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Zesty, fruity, and easy to make Homemade Lemon Curd! Perfect for use in Cupcakes, Pies, or just on its own!

So, I am FINALLY sharing the recipe I use for Homemade Lemon Curd – and it is deliciously yummy. I have mashed up a few different recipes from the BBC, the Hairy Bikers and more as I have practiced over time on what works best for me every time! I have made this with quantities much higher as well, and it works well every time.

Lemon Curd is one of those treats that I used to think was icky and horrible when I was younger as why would you want anything different from Strawberry Jam?! Needless to say I was obviously neglecting the DELICIOUSNESS of it from the beginning. I use this recipe in my Lemon Meringue Cupcakes as its perfect with the super lemony flavour, but I also use it at any opportunity, such as a Lemon Victoria Sponge for the Summer nights!

I think that Lemon Curd is one of those things that you should keep at and not be impatient for, it might take a little time and you really can’t be hasty with it otherwise it might Curdle, or not thicken enough to set! Lucky enough the mixture is still cooked, so don’t worry about the eggs being inside it, as these are hard to avoid using as its what makes Lemon Curd.. Lemon Curd (other then the Lemon of course!)

The good thing about a curd like this, is that you can just whack all the ingredients together, whisk it all up, and microwave it. It works SO WELL in the microwave, I can rarely be bothered to do it in the correct way any more. It does seem to take an absolute age when doing in the microwave when you make a higher quantity, but simply microwave on full power for minute intervals until it noticeably starts to thicken up every time you stir.

Recently I made 150+ Macarons so ended up using rather a large amount of egg whites, but having 24 egg yolks spare did leave me at a bit of a stump. I asked my lovely followers on Twitter what I should do, and so many suggested making Lemon Curd… so I gave it a go! I followed this recipe, but multiplied the rest of the ingredients by three, added in two large eggs so there was a bit of egg white in there, and microwaved it for about 15 minutes in total.

Even though it took a long time, and my large pyrex bowl was basically about to overflow, it was DELICIOUS. It left the lemon curd super bright, so lemony, and utterly perfect. You can see the results of it in my photos, and it made soooo much. But it shows just how adaptable this recipe is!  I have also tried Orange Curd, and even Lime Curd (and these are yummy too!!) but lemon is the classic – and the best in my opinion!

Homemade Lemon Curd!

Delicious and sweet Homemade Lemon Curd!
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Category: Dessert
Type: Jams/Preserves
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 10 Servings
Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

  • Zest of 5 Lemons
  • Juice of 5 Lemons
  • 125 g Unsalted Butter
  • 250 g Caster Sugar
  • 3 Medium Eggs
  • 3 Medium Egg Yolks

Instructions

  • Clean/Steralise your Jam Jars so that the Curd will be able to last for its full time... I often just dishwasher clean them on their own so that they're squeaky clean!
  • Put the Zest & Juice of the Lemons, the Butter, and the Sugar into a heatproof bowl - I use a large glass bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (not boiling water!!) and stir the mixture occasionally till the butter has melted!
  • Beat the Eggs & Egg Yolk together in a separate bowl so they're combined well, and then pour into the lemon mix - whisk all of the ingredients together so that they are combined well and whisk continually in the heatproof bowl for 10-14 minutes.
  • You will know when its done when the mixture will coat the back of a spoon without dripping off too much - it will have thickened considerably and be nice and creamy like custard - it will thicken more when cooling in the jar so don't be worried if its still pourable!
  • Set the Lemon Curd on the side to cool down completely - stir it occasionally as its cooling so that the consistency stays throughout, but it must be completely cool when poured into the jars. Once cooled, store in the sterilised jars and keep in the fridge! The Lemon Curd will last in the fridge, in sterilised jars, for two weeks!

Notes

  • To sterilise jars, wash the jars in very hot, soapy water or put through the hot cycle of a dishwasher. Place the jars onto a baking tray and slide into an oven set to 160C/325F/Gas 3 for 10-15 minutes - tip from the BBC Food website.
  • Alternatively, add all the ingredients into a large microwaveable bowl, and whisk together. Microwave on full power for minute intervals, whisking in-between. It'll be done when it thickens up and coats the back of the spoon as well. 
  • If in a squeaky clean jar, it will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Enjoy!!

You can find my other Recipes on my Recipes Page!

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J x

© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.

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68 Comments

  1. Chloe on January 16, 2024 at 11:19 pm

    Hi Jane,

    Could this be made with plant butter for someone who has a dairy allergy? X

  2. Tina on August 16, 2023 at 10:21 pm

    Another fantastic, foolproof recipe. It is absolutely delicious and will be used in your Lemon Celebration Cake that I am planning to make tomorrow for my birthday 🙂 yum! Thanks Jane.

  3. GLynch on March 21, 2023 at 12:40 pm

    Just wondering if it would be possible tp substitute the sugar for a diabetic friendly alternative, as I adore lemon curd and miss it from my diet.

    Many thanks

  4. Holly on September 21, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    Hey Jane, I have made my lemon curd and it has been in the fridge for a day or so, but it is not thick at all and is still pourable. Do you have any idea what caused it and how I could fix it? Thank you so much!

    • Jane's Patisserie on September 23, 2021 at 10:55 am

      This usually means it hasn’t cooked out enough to thicken – it will still be edible, but not much you can do now! X



  5. Soohie on September 16, 2021 at 9:59 am

    Hi Jane, do you think you could swirl this on top of your lemon meringue fudge for decoration? Thank you! x x

    • Jane's Patisserie on September 16, 2021 at 10:04 am

      You could, but it won’t set solid so will leave the fudge quite sticky! x



  6. Sara on September 14, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    Hi Jane.
    Made your lemon meringue pie this week with your homemade lemon curd. It came out great, however the lemon curd wasnt very stable and squished out when cut 🙁
    Just wonder whether I’ve done something wrong, or what I can do to correct? I used the microwave method.
    (I did sieve the curd before putting into jars, as had some ‘white bits’ – egg I assume, bobbing about and wanted a smooth texture so didn’t fancy the zest – would this have loosened it too much?)
    Thank you by the way, complete ameteur baker here and I’ve tried and tested quite a few of your recipes now, all of which were highly praised. Thank you for making me look a better baker than I truly am. Book is fab too 😀 THANK YOU!

  7. Andrea Whittington on May 28, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    Hi Jane,
    Sounds and looks amazing as always!!
    Please can I ask if the lemon curd holds up when sliced from a tart with no meringue on top?
    Just I would like to just do a plain lemon tart!

    Thank you kindly 😊

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 2, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      For a plain lemon tart I would recommend using my lemon posset tart recipe – but it should work if chilled (just can be slightly soft)



  8. leo on April 22, 2021 at 11:50 am

    hi jane, can you freeze this once made?
    love your recipes 🙂

    • Jane's Patisserie on April 26, 2021 at 1:42 pm

      Hey! Yes you can xx



    • Ash on October 23, 2021 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! I would really like to try other flavours. I was going to try orange…would you know how much juice would I need ??

      Thanks
      Ash 🙂



  9. Han on April 19, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Hey, could I make this using limes instead? Thanks:)

    • Jane's Patisserie on April 19, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      Hey! Yeah sure, I don’t see why not!xx



  10. Katie on March 13, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    This looks lovely but I have a citrus allergy, do you have a way of altering this recipe for other types of curd such as mango or passion fruit?

    Thank you

    • Jane's Patisserie on March 15, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      Hii! I have only ever made citrus curd I’m afraid but they are on my list to do in the future!x



  11. Laura on February 28, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    For the lemon filling for meringue pie, could I use the recipe for the lemon top for the Lemon bars instead?

  12. Stickyblade 🤤 on October 16, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    Hi Jane. Im just wondering what size of jar would I need to store this in, as im unsure of how much this will make? I need to go and buy a jar tomorrow as im going to try and make this as a wee surprise this wkend!

    • Jane's Patisserie on October 17, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      I would say 500ml! I made a lot more than the recipe says (but the picture shows) but the recipe listed creates about 500ml! x



  13. Zoe Clemence on August 10, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jane, this is my second time doing this recipe and it truly amazing! The first time I done it I had to stir it ever few minutes to keep the smooth consistency this time it stayed smooth…have i done something wrong or could it be the heat were having and its not cooling down as fast?
    Thank you x

    • Jane's Patisserie on August 10, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      If you used the same measurements, it’s usually down to the heating being different – or yes it’s just taking longer! xx



    • Zoe Clemence on August 10, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      5 stars
      it still coated the back if the spoon with minimal dripping…if it sets in the fridge over night will it be OK? Thank you xx



    • Jane's Patisserie on August 11, 2020 at 12:20 pm

      Ooh okay yes, if it sets after the fridge it’ll be absolutely fine! xx



  14. Andrea on August 10, 2020 at 7:31 pm

    Hi Jane!

    I want to use this lemon curd to fill in between the layers of a 3-layer cake. Would I need to double the ingredients or even halve them for it, or is the original quantities sufficient enough? 🙂

    Thanks! x

    • Jane's Patisserie on August 13, 2020 at 2:42 pm

      I’m really not sure – it depends how much you want in the layers! I would say you wouldn’t need any more, so it may just be best to stick to the quantities and have leftovers! x



  15. Naomi on June 19, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    Hi,

    Im wanting to use the curd in a lemon merigue pie so dont need a huge amount. Is there a smaller recipe you could suggest?

    Ive only got 2 lemons 😭

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 20, 2020 at 8:40 am

      You could just multiply it down if that makes senes and make a smaller batch!



  16. Camilla on June 17, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    Hi!

    Do you keep the bowl over the water when adding the egg in and when whisking??

  17. Lauren on May 19, 2020 at 12:30 am

    How many grams is 1 serving? Is it possible to just make enough for your lemon curd mousse (if so how much of each ingredient/what should I divide by?)

    • Jane's Patisserie on May 19, 2020 at 8:21 am

      I’m afraid I don’t know!! I’ve never measured it by grams sorry! X



  18. Maureen on March 4, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    Searched for this recipe today and thought of you immediately 🙂 So pleased I did as this turned out beautifully first time. I used the microwave version and just put it through a fine sieve near the end to get rid of any little white bits of egg. I only made half of the batch as it was just to go in a 6in cake. Thank you for this and all your other wonderful tried and tested tasty recipes xx

  19. Judles on February 28, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Really fancying some homemade lemon curd just lately and spotted this on your website, great, thanks for posting! I’m just a tad worried about too much sugar lately and wondered can it be made with less or is it vital to the success of the recipe? Also how many average sized jars would this make?

    • Jane's Patisserie on February 28, 2019 at 6:06 pm

      I would say the sugar is important as it works well as it is. I wouldn’t mess with this one, or find one that is designed to be lower sugar instead. And it really can depend, but maybe 3-4?



  20. Margaret on December 20, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    Hi Jane
    Please forgive me for asking such a dumb question, but to make a big batch would you just double or triple all the ingredients.

    • Jane's Patisserie on December 21, 2018 at 9:11 am

      For this, I believe yes!! I’ve made a humongous batch before, it just takes longer to get the thickness!



  21. Shaz on July 28, 2018 at 12:43 am

    5 stars
    How many jam jars does this make? D:

  22. Sharon Willcock on June 22, 2018 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    The microwave method is such a winner! The recipe gives a lovely zingy result too, thanks for sharing Jane. ☺️

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 22, 2018 at 10:10 am

      Ahh yay! I’m so glad you liked it!



  23. Charge on June 9, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    Hi Jane I had a go at making the lemon curd is it supposed to have the bits in from the zest or have I done it wrong? Yours looks lovely and smooth. Thanks.

    • Jane's Patisserie on June 9, 2017 at 6:34 pm

      Yes you’re meant to keep the zest in – potentially you grated yours into larger pieces then I did? I do it as fine as possible.



    • Cherie on June 9, 2017 at 6:43 pm

      Ok thanks Jane. Apart from the bits it tastes lovely. Thanks for your reply. Love your recipes by the way. X



  24. Kelly on March 2, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    I do love lemon curd and so easy to make too!

  25. abbiosbiston on July 19, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    I love lemon curd!

  26. Laís @thediabeticviking on July 18, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    so many different recipes for this treat there are all over the world but they are all variations of the same deliciousness and i guess i’d kill for any of them! Your look really beautiful <3

    • Jane's Patisserie on July 18, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      I know!! It’s crazy isn’t it – and thank you!



  27. reemazz on July 17, 2015 at 1:07 am

    I love lemon everything! Can’t wait to try this!

  28. nutmegandwhiskey on July 16, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    Gorgeous pictures! Looks like a perfectly beautiful lemon curd! <3

  29. jabrush1213 on July 16, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    Sounds yummy!

  30. cynthiamvoss on July 16, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    This looks delicious! Congrats on being featured on the Daily Post yesterday!

  31. Bitesize_Jade on July 16, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    !! I saw this on Instagram the other day and loved it. Looks so good x

  32. Woman of Diamonds on July 16, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    Oh my gosh, I’ve never tried lemon curd but your description of it sounds YUMMY. I’m SO going to try this! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!!

    • Jane's Patisserie on July 16, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      It’s so delightful ? and thank you!! It’s okay!



  33. angelaburnley on July 16, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Thank you – I LOVE lemon curd! So tasty so will definately try your recipe out!

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