Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

Spoon lifting silky homemade lemon curd from a glass jar, with fresh lemons and lemon zest

This easy homemade lemon curd is silky, tangy, and sweet, made with just 6 simple ingredients in one saucepan on the stovetop in about 15 minutes. No double boiler needed!

Course Condiment, Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword easy lemon curd recipe, homemade lemon curd, lemon curd

Prep Time 6

Cook Time 9

Total Time 15

Servings tablespoons

Calories 62kcal

Equipment

Medium Saucepan: used to cook the lemon curd.
Whisk or Wooden Spoon: to mix and stir the ingredients together as they cook.
Microplane or Zester: To zest the skin of the lemon without the bitter white pith.
Citrus Juicer: handy for extracting the juice from the lemons.
Strainer: useful for straining the lemon juice to remove any seeds or pulp before adding it to the mixture.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest grated, from 1 medium lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from about 3 lemons, strained
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Wash the lemons. Zest one lemon to get 1 teaspoon of zest, then juice about 3 lemons to get 1/2 cup of juice. Strain out the seeds.
In a medium (2-quart) saucepan, before turning on the heat, vigorously whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and salt until frothy and lighter in color.
Whisk in the lemon juice until blended.
Set the pan over low heat, then add the butter pieces one at a time and whisk constantly for 7 to 9 minutes, until the butter melts and the curd thickens. When the first bubbles appear, let it bubble for just a few seconds, then remove it from the heat (about 175°F / 80°C). The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a clean line when you run your finger through it.
Press the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and discard the solids.
Stir in the vanilla extract. Let the curd cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until fully set.

Notes

Keep the heat low and whisk constantly so the eggs thicken the curd without scrambling.
Use a stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Aluminum reacts with lemon juice and can give the curd a metallic taste.
Always strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky-smooth finish.
The curd thickens more as it cools. Chill it until fully set before using it as a filling.
Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Nutrition is an estimate per 1-tablespoon serving.

Nutrition