Homemade Lemon Curd

This lemon curd recipe is SO EASY to make and has half–or more than half– the clean up! Yay! Double win! This lemon curd has the perfect tartness from the lemons and a smooth and creamy texture from the butter! With Spring and Summer coming, no one wants to spend hours in a hot kitchen baking yummy desserts. That’s why I love that this recipe takes only 30-40 minutes to cook on the stovetop and then chilled for a few hours. You can make this recipe a day ahead or the day of! And the bonus! You can enjoy it with SO MANY baked goods! Enjoy your homemade lemon curd with: scones, in a tart, shortbread cookie, macaron filling, cupcake filling, pancake topping, or lemon cake. Anyway you want to enjoy it, it will be delicious!

What Equipment do I need for Lemon Curd?

This lemon curd recipe is BY FAR one of the easiest and less messy recipes I have made. Sometimes I think I cook like my dad–with a lot of dishes and food splats everywhere.. But not with this recipe! You will need a couple things, but I guarantee you that you have most of it in your cabinets already. 

You will need:

1. A pot for cooking the lemon curd. This recipe is cooked on the stove top.
2. A whisk
3. A heat safe bowl. I like to use glass bowls, but any bowl that is safe for hot items works.
4. A fine strainer like this one
5. Wax paper or plastic wrap

That’s it! I really like that there is very little equipment needed, because that means less dishes to clean up. And as a momma of 2 little ones, spending less time doing house chores is ALWAYS a good thing!

Why do I need to Cook Lemon Curd Slowly?

Lemon curd is one of those “slow burn” recipes. Kind of like when you’re exercising and the movements are so slow you’re not sure if you’re going to get back out of it.. Yah like that. 

This lemon curd recipe will take about 30-40 minutes to cook when on the stovetop. You will need to stir in continuously, so make sure you have some time. 

This recipe needs to be cooked slowly because you don’t want the eggs to cook and create scrambled eggs. You want the eggs to slowly cook so they create a smooth, creamy texture in the curd. 

So, take your time and stir the curd continuously for 30-40 minutes.

How to Make Lemon Curd.

First, combine the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium pot. Whisk until well combined.

Transfer the pot and mixture to the stovetop and cook on medium-low or low. You don’t want to cook on medium, medium-high, or high because the lemon curd will begin to scramble like scrambled eggs. Add the butter cubes once on the heat.

You can either add the butter chunks all at one time or as they are close to melting. The choice is yours. Be sure to cube the butter before adding it to the pot to melt. The butter will melt faster and more consistently when cut into cubes.

Continuously whisk the lemon curd in the pot on medium-low or low heat.

The mixture will cook for 30-40 minutes. 

You will know when the curd is finished cooking, when the thermometer reaches 160 degrees F or the curd coats the back of a spoon. This will be a thick yogurt like consistency.  In the last 10 minutes of cooking (and about 150 degrees F) you will feel the mixture getting thicker as you stir. This means you are almost done. 

Once the homemade lemon curd is finished cooking, pour it through a fine strainer and into a heat safe bowl to strain out any possible egg chunks that may have formed when cooking.

After you have your smooth lemon curd in the bowl, cover with wax paper or plastic wrap. Place the wax paper directly onto the lemon curd. This will prevent a crust from forming as it cools.

Allow to cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Then transfer to the fridge for a few hours to finish cooling.

Enjoy with your favorite scones, tart, with whip cream topping, shortbread cookie, macaron filling, cupcake filling, pancake topping, or lemon cake.

How do I Store Lemon Curd?

Homemade Lemon curd needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You’ll want to keep it cool so the curd stays thick.

How long does Lemon Curd Keep?

Lemon curd will keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Make sure to tag me @raesbakeryblog on Instagram and comment below if you make this homemade lemon curd recipe. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the button above or below this post, or any photos above. 

Coffee and Brownies,

Homemade Lemon Curd

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Enjoy this creamy, buttery lemon curd on just about any dessert!

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Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 Cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

1. Combine eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium pot.
2. Whisk until well combined
3. Transfer the pot to the stovetop on low/medium-low heat.
4. Add the cubed butter all at once or a few at a time.
5. Whisk constantly until thick and coats the back of the spoon or the thermometer reads 160' F
6. When finished cooking, remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer into a heat-safe bowl.
7. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper. Being sure the covering is touching the curd surface to prevent a skin from forming.
8. Cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
9. Transfer to the fridge to chill for several hours.
10. Store in an airtight containter for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• Do not cook on medium to high temperature or the eggs will scramble.
• Strain curd through a fine strainer to remove any egg chunks and get creamy curd