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    Home > Dessert > Four Ingredient Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

    Four Ingredient Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

    Published: Jun 4, 2018 · Modified: Aug 18, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

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    homemade-lemon-curd-recipe

    This is a four ingredient easy Lemon Curd Recipe. Luscious, lemony, sunny, bright and bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Homemade lemon curd is made with fresh lemon  juice and is extra creamy and smooth with the addition of butter.

    Homemade Easy Lemon Curd recipe in a white antique rice bowl.

    It’s so simple to make lemon curd from scratch that I have to admit I’ve never picked up a jar from the store. You can find it in grocery stores alongside the jams and jellies or with the baking supplies, but as with everything, flavor would surely be compromised.

    Lemon curd is a scrumptious spread for scones, biscuits or other baked goods. It’s really very easy, just requiring a little attention by stirring as the mixture heats stove-top. And the reward is absolutely worth every second spent…hardly more trouble than making pudding.

    If you’re a lemon fan, and you’ve never tasted lemon curd, you owe it to yourself to take the time to make this. You only need four ingredients: sugar, lemons, egg yolks and butter. I’ve used this recipe for years, and before writing this post, I googled to see if there were other versions. There are, but not deviating from the ingredients. However many recipes call for using a double boiler. I’ve never made it that way. I’ve only used a heavy saucepan, monitoring the heat. So easy and you’ll be on your way to a very lemon dessert Summer.

    While in Culinary School, we also made lemon curd without using the double boiler method. A professional touch at the end of the process included instructions to strain the curd and store it with plastic wrap over and touching the curd to keep the texture nice and shiny.

    Homemade easy lemon curd recipe in a white bowl with fresh lemons

    So please don’t be intimidated, it really such an easy process. It’s glorious, basically a lemony, buttery, eggy spread. The end result has an intense flavor, which is a good thing, or I’d be eating it by the spoonful.

    Lemon curd can certainly be used as a pie or tart filling, but is different than most recipe’s pie fillings. Lemon curd has a stronger concentration of citrus flavor and is thickened using egg yolks and made creamy with butter. Pie fillings and custards contain little or no butter and rely on starches (tapioca and cornstarch) to thicken.

    Lemon Dessert Recipes using Lemon Curd

    • Lemon Curd Ice Cream Pie
    • Lemon Curd Cookie Cups
    • Coconut Lemon Curd Cake

    Or These Curd-style Recipes:

    • Fresh Peach Curd Tart with Basil Sugar Whipped Cream
    • Colorado Creme, A Vanilla Custard Dessert

    Homemade Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

    I hope you give this lemon curd recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

    Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite lemon curd or lemon curd filling recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

    Homemade Lemon Curd in a white antique rice bowl.

    Homemade Lemon Curd

    This is a four ingredient easy Lemon Curd Recipe. Luscious, lemony, sunny, bright and bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Homemade lemon curd is made with fresh lemon  juice and is extra creamy and smooth with the addition of butter.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 252kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 8 large egg yolks
    • 1 large egg
    • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, 1 1/2 sticks
    • Zest of one lemon about 1 tablespoon
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    Instructions

    • In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
    •  In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the whole egg and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar. 
    • Pour half of the hot lemon syrup slowly into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Add the combined mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the lemon-sugar mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil, about 9 minutes; it should be the consistency of sour cream. If the curd has any lumps you can strain the curd through the sieve.
    • Let the lemon curd cool to room temperature, then whisk in the softened butter until the curd is light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      June 06, 2018 at 8:14 am

      I’m a lemon freak, so you know lemon curd is my friend. 🙂 Yours looks wonderful! And I like that tip about the plastic wrap. Super recipe — thanks.

      Reply
    2. Larry says

      June 04, 2018 at 12:49 pm

      Well I’ve never tasted it so I owe it to myself – did you add a little limoncello to it?

      Reply

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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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