Homemade Lemon Curd

4.7 from 3 votes

Posted January 6, 2022Last Updated October 25, 2024

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This lemon curd, made with egg yolks, sugar and lemons, is perfectly sweet and tart. It’s super easy to make and can be used in so many different ways.

I recently made several batches of macarons with my youngest son, and we ended up with quite a lot of leftover egg yolks. I knew right away I wanted to use all those leftover yolks to whip up some Homemade Lemon Curd.

If you’ve never had lemon curd, think of the filling in a lemon meringue pie, and that will give you a pretty good idea of the flavor and texture. In fact, you could probably use this to fill a lemon meringue pie!

And although I always thing of lemons and springtime, most citrus fruit is actually in-season during the winter months, so it’s a perfect time to buy fresh lemons.

I always keep at least one jar of lemon curd in my pantry. I usually find the store-bought version in the grocery baking aisle alongside the canned pie fillings.

But if I have the time to make it myself–especially if I’ve got leftover egg yolks–I always do. It’s so good, so easy to make, and so versatile. Plus it freezes well, so even if I make a big batch I can keep it on hand for months.

There are so many ways to use this lemon curd, especially in things like desserts and fruit salads. My family’s favorite fruit dip (another incredibly easy recipe) is one of our go-to recipes for using this lemon curd.

You can fill mini phyllo shells with lemon curd and a dollop of whipped cream for a really quick, easy and beautiful dessert.

And this Lemon Cheesecake Mousse is hand-down my favorite way to use lemon curd. Again, it’s an easy but elegant recipe that can be served on it’s own, topped with fresh berries, or even used as a filling in your favorite layer cake.

Even in the refrigerator lemon curd can keep for up to a month, and with it’s sweet and tart lemon flavor, you’ll find enough uses for it that it will definitely be gone before the month is up.

Of course, it’s this curd is also delicious eaten straight from a spoon, which is probably why it disappears so quickly around here. If you love lemon desserts, this Homemade Lemon Curd is pretty irresistible.

Be sure to save this Homemade Lemon Curd recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Tips for Choosing and Storing Lemons

Appearance: Look for lemons that are heavy for their size and have skin that is smooth, thin and firm. Medium and large lemons, are usually juicier than small lemons.

Lemons that are soft, spongy, or have wrinkled and have bumpy skin will be less juicy.

Storing: You can store lemons at room temperature–preferably out of direct sunlight–for up to one week. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Lemon zest can be frozen in a plastic container or bag to use later. You can even freeze whole lemons to juice later. Just be sure to thaw them a few hours before using them, or microwave them for about 30 seconds.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Homemade Lemon Curd

Sugar
Egg yolks
Lemons
Salt
Butter