Simple lemon curd recipe is perfect for desserts! This is the best lemon curd recipe for cake filling, cupcakes, and cookies! Plus, tips on what to do with lemon curd!
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And if you like this easy lemon curd recipe, you'll love my Bananas Foster Pancakes, my Rosemary Olive Oil Cake with Orange, and my White Forest Cake!
Best Lemon Curd Recipe
This simple lemon curd recipe is bright, buttery, and perfectly tangy—with just the right amount of sweetness. It comes together in minutes using basic ingredients, no fancy techniques required. The texture is silky smooth, and the flavor is like sunshine in a jar. You’ll want to spread it on everything (or just eat it by the spoonful).
This is my favorite way to make lemon curd -- it's the recipe that I use in my Lemon Curd Cookies and in my Lemon Blackberry Cake! This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of lemon curd, but you can always adjust the recipe size in the recipe card below to make a larger batch!
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon lovers, you're in for a treat! Lemon curd is a creamy, tangy lemon custard made from simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and cold butter. It’s kind of like a citrusy custard—rich, smooth, and bursting with bright lemon flavor.
You may recognize it as the filling from lemon meringue pie or lemon bars, but it's even better as the topping on my Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake! You can use it on toast, in desserts on vanilla ice cream, or straight from the spoon when no one’s looking!
Lemon Curd Recipe (Easy)
This is one of my favorite easy recipes! You don't need a double boiler, don't need to separate your eggs, and it all comes together so quickly!
Do you use whole eggs or egg yolks for lemon curd?
You can use whole eggs or just egg yolks for lemon curd, depending on the texture you want. Whole eggs make it a bit lighter, while yolks give it that extra rich, velvety feel. Some recipes mix both for the perfect balance of creamy and smooth.
In this recipe, we're keeping it simple and using two whole eggs. No egg separating and no waste!
Easy Lemon Curd Ingredients
Ready to start making lemon curd? Awesome! Here's what you'll need for this easy lemon curd recipe:
- fresh lemons - You'll need both lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2-3 lemons. If you want a sweeter curd without as much tart lemon flavor, try this with Meyer lemons! Either way, make sure you use fresh, not bottled lemon juice.
- eggs - you'll want to use large eggs for this recipe, and they should be at room temperature for the best texture.
- sugar - granulated sugar adds to the sweetness and the texture of this lemon curd!
- butter - a bit of unsalted butter helps to add to the creamy, rich texture of our lemon curd.
- salt - this is optional, but to bring out the fresh lemon flavor, I like to add a nice pinch of salt.
Equipment
I used a small saucepan to heat the curd, as well as a medium heatproof bowl and whisk to separately mix and temper the eggs.
You'll also need a fine mesh strainer, and a container to store your finished batch of lemon curd -- I like these 16-ounce mason jars.
Making Lemon Curd
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for how to make lemon curd, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this easy lemon curd recipe!
Heat fresh lemon juice and zest in a saucepan until hot, but not boiling.
In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until smooth.
Very slowly pour in about half of the heated lemon juice, whisking continuously.
Very slowly pour tempered egg/lemon mixture back into the saucepan through a fine sieve and heat on low heat, whisking continuously, until thickened. Remove from heat and gradually add butter.
Hint: For best results, be sure to pour your heated lemon mixture SLOWLY into the egg mixture and whisk continuously to prevent lumps in your lemon curd.
Storage
Store your lemon curd in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
Lemon Curd Uses
Homemade lemon curd is incredibly versatile and it's perfect when you want to add a burst of bright, tangy flavor to so many treats. Spread it on toast, English muffins, lemon poppyseed scones, or muffins for an easy breakfast upgrade, or swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal.
It makes an amazing accompaniment for various desserts, like my Earl Grey Lavender Cake, Lavender Lemon Cupcakes, and my Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake, and it’s perfect for layering with whipped cream and angel food cake in trifles or parfaits. You can even use it as a topping for pancakes, waffles, or my Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake — it goes with everything!
Recipes with Lemon Curd
You can use this lemon curd as an ingredient in so many amazing desserts! My Lemon Curd Cookies, Lemon Dump Cake, and my Lemon Blackberry Cake all call for lemon curd! For more, check out my full collection of recipes with lemon curd!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! This recipe uses whole eggs, which makes it simpler, but if you prefer to use just egg yolks, many recipes out there only call for egg yolks.
To cool lemon curd quickly, transfer it to a shallow dish right after cooking—this helps it cool faster than leaving it in the hot pot. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then pop it in the fridge. You can also place the dish in an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice and water) to speed things up even more.
If your lemon curd didn’t thicken, it’s usually because it didn’t cook long enough or the heat wasn’t high enough. Lemon curd needs gentle, consistent heat to activate the eggs and thicken properly—if it’s undercooked, it’ll stay runny.
If you cooked it the full cook time and it still won't thicken, try returning it to the heat and cooking a bit longer until it coats the back of a spoon.
Top Tip
Don't overcook your lemon curd! Cook it just until it coats the back of a spoon -- it will thicken up further as it cools -- if you cook it too long it may take on a bit of an "eggy" flavor.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this one? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - cubed
- pinch salt - optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, heat lemon zest and juice until hot, but not boiling. There may be small bubbles around the edges.½ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- In the meantime, add eggs and sugar to a separate bowl and whisk well until smooth.½ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
- While still whisking, very slowly pour about half of the juice mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk well to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Slowly pour egg mixture back into the pan through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any curdled egg bits.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk the mixture continuously until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter one cube at a time. When butter is fully incorporated, stir in salt, and then transfer to a heatproof container to cool to room temperature.pinch salt, ¼ cup unsalted butter
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on June 27, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Chenée Lewis says
I know you guys are gonna LOVE this lemon curd! It's perfect with so many recipes, or all on its own!!