Ever wondered how to make lemon curd? Look no further! With just a handful of simple ingredients you could make your own easy lemon curd from scratch. This easy lemon curd recipe is tart, not too sweet and ultra lemony. Ready to make it?

Hi friends!
How about an easy homemade lemon curd recipe? Once you make your own, there’s no going back to store-bought. It’s just too easy (and tasty).
I used curd in lemon cream tarts a while back. I decided that this deliciousness needs to shine on its own.
So today, I’ve brought you simple step by step instructions on how to make lemon curd right in your own kitchen!
Lemon Curd Versus Lemon Pie Filling
Lemon curd is a type of preserve made simply from lemon, butter, eggs and sugar and a pinch of salt.
You can actually make a variety of fruit curds, like grapefruit, pineapple or orange. Today, though, it’s lemon!
The difference between curd vs pie filling is primarily the thickening agents, the thickness and potency of lemon flavour.
The thickeners in curd are actually the egg yolks and pectin in the fruit.
Whereas, lemon pie filling typically has a thickening agent, like cornstarch.
Also, pie filling is typically thicker than curd. Flavour-wise, curd is a lot more potent and punchy in lemon flavour than lemon pie filling too.

How To Make Lemon Curd
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- Add sugar and salt and stir to combine.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add lemon zest.
- Then add lemon juice.
- Finally, add egg yolks. Then, place the saucepan back on the heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- The curd is ready when it’s thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
- Pour the curd into a strainer (that’s over a bowl).
- Strain curd through a sieve and press with a spatula. This will remove any solids, especially those egg solids.
- When the curd is pressed through a sieve, pour into a storage jar, allow it to cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Ways To Enjoy
- Fold cooled curd into whipped cream for a delicious dessert topping
- Enjoy over Greek yogurt
- Dollop over granola and berries
- Spoon over vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat
- Eat straight from the jar!
- Spread over toast
- Use in no bake dessert in a jar

Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Just melt the butter. You don’t want it too hot.
- Add the lemon juice to the melted butter before adding the eggs. The lemon juice helps to cool the butter a bit. You don’t want scrambled eggs.
- Once you start making the lemon curd, whisk, whisk, whisk!
- While optional, I like to strain the cooked lemon curd through a sieve to remove any egg solids. This makes for a creamier lemon curd.

More Easy Lemon Recipes
I’ve made other curds in the past too. Perhaps I’ll share one of those another day.
If you make this lemon curd recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 5 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- To butter, add sugar and salt and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks, whisking to combine.
- Place the saucepan back on the heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. Don't boil.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any egg solids. This makes your lemon curd extra creamy!Tip: You can use a spoon or spatula to encourage the curd to go through the sieve, while leaving any solid bits.
- Pour the lemon curd into a storage jar. Allow it to cool, cover, and then store it in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3 to 5 days.Note: The lemon curd further thickens as it cools.
Notes
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot.
- Just melt the butter.
- Add the lemon juice to the butter before adding the eggs. The lemon juice helps to cool the butter a bit. You don’t want scrambled eggs.
- Once you start making the lemon curd, whisk, whisk, whisk!
- While optional, I like to strain the cooked lemon curd through a sieve to remove any egg solids. This makes for a creamier lemon curd.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Nini says
Just made this with Meyer lemons… I had never made curd before and this was so easy and so, so delicious! I could just eat the entire thing with a spoon!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you kindly!! So happy you enjoyed!!
Bernice Hill says
Perfect curd! You really can’t skip that strainer step no matter how careful you are. Curd is so delicious and versatile…
Girl Heart Food says
Totally!! Thank you so much Bernice 🙂
Dan from Platter Talk says
Thanks for posting this lemon curd recipe. We love lemons and although I’ve had lemon curd, I’ve never made it myself. Great job, as always!
Girl Heart Food says
Now is the time to make it 😉 Thanks so much Dan for the kind comment! Hope you’re having a lovely week 🙂
Kevin says
Step by step recipes are some of my favorite! This lemon curd looks and sounds great!
Girl Heart Food says
Right?! Thanks Kevin!
Mimi says
It’s been years since I’ve made a curd, and I’m pretty sure it was lemon. What I want to try is peach or apricot. I’ve seen some over the years, and that sounds better to me only because I’m not a citrus “freak.” Or cherry?
Girl Heart Food says
All of those sound wonderful to me!!
Shashi at SavorySpin says
This looks so delicious! I could take a spoon and dive right into that jar! I’ve never made my own lemon curd – I recently had some lemon curd mini pies at a friends house and WOA – they were so good so I am drooling over your pictures, Dawn!
Girl Heart Food says
I think I did 😉 Thanks Shashi! You’re so sweet!
David @ Spiced says
I love a good homemade lemon curd! A spoonful of curd with a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream is just magical. But you’re totally right about the ‘whisk whisk whisk’ part. I always get a good arm workout when I make lemon curd! This looks amazing, and I can’t wait to see how you use it in a new recipe soon. Also, thanks for the no-bake cheesecake love here! 🙂
Girl Heart Food says
Me too! Thanks so much David! And it was my pleasure 😉 Happy Monday!