Homemade Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is a staple for bakers, and having a great homemade lemon curd recipe is essential. It’s tart and sweet, and deliciously rich and creamy. You only need 5 ingredients to make your own lemon curd that’s so much better than store-bought. You’ll love this versatile and tasty recipe!

Looking for more high altitude lemon recipes? Don’t miss these iced lemon shortbread cookies, lemon cupcakes, and lemon poppy seed rolls.

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Ingredients

• Lemons. You’ll be using both the zest and the juice of the lemons for flavor and acidity. For best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled lemon juice.
• Granulated Sugar. Sweetens the lemon curd and balances the acidity.
• Egg Yolks. Add richness, and help to thicken the lemon curd.
• Butter. Added at the end, the butter makes the lemon curd rich, smooth and creamy.
• Corn Starch. Adding corn starch to thicken lemon curd may be a controversial move, but depending on how you’re planning to use your lemon curd will determine how thick it should be. Without corn starch, your lemon curd will thicken as it cools to a pourable consistency, as you see in my cardamom ginger cake with lemon curd. But if you’re wanting to make a thicker lemon curd to use as a cake filling, then you’ll need to add a little corn starch as thickener.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Tools and Equipment

• Microplane Zester. To zest your lemons, you need to use a microplane zester, which skims off the thin, flavorful lemon peel without any of the bitter white pith.
• Double Boiler with a Non-Reactive Bowl. You need to cook your lemon curd over indirect heat, which is where a double boiler comes in. I simply use a stainless steel bowl, set on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Since the lemon curd contains lemon juice, it’s very acidic, so it’s important that your bowl is non-reactive. If you cook lemon curd in a reactive bowl, you risk the lemon curd having a metallic taste, or even turning a green color. Non–reactive cookware is made of stainless steel, glass, or glazed ceramic. Or it might be coated with something that is nonreactive, like the enamel in enamelware and enamel-coated iron pots. A reactive pan is one that contains metals that might interact with certain foods. Aluminum, cast iron, and unlined copper are all examples of reactive metals. For a double boiler, I recommend using a stainless steel bowl. I’d caution against using a glass bowl, even one that claims to be heat-proof, as these have been known to crack or shatter when used as double boilers.
• Silicone Whisk and Spatula. Like your double boiler, your utensils should be non-reactive, so stick with silicone whisks and spatulas, not metal.
• Mesh Strainer. After cooking the lemon curd, you’ll need to strain it through a mesh strainer, to remove the lemon zest and any bits of cooked egg.
• Glass Jar. For storing your lemon curd.

Instructions

Get Your Double Boiler Ready

• First, set up a double boiler. You can do this by placing a saucepan with several inches of water on the stove, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
• You’ll also need a non-reactive stainless steel bowl to set on top of the saucepan. The bottom of the bowl should not directly touch the water.

Zest and Juice the Lemons

• Use a microplane zester to zest the lemons first, and then juice them. You’ll need 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. You may only need to juice 2 large lemons to get 1/2 cup of juice, but have a third lemon on hand, just in case. If you’re using small lemons, you’ll need 4-6 lemons to get 1/2 cup of juice.

Whisk Together Everything Except the Butter

• In your stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest. If using corn starch for a thicker lemon curd, add it with the sugar.
• Slowly whisk in the lemon juice, until smooth.

Cook in a Double Boiler.

• Set the bowl on top of the pan of simmering water. Cook the lemon curd over the water, stirring constantly but gently with the spatula – no need to stir aggressively.
• Continue stirring and cooking the lemon curd, until it’s thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, and it leaves tracks against the side of the bowl (this means when you swirl the curd against the side of the bowl, run your finger through the curd – if it’s thick enough, your finger will leave a track through the curd without the curd running back through).
• This process can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes, depending on how vigorously your water is boiling.

Add the Butter.

• Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in the cold butter, a few pieces at a time, until it’s completely disappeared and the curd is smooth. If the lemon curd has cooled down too much and you’re having trouble getting the last few pieces of butter to melt, you can place the bowl back over the hot water, long enough to finish whisking in the butter.

Strain.

• Now strain the curd (to remove the lemon zest and any bits of egg) by passing it through a wire mesh strainer.
• Store the lemon curd in a glass jar with a lid, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

How to Use Homemade Lemon Curd

There are so many tasty ways to use homemade lemon curd! These are just a few ideas.

• Whip it into buttercream for a lemon buttercream, or spread it between layers of cake.
• Spoon it over scones or pound cake.
• Spread it onto toast or flaky biscuits.
• Make a peanut butter and lemon curd sandwich.
• Use it to fill mini tartlet pastry shells.
• Drizzle it over ice cream.
• Layer it into a trifle with cake, whipped cream and berries.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of bowl should I use for my double boiler?

• Since lemon curd contains lemon juice, it’s very acidic, so it’s important that your bowl (and utensils) is non-reactive. If you cook lemon curd in a reactive bowl, you risk the lemon curd having a metallic taste, or even turning a green color.
• Non–reactive cookware is made of stainless steel, glass, or glazed ceramic. Or it might be coated with something that is nonreactive, like the enamel in enamelware and enamel-coated iron pots.
• A reactive pan is one that contains metals that might interact with certain foods. Aluminum, cast iron, and unlined copper are all examples of reactive metals.
• For a double boiler, I recommend using a stainless steel bowl. I’d caution against using a glass bowl, even one that claims to be heat-proof, as these have been known to crack or shatter when used as double boilers.

Does lemon curd need to be strained?

• You don’t have to strain your lemon curd if you don’t want to. The lemon zest helps to flavor the curd as it cooks, but I don’t like to leave it in. Personally, I prefer the silky smooth texture of strained lemon curd.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

• You can use either. I use unsalted butter, and I don’t add any salt to my lemon curd. But if you like a hint of saltiness to balance the sweetness then you can certainly use salted butter.

Can I use Meyer lemons?

• Of course! Meyer lemons will make a delicious lemon curd, that’s a little sweeter and not quite as tart.

Will lemon curd work as a cake filling or lemon pie filling?

• You can certainly use this lemon curd recipe as a cake filling, although I’d suggest adding the 1 tbsp corn starch for a thicker lemon curd. This recipe will not work for a lemon pie, since the curd does not thicken enough to slice cleanly. I’d recommend you use this lemon pie recipe.

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice?

• You can, but fresh lemon juice makes a better tasting lemon curd. Plus, you need the lemon zest anyway, so it’s best to just use fresh lemons for everything.

Will this recipe work for lime curd, too?

• Absolutely. You can make the recipe as written, and substitute lime juice and lime zest.

Will this recipe work for orange curd?

• Yes, you can use this recipe to make orange curd, but since orange juice is sweeter, I’d suggest reducing the sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

Can this recipe be doubled?

• You can certainly double the recipe, but it will take longer to thicken.

How long does it take the curd to thicken?

• Depending on how vigorously the water is boiling in your double boiler, it can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to thicken. Remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools and chills.

Can I freeze lemon curd?

• Yes, you can freeze lemon curd. Store the lemon curd in a glass jar, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 3-6 months.

What should I do with the leftover egg whites?

• Since this recipe uses 4 egg yolks, you’ll have 4 leftover egg whites. You can use the whites to make French macarons, white velvet cake, or freeze them for later. To freeze egg whites, simply pour them into a freezer bag, label the bag with the quantity and date, and freeze until needed. When you have enough saved up (12 egg whites), you can make an angel food cake.

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