Name: Homemade Lemon Curd - Done in 10 Minutes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 5 pcs egg yolks from large eggs (beaten); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup lemon juice (see note 1); 1/2 cup salted butter (cut into parts); lemon zest (see note 2)

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With this quick and easy one-pot recipe, you can make your very own summer-in-a-jar homemade lemon curd anytime. You won’t go back to store-bought lemon curd again.

(Can’t get enough of lemons? Check out The Best Lemon Cheesecake. Ever. It’s a reader favourite on the blog!)

I recently baked a cake that only needed egg whites so I ended up with 5 extra (golden and beautiful) egg yolks. Me version 1 would have made such a big fuss about this whole scenario. I never know what to do with these dang yolks.

But now, I look forward to actually having extras so I can make my very own summer-in-a-jar homemade lemon curd (and man do I need summer now; it feels like -32C as I type this).

How do you make homemade lemon curd?

I used to ignore these kinds of recipes because I only get along with ovens; stoves, not so much.

And traditionally, lemon curd recipes involved double boilers and tempering eggs which I didn’t care for (that is to say: have no talent for).

Either it takes me too long or I make a mess of things or I just simply cannot for the life of me do it right (I mean, it’s difficult to ensure the boiling water doesn’t touch the bowl, right?).

How to make homemade lemon curd – the easy way

So I thought instead of giving myself unnecessary stress, why not take the simplest route?

Put them all in one pot and just be extra conscientious about stirring to avoid ending up with scrambled eggs. And that’s how I’ve been making my lemon curd ever since.

I promise you – try this recipe once and like me, you won’t go back to store-bought lemon curd again. This homemade version is thicker, brighter, silkier, and just all around better.

I had a jar of store-bought lemon curd sitting around in the fridge when I made this and I can really taste the difference. Put side-by-side, by colour alone (I can show you but I’m wary of lawsuits), homemade lemon curd wins.

What is lemon curd used for?

What is lemon curd used for, you ask?

It’s great with scones, as filling for cakes and it’s so delicious I eat it on its own (with a spoon, out of the jar, like peanut butter, don’t judge me).

You can also make a batch of delicious lemon curd sweet rolls.

When life gives you lemons…

So when life gives you lemons (and extra egg yolks), make your very own lemon curd!

And if you can, use Meyer lemons – they are sweeter. I always keep a stash of those around.

I buy them at Costco, put them in a Ziploc bag, straight into the fridge and they last me several weeks.

I’ve also learned how to freeze both the juice and the zest and they last a very long time.

Enjoy!

Happy Lemon Curd-ing!

Did you make homemade lemon curd? Tell me how it went in the comments section below. I’d love to hear all about it.

And if you love lemon curd, try orange curd and mango curd. So good!