• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Style Sweet
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home

    How to Make Lemon Curd

    January 22, 2021 by Style Sweet 2 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Dolloped over ice cream, stirred into yogurt, or swirled on simple sugar cookies, lemon curd adds a bright, vibrant punch of flavor to our favorite treats and desserts. It is tangy, creamy, and mouth-puckering in all the right ways.

    Shortbread cookies with lemon curd spread on top

    Store-bought lemon curd never seems to deliver the same freshness and zest as homemade lemon curd. At just 5 ingredients, this is definitely something worth trying to make yourself. Here’s how to make lemon curd at home.

    A two layer lemon chiffon cake with swirls of lemon curd being spooned on top

    Ingredients

    Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed juice is what gives lemon curd that punchy flavor. During citrus season, lemons should be in abundance. Do not use bottles lemon juice if you can avoid it. Squeeze and strain lemons over a mesh sieve to catch any seeds.

    Lemon Zest - A lot of the flavor lies within the oils of the lemon zest. Use a microplane or citrus zester to only remove the outter layer. Do not grate the white pitch, as it can be quite bitter. Concerned about the texture? We will be straining out the zest after the lemon curd cooks.

    Butter - Like with all things, butter makes lemon curd rich and creamy. It also helps cooked and cooled curd set and thicken. Dice you butter into small pieces so that they melt into the warm curd easily.

    Eggs - Whole eggs and egg yolks give body to the lemon curd. The eggs make it rich and flavourful, while contributing to its thick and creamy texture.

    Sugar - Sugar adds sweetness to our tart and mouth-puckering curd. If you decide to swap in a different citrus, say orange juice for example, then the sugar levels may need altering.

    2 Ways to Make Lemon Curd

    Lemon curd is made by cooking most of the ingredients together on the stove then cooling until thick and spreadable. Some may opt to use a double-boiler as a safety net while others (me) prefer to bring everything together in a saucepan.

    The key is to gently cook the eggs in order to thicken the mixture without scrambling it. You can do this in a saucepan over medium heat, constantly stirring and evaluating the temperature. If the mixture gets too hot, the mixture will curdle.

    A jar of homemade lemon curd

    To make using a double-boiler, fill a saucepan with a few inches of water then bring to a simmer. Place a fitted double-boiler pan or a glass bowl on top of the simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.

    Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and mix together the lemon juice, zest, eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in the top portion. This method will take longer, but the indirect heat should ensure that the mixture does not curdle.

    Lemon curd is cooked and done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you drag a finger through it. It should reach 170°F on a candy or probe thermometer. Once hot, strain the mixture then stir in the butter until it is melted and smooth.

    Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a film from forming and place it in the refrigerator until cool and thick.

    Tips for Making This Recipe at Home

    • Dice the butter into small pieces. This helps it melt into the cooked lemon curd easily. If it doesn’t melt after stirring, place the curd back on top of a double-boiler and gently reheat until combined and smooth.
    • If cooking the curd in a saucepan, be extra mindful of the heat and always keep stirring. If the outer sides of the saucepan are hot to the touch, then you should probably turn the heat down.
    • Cook the lemon curd long enough for it to thicken properly. It will continue to thicken even further as it cools, but it should resemble a pourable pudding when done.
    • Strain the cooked lemon curd through a mesh sieve (before adding it to the butter). This not only catches the lemon zest but also any cooked bits of eggs (it happens sometimes).

    More Recipes to Make

    IceBox Cake with Lemon and Raspberries

    Lemon Chiffon Cake

    Lemon Thyme Cake

    Easy Lemon Tart

    Recipe

    A plate of shortbread cookies with swirls of lemon curd on top
    Print Recipe

    Lemon Curd

    Learn how to make homemade lemon curd with just 5 ingredients!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: lemon curd,

    Ingredients

    Lemon Curd

    • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter diced
    • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
    • 5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • zest of two lemons
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • 1 large egg

    Instructions

    Lemon Curd

    • Place the butter in a heat safe bowl. Set a mesh sieve on top of the bowl and set aside.
    • Whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, and egg in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, while stirring constantly with a heat-safe rubber spatula to keep the eggs from curdling. Cook until the lemon curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon or registers 170°F on a thermometer.
    • Once thickened, remove the curd from the heat and strain through the mesh sieve into the butter. Stir the lemon curd until the butter melts and combines. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly to the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cool and thick.
    • Lemon curd may be made in advance and stored for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
    « Easy Lemon Tart
    Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. Lemon Chiffon Cake with Mascarpone Cream - Style Sweet says:
      July 17, 2022 at 3:07 am

      […] Read more about making lemon curd! […]

      Reply
    2. Cranberry Orange Cupcakes - Style Sweet says:
      September 29, 2022 at 3:52 am

      […] Read more about making curds here. […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Tessa Huff

    Hi, I'm Tessa Huff! I am the cookbook author of Layered and Icing on the Cake. I bake, develop recipes, and photograph food from my home studio in North Vancouver, BC.

    More about me →

    My Cookbooks

    Join the Style Sweet Bake Club on Substack!

    Style Sweet is the ultimate resource for home bakers of all skill levels. Here you will find everyday dessert recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and expert baking tips to improve your skills and gain confidence in the kitchen.

    Popular Recipes

    • A mini chiffon cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream frositng
      Mini Strawberry Chiffon Cake
    • How to Ice an Ombré Cake
    • Frosting a watercolor buttercream cake
      How to Make a Watercolor Cake
    • A mini pavlova made with French meringue and topped with whipped cream and fresh berries
      The Perfect French Meringue Recipe

    Seasonal Recipes

    • A thick slice of carrot cake on a white plate with a fork taking a bite
      Easy Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • A three-layer sprinkle cake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow buttercream piped border
      Rainbow Sprinkle Cake
    • A sliced raspberry lemon loaf cake with pink icing on top
      Raspberry Lemon Loaf
    • Carrot Cake Recipe with Brown Butter Frosting

    Cake Decorating

    • a perfect chocolate drip cake with pink buttercream frosting
      How to Make a Chocolate Drip Cake
    • How to Ice a Cake
    • Stacking layers of cake and filling.
      How to Stack and Fill a Cake
    • Making a buttercream flower cake with pink, orange, and purple frosting
      How to Make a Buttercream Flower Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for new articles and updates

    Contact

    • Work with Me
    • Email

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 StyleSweet Studio LTD.