Basic and Easy Lemon Curd Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

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ThisLemon Curdrecipe is a breeze, made with just five simple ingredients and ready in around fifteen minutes. It’s a delightful mix of sweet and tart and just about the easiest recipe out there. Enjoy it on its own or add it tocookiesorswirled into a cake. If you’re a lemon lover, you this recipe is for you.

You’ll love this Lemon Curd Recipe (Easy!)

While I realize lemon curd sounds pretty fancy, it couldn’t be easier to make! It’s a one-pot wonder! I keep my recipe super simple so that the flavor of the lemon really shines through. Don’t let the fancy name fool you—this is a breeze to whip up in no time and I’ll show you just how to do it and how to use it with your favorite foods.

What is Lemon Curd?

Lemon curd is a sweet and tangy spread made from lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter, cooked to a smooth texture. Its vibrant citrus flavor makes it versatile for use in pastries, desserts, or swirled into cakes.

Easy Lemon Curd Ingredients

• lemon zest
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• salted butter

How to make this Recipe for Lemon Curd

If you have 10-15 minutes, you can make lemon curd! It’s a lot easier to make than you think. Here’s how to do it:

Whisk Ingredients In Pot

In a small saucepan, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar and eggs together. Place pot over medium low heat and add in butter pieces.

Cook to Thicken

Whisk continuously for 7-10 minutes until lemon curd thickens but before it starts to boil. 170 degrees F is boiling, so you will want to pull it from the heat right before it gets there.

RECIPE NOTE: Be sure to use a whisk that reaches all the way into the corners of the pot you’re using to prevent the eggs from cooking/scorching in those corners, giving you lumps. I have found a flat whisk works great for this!

Refrigerate

Remove from heat and pour into airtight containers or jars. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. As it cools, it will thicken into a spread.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe Tips

For the brightest, tartest lemon curd, opt for using fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Shave off the zest using a microplane before cutting lemons in half and juicing.

While you can buy lemon and lime juice at the grocery store in cute little yellow and green containers, it can sometimes taste more bitter than sour which isn’t what we are going for. Just buy the fresh lemons and go from there.

Lemon Curd Recipe Easy Substitutions and Variations

Get creative with these simple tweaks to tailor the recipe to your taste:

• Swap lemons for other citrus fruits like limes or oranges
• Use alternative sweeteners such as honey or agave syrup
• Add a splash of vanilla extract for extra depth

Ways to use the Best Lemon Curd Recipe

I know when I first heard of lemon curd, my first thought was “what am I supposed to do with it?” A lot of the time, people just don’t know how to use it. Here are a few ideas:

• Fill vanilla or lemon cakes
• Delicious topping for crepes or vanilla bundt cakes
• Spread onto pancakes for french toast
• Swirl it into a cream cheese danish (yum!)
• Fold it into whipped cream for a lemony addition
• Fill some shortbread cookies with it

How to store Homemade Lemon Curd

If you have your lemon curd in airtight containers, it will last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

If you won’t be using it within those four weeks, transfer to the freezer. Lemon curd will last up to a year frozen. To defrost, simply transfer to the fridge to defrost over the course of 24 hours. Use as desired.

Other Lemon Desserts You Will Love

If you love tart and sweet lemon recipes, look no further! I’ve got a bunch to choose from. These are my favorites, but be sure to browse my archives of lemon treats here.

• Lemon Bars
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Creme Brulee Lemon Pie (one of my favorite recipes!)
• Lemon Lush (Lemon Dessert Lasagna)

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! As a lemon lover, I’d highly recommend making this and keeping it in your fridge for when cravings hit. Be sure to save/bookmark/share/pin/print this recipe. It’s a great all purpose recipe! Have a great day, friends.

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you wouldgive it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.