Easy Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

Last Updated on August 18, 2024 by Diane Hoffmaster

Do you ever just see one food and automatically associate it with something else?  Two flavors that just go together so perfectly that when you see one, you have to have the other as well? I made this easy homemade lemon curd recipe because I discovered local Georgia blueberries on sale at the grocery store this week.  

HUGE containers of fresh Georgia blueberries just begging to be paired with something lemon flavored!  I came up with the perfect creation for my dessert loving family this week.  Cheesecake topped with fresh blueberries and homemade lemon curd. It was absolutely scrumptious and a huge hit with the family!

 

I must admit, I absolutely love lemons in just about everything.  A homemade lemon cake is a delicious summer dessert recipe. Fresh lemons go great with seafood or chicken. They are a wonderful addition to just about any dessert recipe and (of course) they end up in my tea quite frequently.  

There are a few key kitchen tools you really need to have when working with fresh lemons.  This easy homemade lemon curd recipe uses not only the juice of fresh lemons but also the zest.  

The easiest way to grate fresh lemon zest is with a microplane grater.  I use mine for all sorts of things from citrus zesting to grating Parmesan cheese to scraping fresh nutmeg right from the nut.  It is an incredibly useful kitchen tool!  

Fresh lemon tastes so much better than bottled lemon juice so stock up on a citrus juicer as well. If you don’t want to waste a single bit of your lemons, consider making homemade lemon extract with the leftover lemon rinds.

For this recipe, you will need a double boiler. You can also just set a large, glass bowl over the top of a pan of simmering water.  Just don’t let the bowl touch the water.

Okay, so you decide to make the homemade lemon curd and now you have a WHOLE BUNCH of the stuff.  What do you do with it all?  When you make this lemon curd recipe, you will end up with about 3 cups of it.  

You can use it on cheesecake like I did, put it on top of some yogurt for breakfast, serve it with blueberry muffins instead of butter, or use it in a lemon trifle with vanilla cake and fresh berries.  

There are an amazing number of ways to use up this homemade lemon curd.  Honestly, though, with the amount I ate straight from the spoon  I didn’t really have to worry about this stuff going to waste!  It was rich and creamy and I will definitely be making more of it now that blueberry season is finally here!

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

Yield: 4 cups

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

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This easy homemade lemon curd is rich and tangy. The perfect lemon dessert recipe that is incredibly versatile.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Inactive Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 4½ ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 large lemons)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pats

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a double boiler, heat a few inches of water over medium high heat until it begins to simmer.
2. In the top of the double boiler, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Whisk briskly 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
3. Add the lemon juice and salt to the egg mixture and whisk another 2 to 3 minutes until combined.
4. Place the egg mixture over the water and begin to heat while whisking continuously. Do not let the mixture boil or you will curdle your eggs. You want to cook the mixture for about 15 minutes or until it is relatively thick but still pourable. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon but still drip off the spoon.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the lemon zest and stir. Slowly stir in 1 pat of butter at a time, letting it melt before adding more.
6. Pour into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. To prevent a skin from forming over the curd, place the wrap directly on the lemon curd.
7. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
8. Serve on top of scones, cheesecake, tarts, muffins, yogurt, etc.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1

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