Lemon Curd With Egg Yolks Recipe

Learn how to make lemon curd with egg yolks! A fresh, light and lemony filling or topping that goes great on cakes, cookies, cupcakes or any baked treat!

Original post: February 2018 | Updated: March 2023

Why This Recipe Works

Curd. Lemon Curd. Really? Do you wonder who named this sweet, lemony, succulent nectar? Because if I could give it a name, this would not be it. I’d name it something like: Most Heavenly Lemony Filling On The Planet In Which I Wish To Bathe Daily.

Reasons I love this delectable filling and topping so very much:

• I could easily incorporate this stuff into any baked good and I am just fine with eating it by the spoonful. There is really nothing better.
• This creamy lemon curd tastes amazing when paired with cookies, cakes, cupcakes, coffee cake or any other baked good.
• Use it as a decadent dip for fruit. Throw a dollop into your morning oatmeal. Spread it on a piece of toast. It is versatile.
• This is the best lemon curd recipe you’ll find and easy to make, too, using just a few simple ingredients. Make it for the lemon lover in your life (even if that is you!).

Recipe Ingredients

Butter – Unsalted butter will give you the most control over the saltiness of the end result. For more of a sweet and salty flavor, salted butter will taste great!

Egg Yolks – Use room temperature eggs whenever possible for this recipe. Using cold eggs will alter the temperature of the other ingredients and cause clumping.

Separate the yolks from the whites by carefully allowing white parts to spill over into a separate small bowl.

Reserve the egg whites for other uses so they don’t go to waste. Make an egg white scramble or omelet!

Sugar – Increase the amount of granulated sugar used in the recipe to 1 1/2 cups if desired. How much sugar you use will determine the sweetness of the curd once cooled.

Lemon juice – Squeeze fresh lemon juice straight from a few lemons to make this recipe. Fresh is best. Check out my favorite citrus juicer if you find juicing a hassle!

Lemon zest – Fresh lemon zest gives the final product a nice burst of added lemon flavor. Don’t forget to zest before juicing!

How to Make Lemon Curd With Egg Yolks

Step 1

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, 1 cup sugar and egg yolks and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add the 2/3 cup lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until just combined.

Step 2

Add the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook over medium low heat until smooth. Increase to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and yellow in color, about 10 minutes. It should very slowly drip down the back of a spoon when held in the air.

Remove the finished curd from the heat and let cool. Pour into a bowl and chill in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

• Always use ripe fresh lemons to create this recipe from scratch!
• When whisking the mixture on the stove top, be sure you’re stirring constantly to avoid the bottom of the pan scorching the mixture. You will also want to avoid finding bits of egg in your mixture.
• Use a double boiler as extra insurance not to burn the mixture.
• Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface when chilling to prevent skin from forming on top of the curd.
• Consider creating another types of fruit curd using other fruits. Experiment with orange curd, lime curd and cranberry curd.
• If you find a clumpy mixture after refrigeration, try pushing it through a fine mesh strainer to achieve a more creamy texture.
• To thicken your curd if it seems too thin, create a cornstarch slurry by combining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Add it to the mixture and whisk until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Let simmer for 3 minutes.
• After pulling the curd out of the fridge, you may encounter a film on the top. Simply scrape the surface of the curd with a spoon to remove the film.

Best Zester For Lemons

Zesting lemons can seem like an arduous task, but if you’re using the most efficient zester it suddenly becomes super easy. Let this zester do all the heavy lifting for you so your lemon zest will appear before your eyes with minimal effort!

What To Do With Lemon Curd

Check out this extensive collection of ideas about what to do with lemon curd. Recipes included (but aren’t limited to):

• These Lemon Bars are perhaps my favorite fruity dessert on planet Earth.
• If you’re aiming to please, this Lemon Blueberry Cake will do the trick.
• Spoon over top a few scoops of vanilla ice cream or yogurt for a sweet snack.
• Try this yummy Fluffy Banana Cake with Banana Filling from MamaGourmand.

How to Tell if a Lemon is Ripe

I have lemons on hand all the time because we never know when we’ll want to make our favorite citrus cocktail. Plus, this magical juice just goes great in so many recipes. When picking them out at the grocery store, look for these attributes to make sure you are getting the juiciest, ripest ones:

• First, give it a good smell. Go ahead, put it right up to your nose and smell for a strong lemony scent. The stronger the scent, the riper the fruit will be.
• The deeper yellow in color they are, the juicier they are, as well.
• The heavier it feels in your hands, the more juice is hiding inside.
• Gently squeeze it in your hands. The more give it has, the juicier it’ll be. If it is too squishy it may be past its prime, so be sure it doesn’t give too much.

How To Ripen Lemons

If your lemons are not yet quite ripe enough to use, try placing them in a window ledge, or some place where they’ll get a lot of direct sunlight. This will help to speed up the process of ripening.

How Long Does Lemon Curd Last

Your homemade lemon curd recipe will last for up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

How To Freeze Lemon Curd

Extend the shelf life of homemade lemon curd by freezing it. Place in a (doubled up) heavy-duty freezer bag or shallow airtight containers for up to 4 months for best results. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

What To Do With Lemons

Have extra lemons after making your batch of lemon curd? Don’t worry, there are plenty of additional and delicious ways to use them. See this comprehensive roundup of ideas about what to do with lemons, which includes (but is not limited to):

• Learn how to make candied lemons.
• Make a batch of chicken piccata for dinner.
• Create a lemon lime layer cake to impress!

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