This Easy Lemon Curd is creamy, dreamy, tart and sweet. It uses whole eggs (so no wasted egg whites!) and you can throw it together in around 20 minutes. Now that’s my kind of breakfast/dessert/snack treat.
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Why, I wonder, did someone not come up with a more appetizing name for the amazingly delicious confection that is curd than…. curd.
Lemon curd, I think, needs a rebranding. (And other kinds of curd too, of course – lime, grapefruit, orange, whatever.)
Instead of calling it curd, we should call it…. lemon cream. Or lemon delight… Yes. I quite like that one.
Because that’s exactly what lemon curd is – delightful.
I think sometimes people are scared off by the word curd and don’t want to give it a try, but if you ever wished that it was socially acceptable to eat lemon meringue filling by the heaping spoonful, this recipe is for you.
Eat it straight from the jar, spread it on toast or graham crackers, swirl it into yogurt. On Friday I’ll give you a whole list of ways to use your lemon curd. In case you have any left (doubtful). 🙂
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The beauty of this particular recipe is that it uses whole eggs. Most curd recipes call for all yolks or mostly yolks, but I really hate having to shove a container of egg whites in the fridge, only to find them a month later and have to throw them out. This eliminates the problem.
The reason not many recipes use whole eggs is because people are worried about teensy tiny bits of scrambled eggs. There is talk of strainers and all manner of over-the-top efforts. But I say, who cares? Unless you’re making this to sell it (and I doubt you are, if this is your first time trying it), who cares if there’s a stray speck or two of egg. This recipe manages to eliminate 99% of them, and honestly, whatever. If you end up with a random teensy tiny piece of scrambled egg it will just taste like lemon meringue pie filling, which one could argue tastes better than scrambled egg alone.
You can store this lemon curd in the fridge for 7-10 days, but you can also freeze it if you’re scared you won’t eat it all in time.
Aside from the amazing taste, I love this recipe because all it takes is a couple of pantry/fridge/freezer staples and a few lemons. If you ever have leftover lemons from something else, this is the BEST thing to do with it. I promise. You can make it in around 20 minutes.
And it’s fantastic.
No, wait.
It’s delightful. 🙂
PS – If you’re not sure what to do with your amazing curd after you make it (besides eat it with a spoon!), check out this post I created: 15 Incredible Recipes Using Lemon Curd That You Need In Your Life.
Easy Lemon Curd – With Whole Eggs – Step-by-Step Instructions
Easy Lemon Curd – With Whole Eggs – Ingredients
Wash 2 medium-large lemons well and zest them. I like to use my microplane for this. You’re just trying to get the yellow zest – not the white pith – it’s bitter.
Juice lemons. You’re looking for 1/2 cup of lemon juice. This took two lemons for me, but there is a chance you might need more if your lemons aren’t very juicy. One easy tip I always use is to microwave each lemon for 15 seconds before you juice it. I’ve read that it will yield more juice, and it certainly seems to be true!
Separate 4 eggs. Put the yolks in a medium sized pot and the whites in a small bowl.
Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the yolks and whisk them vigorously (before heating) for about a minute so they’re well combined.
Add lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk well again. Turn heat to medium (on the lower side of medium) and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken just a tiny bit (probably around 3-5 minutes).
Add egg whites and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly and making sure you scrape the entire bottom of the bot consistently as you go (you’re trying to avoid scrambling the eggs). In around 6-8 minutes the mixture will start to thicken much more.
Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, it’s ready to take off the heat.
Start to add small chunks of butter, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. You’ll add 6 tablespoons in total.
Pour the lemon curd into a bowl to cool. I would avoid scraping the bottom of the pot if you can see any small egg pieces there.
Once the curd is in the bowl you can either cover it with plastic wrap (pressing it against the curd so a skin doesn’t form) and refrigerate it, or you can leave it at room temperature and stir it occasionally to cool.
Once it’s cool you can separate it into smaller containers for eating, freezing or giving away. 🙂
Refrigerate for 7-10 days or freeze for up to a year. Enjoy! 🙂
Easy Lemon Curd - With Whole Eggs (No wasted egg whites!)
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp butter I use salted butter
Instructions
- Wash 2 medium-large lemons well and zest them. I like to use my microplane* for this. You're just trying to get the yellow zest - not the white pith - it's bitter.
- Juice lemons. You'll need 1/2 cup of lemon juice. This took two lemons for me, but there is a chance you might need more if your lemons aren't very juicy.**
- Separate eggs. Put the yolks in a medium sized pot and the whites in a small bowl.
- Add sugar to the yolks and whisk them vigorously (before heating) for about a minute so they're well combined.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk well again. Turn heat to medium (on the lower side of medium) and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken just a tiny bit (probably around 3-5 minutes).
- Add egg whites and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly and making sure you scrape the entire bottom of the bot consistently as you go (you're trying to avoid scrambling the eggs). In around 6-8 minutes the mixture will start to thicken much more.
- Once it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, take it off the heat. Add small chunks of butter, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Pour the lemon curd into a bowl to cool. Avoid scraping the bottom of the pot if you can see any small egg pieces there. Once the curd is in the bowl you can either cover it with plastic wrap (pressing it against the curd so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate it, or you can leave it at room temperature and stir it occasionally to cool. Once it's cool you can separate it into smaller containers for eating, freezing or giving away. 🙂
- Refrigerate for 7-10 days or freeze for up to a year. Enjoy! 🙂
Notes
-
* Microplanes are super helpful for zesting.
-
** One easy tip I always use is to microwave each lemon for 15 seconds before you juice it. I've read that it will yield more juice, and it certainly seems to be true!
Nutrition
PS – Looking for amazing recipes to make with your lemon curd? Check out these 15 Incredible Recipes Using Lemon Curd That You Need In Your Life!
Dee says
The last time I made lemon curd, there were bits of egg white within the curd. What can I do to keep this from happening?
Myra says
Hi Dee, sometimes that happens to me if I’m in a little bit of a rush and have the burner on a little higher. When this happens I put the curd in a large sieve and push it through. It only takes a minute or two but it leaves all the white bits behind and the rest of the curd is perfect 🙂
Joanne says
This was fabulous! I made it low carb/ keto by replacing the sugar. I used 1/2 c allulose and 1/4 c erythritol-monkfruit sweetener for the 3/4 c sugar. The first batch was poured on a keto crust and cooled in the fridge to make lemon bars. They were wonderful. The second batch was layered with keto coconut cake, whipped cream, and strawberries to make parfaits. I can’t wait to make another batch. I might try lime next. I love that this uses whole eggs, is quick to make, and has such a short list of simple ingredients. I think this is a recipe I’ll be using for the rest of my life!
Myra says
Awww what a lovely comment Joanne! Thanks for the feedback and hopefully it will be helpful to others who want to make this recipe low carb/keto. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sha says
Hi Myra,
Thanks for sharing but why 7-10 days only? Is there a health risk to consuming it beyond that or just the taste degrades after that period?
Myra says
Hi Sha! My parents have kept it longer and eaten it with no apparent issues, but because there are eggs in it (and no preservatives, as store bought curd might have) I’d rather err on the side of caution. I also think the taste would not be as fresh after longer storage.
One way around this is after we’ve eaten our fill for a few days I’ll freeze the rest in the baby mason jars – I think they hold 1/2 a cup. Then we can take them out of the freezer thaw them and enjoy it again within a day or two. It freezes and thaws beautifully so I find this gives me peace of mind. Hope this helps!
Felen says
Thank you for sharing. I kept my 12 egg whites in the fridge not knowing what to do with them. Gosh…may be meringue cookies 😬.
Myra says
Thanks for the comment Felen! It’s definitely one to try next time!