Homemade Lemon Curd (Printable)
Silky, tangy lemon curd from fresh lemons, eggs, sugar and butter—ready in about 20 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Citrus
01 - 3 large lemons (zest and juice, about ½ cup juice)
→ Base Mixture
02 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
→ Butter
05 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
# How-To Steps:
01 - Zest the lemons using a microplane, then juice them until you have about ½ cup of fresh lemon juice. Set both aside.
02 - In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks until completely smooth.
03 - Stir in the lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice until evenly combined.
04 - Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water surface.
05 - Add the cubed butter to the bowl. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thickened and creamy, about 7 to 10 minutes. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Remove from heat and strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the zest and any bits of cooked egg.
07 - Cool to room temperature, then transfer to sterilized jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This curd comes together in under twenty minutes and tastes like you spent hours.
- Once you master the double boiler technique, you will never buy jarred lemon curd again.
02 -
- Patience during the whisking phase is everything, and walking away even briefly can leave you with scrambled lemon eggs.
- Straining is not optional if you want that perfectly smooth, jar worthy texture.
03 -
- If you want an intensely lemony punch, zest four lemons instead of three before juicing.
- Coconut oil works as a surprisingly good substitute for butter if you need a dairy free version.