
Lemon curd is a wonderfully thick, yet soft and creamy, easily spreadable sweet-tart cream that is perfect on quick bread, muffins, cakes and more. Our luscious easy Lemon Curd recipe takes less than 10 minutes to whip together from start to finish.
Traditional lemon curd recipes are prepared on the stove and often contain unnecessary thickeners such as cornstarch or guar gum. Our recipe uses fresh eggs as the thickener.
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
You’ll Need:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1 cup of sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Large eggs
In a microwave-safe bowl whisk sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice together.
Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, whisking well after each minute. The mixture should be thick and bubbly and the temperature of the curd should reach 185°F
Pour the Lemon curd into sterilized jars and seal., or store in the fridge up to 3 weeks.
Cook’s Notes: Do not substitute “Dried lemon zest” in this recipe as it just will NOT taste the same.
How to Use Lemon Curd
Once you’ve whipped up a batch of easy lemon curd, you might be wondering how best to use it! Luckily, lemon curd is extremely versatile. Spread a generous spoonful over the top of a freshly baked muffin or on a thick slice of your favorite quick bread.
Lemon curd is also the perfect filling for homemade tarts and can be topped with meringue for a traditional lemon meringue tart.
Lemon Curd Poke Cake
One of my family’s favorite quick desserts is to bake a basic lemon cake and allow it to cool 10-15 minutes. Poke holes in the top using the handle of a wooden spoon and spread 2-3 cups of prepared lemon curd over the top of the warm cake. Cool the cake completely, then refrigerate it. Spread a thin layer of homemade whipped cream over the top just prior to serving.
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Lemon Curd filled cookies are light and refreshing, a perfect combination of buttery crisp cookies and citrusy tang! The trick to forming the perfect cookie is to ensure that the ingredients are room temperature, so allow them to rest for about 30 minutes prior to starting.
You’ll Need:
1 Egg at room temperature
1 stick Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Caster Sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Beat the caster sugar and butter together until creamy, add the egg and beat until combined and smooth.
- Add the almond extract and a pinch of salt.
- Add the flour, mixing to form the dough.
- Wrap the formed dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has been chilled, form the dough into small balls, (about 20) then roll them in a bit of caster sugar before placing them on a prepared baking tray.
- Use your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon to create an indent.
- Fill each indent with 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes (the bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown). Cool on a wire rack to prevent overcooking.
Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Lemon curd ice cream is absolutely luscious, light, creamy, and bursting with citrus-goodness. The best part is, you don’t need any special equipment to make it.
You’ll Need:
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Lemon curd
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
Zest of 1 Large Lemon
- Using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
- Fold in the condensed milk, lemon curd, and lemon zest
- Transfer the mixture into a scoopable ice cream tub.
We prefer the reusable ice cream tub as it’s easily stackable, prevents freezer burn and is dishwasher safe. For an even more delectable treat, place a scoop of easy lemon curd ice cream between a couple of gingerbread cookies!
Additional Delicious Lemon Recipes
If you love lemons, you’ll adore this easy Lemon bar recipe too!
What’s your favorite dessert using lemon curd?
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / matka_Wariatka
i love lemon curd! i wonder if there is any way to make this in another flavor, such as orange or raspberry?
can you tell me how to move ads off of the actual recipes? i can’t figure it out, and can’t read the whole recipe!!
Adjust your browser to normal size screen resolution, such as 800×600 or higher. 🙂
Fridge. Good rule of thumb to follow, Anything with eggs that has not been Canned in a Hot water bath or Pressure canner should NEVER be stored in a pantry. 🙂
does this need to be stored in the refrigerator? or can it be stored in your pantry?
lemon pie is my favorite dessert. this recipe allows me to still gave the taste without the carbs. thank you!
Will try this as a filling for a white cake.
This sounds easy I’m going to try it today!