Lemon Curd Recipe
This Lemon Curd recipe is smooth, bright, and full of bold citrus flavor. Perfect for toast, pancakes, and all the desserts.
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients
- zest of 3 large lemons
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ pound salted butter, room temp
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3-4 lemons, strained
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with steel blade, add lemon zest and sugar. Pulse until well combined and zest is finely minced with the sugar.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter. Beat in the sugar-zest mixture until combined. Add eggs, fresh lemon juice, and kosher salt. Mix until well combined, scraping down sides as needed.
- Pour mixture into a medium saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Lemon curd will thicken just below the point of simmer. It will turn from a dark yellow liquid to a pale, thick syrup as you whisk.
- Once lemon curd is nicely thickened and pale yellow, remove from heat. Allow to cool and chill completely. Store in airtight container in fridge.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons. Freshly squeezed juice and zest give the curd its bright, clean flavor that bottled juice can’t match.
- Zest before juicing. It’s much easier to zest whole lemons than ones that have already been squeezed.
- Keep the heat low. Gentle heat prevents the eggs from curdling and helps the curd thicken smoothly.
- Whisk constantly. Continuous whisking keeps the mixture silky and prevents lumps from forming.
- Cool completely. Let the curd cool to room temperature before refrigerating so it sets evenly.
- Storage: Keep lemon curd in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Adjust sweetness. Taste as you go—add a little more sugar if you prefer a softer, sweeter flavor.
- Repurpose leftovers. Spoon it over pancakes, swirl into yogurt, or use as a filling for cakes and tarts.
- This recipe is part of our Lemon Recipes Collection.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.7g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 7.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 65.9mg | Sodium: 78.2mg | Sugar: 20.2g