would so want to eat this right out of the jar! Yum!
Elaine
Lindsay, that’s my problem too. And my hubby’s. I told him I needed a bunch for a few recipes and he pouted.
Brandi Crawford
Looks delish! And only 20 minutes!
Elaine
It is super scrumptious Brandi!
Christopher
Spoon of yellow stuff, jump in my mouth! Looks yummy!
Elaine
Thanks Christopher!
Gloria
With Easter around the corner, lemon everything is perfect. I was just updating an old lemon curd post. Great minds think alike. I could eat this by the spoonful.
Elaine
Isn’t that funny how that happens, Gloria! Only in the food blogging world!
Aleta
I am SUCH a lemon fan! Your recipe looks absolutely incredible, I can’t wait to make this for my lemon cheesecake! Thanks for all the great tips, too, they are so helpful for picking the right lemons and how to wash them properly!
Elaine
Thanks for saying so Aleta!! I appreciate it!
Sylvie
I love lemon curd so much, I could eat some with a spoon! Loved all the tips and well explained steps of this recipe, thanks 🙂
Elaine
Thanks Sylvie! I too could (and do, but don’t tell anyone) eat it with a spoon. 🙂
Jillian
I love everything about this recipe so much I may just grab a straw and go to town – sorry Lemon Meringue Pie! Delish!
Elaine
Lol! Thanks Jillian! 🙂
SHANIKA
This lemon curd looks so good! I love how easy it is to make!
Elaine
Thank you, Shanika! I appreciate it!
Natalie
I love lemon curd! Looks so delicious and perfect to have in the fridge ♥
Elaine
Right? Thanks Natalie. It’s one of our staples during the winter months!
Michelle Miller
I love this! Look so very yummy! I would just eat it before I have time to put in on anything 🙂
Elaine
Hehe, Michelle. Thank you! Hubby was chomping at the bit when I made this and told him that I needed it for some recipes. He was happy when I ‘allowed’ him to eat some. 😉
Denise
I didn’t realize how easy it is to make! This looks scrumptious and addicting.
Elaine
Thank you Denise! It is super easy! And yes to both scrumptious and addicting. 🙂
Beth Neels
This looks so scrumptious! I have never made lemon curd! Why? You ask. IDK I absolutely love, love, love lemon! I must rectify this at once!
Anne Lawton
I love that tart flavor of lemon, and this recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing your tips too!
Elaine
Thanks Anne!! I love the tart flavor of lemon too!
Kelly Anthony
I absolutely LOVE lemon curd. I can’t even imagine how delicious it is made from scratch. Putting this on the list and pinning for later. Thank you for the recipe!
Elaine
Thanks Kelly! It’s so delicious. I hope you enjoy it!
Marisa Franca Stewart
LOVE lemons!! And I’m so glad I came across this recipe. One time I had a dessert I was so excited to make. It sounded out of this world. It required lemon curd. I went everywhere and couldn’t find it. Well, that fantastic dessert idea went down the drain. Now, I can make some delicious homemade lemon and curd then I can continue with the fantastic dessert. This recipe is a keeper, for sure.
Elaine
Thanks so much Marisa! I hope you enjoy it when you do make it! 🙂
Amy
Lemon curd is one of my favorite foods, ever! It really goes so well in almost any dessert! 🙂 And, of course, homemade is a thousand times better! Thanks for sharing this recipe — I’ll have to try it sometime!
Leslie Kiszka
“Curl your toes good” – I love that! Lemon curd screams spring and summer to me, so maybe if I make a lot of it the warm weather will ACTUALLY show up here!
Elaine
Here’s hoping Leslie! Thanks! 🙂
Charity
Lemon curd is the best condiment ever! Do you offer a money back guarantee on the toes curling? 😉
Elaine
Lol! Thanks, Charity!
Nicole
Lemon curd always seemed fancy and difficult to make but this recipe makes it seem easy. I love lemon curd it’s so good on so many things.
Elaine
I totally agree! I slather it just about on everything I can think of! Thanks Nicole!
lauren
There is a special place in my heart for lemon curd. It’s just so perfect – tart lemon, sweetness, buttery. Ah I just love it. Especially smothered on fresh muffins and blueberry pancakes!
Elaine
Thanks so much Lauren! I love it on pancakes for sure!!
Jo
Love love love lemon curd. It looks sooo good. My favorite thing about lemon curd is eating it with a spoon. Made a lemon curd tart with chocolate drizzle on top and boy my kids looved it. It’s time to make some lemon curd again, thanks for reminding
Elaine
Thank you Jo! I love chocolate with lemon curd so your tart sounds amazing!
Bekah Walker
I inherited a lemon tree when I bought my house. I have no idea what variety but these beautiful lemons are HUGE! Some almost the size of a small grapefruit. I’ve been making limoncello every year but I really wanna take a shot at making curd.
My question is… how do I adjust the recipe to the size of my lemons?
Elaine
How wonderful. I wish I had a lemon tree! Bekah, I would say go by the measurement of one cup of lemon juice, that way all the rest of the ingredients is correct. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know how it goes.