This easy homemade Lemon Curd recipe is sweet, tart, fantastic, and ready in 15 minutes! Use it as a spread or topping for your breakfast favorites, baked goods, and desserts.
A little dollop of this condiment on our scones and crepes is next level!
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
Years ago when we were trying to sell our house in Minnesota, I used to keep a bowl of lemons out on the table. The color, the smell… I swear, I think they sold the house for us.
Have a ton of apples? Make applesauce. Have a ton of lemons? Make lemon curd! I make this lemon curd recipe all the time. It’s so simple and can be used in countless ways.
A lot of recipes call for making this fruit curd on the stove, which requires a double boiler and straining through a sieve, but I make it in the microwave and it’s so much easier.
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a bright and velvety dessert topping and breakfast spread that has a sweet and tart lemon flavor. It’s sold at a lot of stores now, usually found near the jams and nut butters, but homemade is so much better and incredibly easy to make with only a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
You only need 4 ingredients to make lemon curd from scratch.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Lemons – You’ll be using the juice and zest.
- Eggs – Provides structure so the curd sets properly.
- Granulated sugar – You need this to balance out the tart lemon.
- Melted butter – Unsalted butter so the fruit curd isn’t salty.
How to Make Lemon Curd
As mentioned above, many lemon curd recipes call for using a double boiler and a sieve. We make ours in the microwave with the same great results, in half the time and less tools.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Combine all the ingredients. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.
- Microwave in intervals. Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes, whisking well after each minute (toward the end, whisk every 15-30 seconds.) DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil or the eggs will curdle. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Transfer to jars and cool. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars (the curd will thicken the more it cools.)
Great Uses for Lemon Curd
- stirred into yogurt or ricotta cheese
- on top of pancakes or crepes
- spread on blueberry scones
- mixed into pound cake
- dolloped on top of angel food cake
- drizzled over ice cream
- …or my favorite way – right off the spoon, directly into your mouth.
How to Store Lemon Curd
Once the lemon curd is done cooking, remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. The curd will thicken the more it cools.
- How long does lemon curd last? Store for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Can you freeze lemon curd? Yes! It freezes very well. Allow lemon curd to cool completely before freezing. Divide mixture into small clean jars with a lid, leaving at least a 1/2-inch gap for expansion. Freeze up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and use within 3 weeks.
Lemon Curd Desserts:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Easy Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (see note below)
- Zest from 3 lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.
- Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes, whisking well after each minute (toward the end, whisk every 15-30 seconds.) DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil or the eggs will curdle. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars (the curd will thicken the more it cools.)
Best lemon curd I have ever made
Wonderful! First lemon curd I have ever made that doesn’t taste eggy. Even after a few days! I microwaved it mostly 30 seconds as a time to be sure it didn’t boil. Thank you!,,
Easy and delicious! I am diabetic so I used monk fruit in place of the sugar. Smooth as silk. My new go to recipe!
I made a lemon trifle for Christmas and used this recipe for lemon curd since I couldn’t find it at the store. It was so so easy and had just the right thickness. Sweet and tart and so delicious. Love that I didn’t need to use the stove.
AAAA-mazing, this is so simple and absolutely delicious. I can’t tell you how happy I was at the results of the simple preparation. I worked in a bakery for 5yrs and can’t even tell you how many hrs I spent over the stove stirring to make thus. Thank you so very much. I’m going to be folding this into a cheesecake mousse for a beautiful trifle dish tomorrow morning. I can’t wait for my guests to taste it. Again, Thank you.
loved this recipe very nice .. <3
Have so mNy lemons on my tree cant wIt to mKe lemon curd…but i want to use honey instead of sugar…how much should i use??
This recipe will not turn out using honey, sorry.
Love your recipes
This is absolutely delicious!
This recipe was easy & turned out fantastic!! I also made a blueberry-raspberry version…sooo good.
Amazing and Easy! Thank you so much!
Hi! I did stove top, worked like a charm. Added a little cornstarch to help thicken. Perfecto thank you for sharing!
THIS IS SO EASY AND DELICIOUS! WILL BE MAKING AGAIN! THANKS!
Can’t believe how easy this was. I’ll never make it on the stove again – thank you!
Can this be used as lemon meringue pie filling?
Hi Pamela! I always use this lemon curd as a filling in between cake layers and in crepes, but you might want to check out our Lemon Curd Pie recipe here: https://bellyfull.net/lemon-curd-pie/
This recipe is great. I normally think lemon curd is daunting to make but this was easy. I will definitely make this again.
I love lemon curd. I am a snowbird from Minnesota. We bought a place in AZ for the winters. I have
pink grapefruit, orange, and prolific lemon trees. I am ALWAYS looking for recipes. So my question is: Can Lemon Curd be froze? I do have a Vac-u-seal that I use on many things to seal out the air.
Hi Deborah – Yes, It freezes beautifully. Cool completely, then transfer to freezer safe jars (leaving about 1/2-inch of room on the top), then freeze it. Thaw the curd in the fridge for 24 hours before you plan to use it. Once thawed, it will last 7-10 days in the fridge.
I too have never had lemon curd. The pictures and everyone’s comments make me want to try! I want to make the blueberry and lemon quick bread. Sorry I had to leave my juicer behind when I downsized. Does this make 2 cups? want to know how big of containers. I’m gonna do it!!
Hi Chris! Yes this recipe makes 2 cups. You’ll love it…and the quick bread!
Does the microwave method have any dangers from the eggs?
No. It still gets fully cooked.
I only have salted butter! Will that work?
Hi Laura! unfortunately, no. You don’t want any salt in this recipe.
I only had salted butter and thus turned out fabulously! It did not taste salty at all.
Hi, I’m from Australia! What measurement is a stick of butter? Really want to try this.
Hi Sam! In the U.S. 1 stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup. Enjoy!
A stick of butter is 4 oz.
Love homemade lemon curd! Can this be made using limes? I’m looking for a good lime curd recipe.
Thanks!
Hi Deborah – I’ve never tried it with limes, but I can’t see why not! As long as the limes are acidic enough. I did try this with oranges once and it was meh. Not enough acidity.
Isn’t the lemon curd supposed to be made with egg yolks?
I always use whole eggs, but you can do it either way. Yolks and Whites are about the same proportion, so you need to adjust for the size difference. 1:1 ratio. For example, in my recipe, you could use 3 whole eggs (like I do), or 6 yolks. Just using the yolks tends to be thinner, creamier, and taste richer. Adding the whites gives you a lighter fresher thicker curd.
I have to try this the next time I bake my lemon cake. Lemon curd is actually recommended as the filling. Yummy.
Stopping by via Sarah’s.
Following.
xoxo’s
Greetings Marcia, nice to have you over here! I use this curd on pancakes, in muffins, mixed with yogurt..sometimes just by itself. SO easy and delicious.
Marcia, I have been craving your lemon pound cake since we had it last Thursday….very good! Now I know the secret!
Hello again! I’m featuring you tonight at the Homemaking Party! Thanks for a great post!
Sarah
Hurrah for Rachel! Where’s her picture? You live in a world blessed with wonderful friends.
Every year I host a potluck dinner where everyone is asked to bring a lemon dish, from entrees to desserts to beverages and cocktails. Everything has to have a touch of lemons in it. I just know your homemade lemon curd recipe will be a big hit.
Sandi
So delighted to report that my lemon curd was successful. I can’t believe how easy this was it was. A little lemon curd on a wheat thin is perfect to finish off a cup of coffee or tea.
This was fantastic and so easy. Can’t wait until summer when I can use fresh lemons from my tree. Thanks for the great recipe.
Okay, so my Saturday came and went and my lemons are patiently waiting on me. They want their 15 minutes of FAME! I am hoping they find it tomorrow….
I did it! I did it! I did it! It was super easy and so yummy! Thank you!
I love lemon curd but this was the first time ever making it at home. It was PERFECT. Thanks for sharing! :-)
What temperature in your microwave do you cook yours?
Oh ho ho my lemony curdness. This is so my Saturday. Saw 10 for $2 at Earth Fare and I may carry out the whole basket.
I’ve never made this and I’ve only bought it once– so this is exciting.
Seriously, lemon curd in the microwave? Had no idea this was possible – turned out great! This is the only way I’ll ever make it now.
WOW, this was SO much easier than the way I usually make it. GREAT RECIPE—thanks!
I never would have thought to make lemon curd from scratch, what a great idea! Your photo is terrific.
GORGEOUS photo! I love, love, love lemons and what a great way to eat them!
I have never in my life tasted lemon curd. Honest.Isn’t that sad? It looks like something I would love. I’d also love 30 Meyer lemons. Tell your friend Rachel that I accept donations, lol.
Love the photo!
Lisa you must must must try it. You simply MUST!
Lemon Curd is my favorite part of “high tea”. Our daughters treat my friend, Karen, and me to tea somewhere in San Francisco once a year. Now I can have the best part at home. Maybe I’ll even share with them.
Thanks, Amy.
But of course! Tea and lemon were meant to be married, right? Sharing is difficult…better make a double batch ;-)
Is it bad that I kinda want a big bowl of this to dip my face in? This curd looks and sounds amazing.
Ha! Not bad at all. The temptation is strong. I’d like to bathe in it, myself :D
Yum Yum Yum! Lemon curd is my ALL time fav.!! I can lick it all day long :-)
Nice photo!
I have just never thought to make lemon curd, or for that matter eat it on a regular basis. Hmmm…you have once again inspired me, Amy! Thanks!