Go Back
+ servings
featured lemon curd

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Calories: 102kcal
Homemade lemon curd is sweet, tangy, and so much better than store-bought! This easy homemade sauce is whipped up in just about 15 minutes with only 5 simple ingredients. This is a kitchen staple that you need to make today!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)

Ingredients

  • 5 large egg yolks 70 grams
  • cup granulated sugar 133 grams
  • cup fresh lemon juice 76 grams, from about 3 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest 6 grams, from 1 lemon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, cubed (1 stick)

Instructions

  • Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place a medium-sized heatproof bowl on top.
  • Add the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the bowl. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes. The mixture should thicken quite a bit and resemble hollandaise when it’s fully cooked.
    5 large egg yolks, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter.
    ½ cup unsalted butter
  • Place plastic wrap on top of the bowl so that it is touching the curd-- this will help keep a skin from forming.
  • Once the curd has cooled completely, remove the plastic wrap and transfer the mixture to an airtight container.

Notes

  • This recipe makes 1 cup of lemon curd.
  • While you need to cook the lemon curd for about 10-15 minutes to get the right consistency, don't cook it for too much longer than that or it will curdle.
  • If your lemon curd is a little bit lumpy, that's okay! It just means that the eggs didn't fully separate. You can blend the mixture for just a few moments to break up any lumps you see.
  • Jars of lemon curd make the cutest gifts! Hand these out to friends and neighbors during the summertime to make everyone smile.
Storage: Store lemon curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg