Lemon Curd

An easy lemon curd recipe with just 4 ingredients which you can make in a few minutes. Perfect for using at breakfast or in cakes and desserts.

lemon curd in glass jar with gold spoon with freshly cut lemons

Lemon Curd

A very versatile condiment to have in your fridge is a homemade lemon curd. I love it simply spread on toast for breakfast, dolloped onto Plain Scones with some clotted cream, and used in a Lemon Curd Pavlova for maximum tang.

lemon curd in glass jar with gold spoon on marble tray

Lemon Curd Recipe

This is a very easy lemon curd recipe and uses only 4 ingredients.

It also takes a mere 10 minutes or so to make and keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week or more.

ingredients for lemon curd

How to Make Lemon Curd

Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Once the butter has melted, pour in the egg and lemon mixture. Continue whisking the mixture over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened nicely.

The lemon curd is ready once it coats the back of a spoon nicely, and if you draw a line through it with your finger, the line remains.

process shots for making lemon curd

How to Use Lemon Curd

Here are some recipes using lemon curd:

Lemon Curd Tarts

Lemon Curd Pavlova

Madeleines with Lemon Curd

lemon curd in glass jar on marble board with fresh lemons
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Lemon Curd

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 375 ml (1.5 cups)
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: British

An easy lemon curd recipe with just 4 ingredients which you can make in a few minutes. Perfect for using at breakfast or in cakes and desserts.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 150 g (1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
  • 2 lemons, zest and juice

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
  3. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the lemon mixture.
  4. Continue whisking the mixture over medium heat until the mixture has thickened.
  5. Once the mixture starts to thicken, take it off the heat briefly while you check the consistency.
  6. The lemon curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon, and when you draw a line through it with your finger, the line remains.
  7. Taste to see if you need to add more sugar or lemon juice as lemons can vary in size, sourness and sweetness.
  8. Strain the lemon curd through a fine sieve into a bowl. This step removes any cooked egg solids from the curd, but it is optional.
  9. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
  10. Store the lemon curd in a sterilised glass jar in the fridge.

Kitchen Notes

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 131
  • Sugar: 12.8g
  • Sodium: 14.3mg
  • Fat: 8.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.4g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 1.6g
  • Cholesterol: 79.7mg

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Update

This recipe was first published on 8 May 2019. It has been updated with more comprehensive recipe notes.

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6 comments

  1. Madeleine 20 May 2019

    I saw your recipe on Facebook and couldn’t wait to make it for brunch this weekend. It was delicious with homemade scones.






    Reply
  2. Apolline 23 October 2020

    Wonderful lemon curd 🙂 I reduced the sugar to 100g and added the zest of one lime: delicious!! Thank you so much for the recipe






    Reply
  3. Jane 14 November 2021

    Easy recipe and tastes very good. Also when cooled, the consistency is suitably thick for spreading on pavlova or as a cake filling.

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 18 November 2021

      Hi Jane,
      So glad you enjoyed this recipe! This lemon curd has many good uses 🙂

      Reply