Learn to make lemon curd at home like a pastry chef with this step-by-step tutorial including tips and techniques I've learned from commercial kitchens. My easy lemon curd recipe uses a combination of whole eggs and egg yolks, just enough sugar, a hit of lemon zest, and lots of butter.
This is the same reader-favorite recipe as the lemon curd filling in my gluten-free lemon bars and lemon tart that I adapted from my award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker. It takes just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make, and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for several months.

This foolproof lemon curd recipe is the one I made over and over again when I was a pastry chef for over 20 years in San Francisco. Now I'm sharing all my tips and tricks for making it at home, using a few techniques I picked up in pro kitchens. If you're a beginner, I hope my step-by-step tutorial will quell your curd-making fears. And if you're a seasoned curd-maker, I hope you'll love the streamlined method and balanced flavor of this creamy curd.
This 5-ingredient lemon curd has a bright, tangy flavor and thick, smooth consistency. It takes about 20 minutes to make 4 cups of curd and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for longer storage.
Stir this luscious lemon curd into yogurt, swirl it over cheesecake, serve it with these buttery homemade gluten-free scones or lacy almond flour crepes, layer it with the floofiest gluten-free sponge cake, or bake it into lemon bars or a lemon tart.
This lemon curd is:
- thick & creamy
- smooth & silky
- tangy & bright
- balanced – not overly sweet
- versatile; great for use in and on a variety of recipes
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
This lemon curd uses few ingredients, so be sure to get ones that taste good: fresh butter, juicy lemons, and eggs with bright yolks and firm whites. Here's what each ingredient adds to this easy lemon curd recipe:
- Lemons: form the base of this curd (obviously!) Be sure to use ripe, juicy lemons for the best flavor and texture. They should be vibrant yellow and have a tiny bit of give when you squeeze them.
- Meyer lemons will also work here; just use the smaller amount of sugar, 1 1/4 cups, since Meyers are sweeter and less acidic.
- Eggs: Some lemon curd recipes use all whole eggs or all egg yolks. I like to use a combination of 4 whole eggs and 2 yolks. The egg whites help the curd set while the yolks add extra richness, color, and emulsifying power. This is the place to splurge on excellent eggs! Fresher eggs will make thicker curd that sets better, and the curd will be especially vibrant if you use farm-fresh eggs with bright yolks. My favorite widely-available brand is Vital Farms, but I usually get them from my local farmers market for the best quality.
- Sugar: adds just the right level of sweetness to balance the acidic lemon juice.
- For refined sugar-free, you could use maple sugar, subbed by weight (warning that it's pretty expensive and you'll need a lot of it!) or coconut sugar (but it will be brown and have a much more molasses-y flavor). Liquid sweeteners might make the curd too runny, so best to stick with granulated here.
- Butter: the butterfat thickens and sets the curd, while the dairy softens the flavor of the citrus.
- You could use a dairy-free butter; I'd recommend Miyoko's unsalted cultured butter since most DF butters are quite salty and we don't want that here. Or try using 7 tablespoons coconut oil.
- Salt: just a touch of salt sharpens the flavor of the curd.
Method: Make Lemon Curd Like a Pastry Chef
Rather than use a water bath, which is cumbersome and takes more time, I like to cook my lemon curd directly in a saucepan set over low heat. I learned this technique in pastry school, and again in restaurant kitchens and bakeries.
This recipe takes 20 minutes to make and yields 4 cups of curd. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to several months.
Troubleshooting
Here are some common lemon curd woes and how to remedy them.
Problem: My Lemon Curd is Too Runny
What went wrong? The curd wasn't cooked long enough to allow the egg to thicken, or not enough butter was added.
How to fix it:
- To thicken runny lemon curd, put the curd back into your saucepan, place over the lowest possible heat, and stir constantly. The curd will thin out at first as the butter melts, but it will eventually begin to thicken back up. Make sure it coats the back of your soft spatula enough to hold a line when you swipe your finger through it, and measures 165-170ºF. Strain to remove any eggy bits that may have seized in the cooking process, return to jars, and chill until cold.
- Alternatively, heat the curd until it's warm to the touch, then remove from the heat and whisk in another few tablespoons of butter. The butter will solidify as it cools, thickening the curd further.
Problem: The Curd is Chunky or Grainy
What went wrong? The curd was overcooked, or the uncooked ingredients sat too long and the acidity curdled the eggs.
How to fix it:
- Try straining, then immersion-blending your curd to bring it back together or smooth it out.
- If this doesn't work, try adding another few tablespoons of butter to the warm curd to bring it back into emulsion.
Storing Lemon Curd
Some best practices to ensure safe and delicious curd.
- Do you need to refrigerate homemade lemon curd?
- Yes! Lemon curd contains eggs which, even when "preserved" with acid, sugar, and fat, need to stay cold to stay safe. Store-bought lemon curd can be at room temperature after it's been pressure-canned to exacting standards, but needs to be kept cold after opening. So just say "no" to botulism and chill your curd.
- Can lemon curd be frozen?
- Yes! I tested freezing a jar of this curd and it worked beautifully. The thawed curd is a tiny bit looser compared with unfrozen curd, but I guarantee nobody else will notice this!
- To freeze lemon curd, fill straight-sided glass jars with curd and leave 1/2-inch of head room on top to allow the curd to expand. Lid the jars and freeze for up to several months. Thaw in the fridge overnight to enjoy.
Got extra egg whites from making this lemon curd?
Here are some recipes that use them:
Lemon Curd for Everyone
Whether you enjoy this curd as a spread or filling, with or without dairy or refined sugar, smeared on a pastry or spooned straight from the jar, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Got any favorite uses for lemon curd? Tell me in the comments!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this homemade lemon curd recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.

Thick & Buttery Homemade Lemon Curd
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, sliced
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons)
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) organic granulated sugar (or 1 ¼ cups / 275 g for extra tangy curd)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup (235 ml) strained lemon juice (from about 6 large lemons)
Instructions
- Place the butter and lemon zest in a heatproof bowl. Place a mesh strainer over the bowl and set aside.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolks to combine. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice.
- Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches 165- 170ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 5–10 minutes. As you stir, be sure to scrape the entire bottom and corners of the pan, so that the mixture heats as evenly as possible. It will start out thick and cloudy from the undissolved sugar, then will turn thin and translucent, and finally begin to thicken and turn cloudy again as the eggs cook. Lower the heat to very low as it gets closer to being done. If the mixture starts to curdle or bubble, immediately remove it from the heat and proceed to the next step.
- Immediately pour the curd through the strainer and into the bowl of butter to stop the cooking. Whisk to incorporate the butter and lemon zest.
- Pour the curd into storage jars and let cool for a few minutes, then cover the jars with lids and store in the fridge. The lids and warmth of the curd will prevent it from forming a skin on top.
- Chill the curd until thick enough to enjoy, 30-60 minutes, or up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze, pour the curd into straight-sided jars and leave 1/2-inch of head room on top for the curd to expand. Lid the jars and freeze for up to a few months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Lanie says
I made this recipe tonight!
It is a fantastic way to make lemon curd and makes so much sense as a pastry chef. Easy and the instructions are very clear. And most of all, the consistency and taste is divine! The step by step was helpful but your written instructions are very clear.
I will definitely add this to my recipe collection!
Thank you Chef!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw yay, I'm so glad you liked the lemon curd - flavor, texture, and method. Please let me know how you use it!
xoxo,
A
India says
Hi Alanna, would it be possible to sub duck eggs in this recipe?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I love this question! I think that should work, you'll just want to use less egg if the eggs are larger than large chicken eggs. I would keep the 2 egg yolks but decrease to 3 whole eggs.
I also have a duck egg salad recipe in case that's helpful!
Stacey R says
I recently tried to make a lemon meringue pie but it ended up in the bin as after the baking process my curd did not set :(
Would you recommend allowing this curd to fully cool before putting it into its pastry case to bake in the oven or should I pour it into the case and bake it while still warm?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear about the pie fail! Great question about using this curd in a pie.
Typically lemon meringue pies have cornstarch incorporated to make the filling more light and to give them a firmer set. That said, I think this curd filling would work well baked into a parbaked pie crust, it will just be richer and more creamy than a traditional lemon meringue pie.
Be sure to let the pie cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge before you add the meringue and serve the pie. You don't need to cool the curd before pouring it into the parbaked pie shell to bake. I would also make the version with the full amount of sugar (not the extra tangy version with less sugar) since this will make the curd more sturdy and less prone to breaking as it bakes. You can follow the guidelines for my lemon tart, extending the baking time as needed since the pie will be deeper and take longer to bake.
Please come back and let us all know how it turns out!
-Alanna
Cathy J Oliver says
Hi! I just found you by looking for how to fix runny lemon curd and I'm so happy I did!! After I fix what I have I'll make yours. I just wanted to say my family has eaten lemon curd ( or lemon butter as we knew it as children) on hot buttered toast for years. I love all things lemon tho and I see more recipes in my future. Thank you!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh good, I hope my throubleshooting tips help. Please let me know if and when you try my formula. I love the term "lemon butter" for this curd - I've never heard that description before but it's so accurate. Happy cooking to you!