Lemon Curd
Last Updated on February 24, 2023 by Annie
Tangy yet sweet, this creamy Lemon Curd is the perfect topping for scones, cookies, cakes, and more! Learn how to make a deliciously dairy-free lemon curd with this easy-to-follow recipe.
Y’all I owe you one big apology. I have been holding on to this creamy, tangy lemon curd recipe for well over a year and I have no good excuse for why. It’s bright, crisp, and flavorful and should have been in your kitchens all year long. I am refusing to continue to hoard this recipe and hope it brightens your day and your baking as much as it’s brightened ours.
If you are unfamiliar with curd, it’s most often made with citrus and has a thick pudding-like texture. It’s made from a mixture of eggs, sugar, juice, and zest cooking together into a thick creamy topping used for toast, scones, cakes, and more!
How to Make Dairy-Free Lemon Curd
Ingredients for Lemon Curd
- Lemon Juice- I would recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Eggs- You will need room temperature eggs as well as an egg yolk.
- Sugar- To balance out the tartness of the lemon.
- Vegan Butter- I use unsalted plant-based butter.
- Coconut Milk- Use the full-fat coconut milk to mimic the thick creamy texture of heavy cream.
- Lemon zest, vanilla, and salt- All to add a little flavor to the lemon curd.
Directions for making Lemon Curd
Tip: Zest the lemon before slicing and juicing. It’s much harder to zest a lemon after it’s been cut into and juiced.
Juice 1 lemon to get about 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Heat the lemon juice over medium heat but do not bring it to boil. If this gets too hot it will cause the eggs to scramble.
While the lemon juice heats whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk.
Pour the heated lemon juice into the sugar egg mixture, whisk together quickly to temper the eggs, then pour back into the sauce pan.
Switch to a wooden spoon. Stir the mixture over low-medium heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 170°F. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbsp vegan butter, 1 Tbsp coconut milk, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Troubleshooting Dairy-Free Lemon Curd
Trust me when I tell you, lemon scrambled eggs are in your future if you do not follow these tips.
When you heat the lemon juice, do not allow the juice to boil, in fact, it just needs to get hot. If you are worried it might be too hot, wait a minute before pouring into the egg mixture. Once it’s hot pour into the egg and sugar mixture and beat it quickly before the egg and hot lemon juice begin to form scrambled eggs.
Then, when you transfer the lemon curd mixture back into the saucepan make sure you are stirring often and not allowing the curd to cook onto the sides of the pan. This will keep you from getting scrambled eggs mixed into your lemon curd.
What do I do if the eggs cook in the lemon curd?
This depends on how much they cook. If you ended up with a full-on pan of lemon scrambled eggs, toss the batch and be sure to not heat the lemon juice as much next time. Better yet allow it to cool a minute or two just to be sure, then whisk into the egg mixture. If you just have a few flecks in the curd you can strain them out with a fine-mesh strainer and cool until you’re ready to use it.
Why switch to a wooden spoon?
When cooking with aluminum or copper the lemon will take on a bit of a metallic taste, since I’m not 100% sure what my whisk is made out of I just swap to the wooden spoon for 100% aluminum and copper-free cooking. Is this a bit ridiculous… maybe but I’d rather wash an extra spoon than risk metal tasting curd.
DAIRY-FREE CHANGES TO LEMON CURD
This lemon curd has just two dairy-free swaps.
- Butter– To swap out traditional butter I used plant-based butter instead. I have found Country Crock to be a great butter substitute and they have a few varieties based on other allergens.
- Heavy Cream- For heavy cream, I use full-fat coconut milk. While it may alter the taste when used in large quantities this lemon curd only calls for 1 tablespoon making the addition hardly detectable. If you have an allergy to coconut you can swap it out with oat milk, it’s thick and creamy and should do the trick nicely.
STORING LEMON CURD
Keep your dairy-free lemon curd for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you want to freeze the lemon curd, store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, transfer the jar of lemon curd to the refrigerator and allow to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. It will then be ready to use and can safely be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month.
WHAT DO YOU USE LEMON CURD FOR?
Honestly, I could eat this by the spoonful and be happy as a clam! But if that’s not your jam, here are some other ways to use your lemon curd:
- Spoon it on a fresh-baked biscuit or scone.
- Replace the spiced jam in these thumbprint cookies with fresh lemon curd and bake until set.
Other Springtime Recipes
- Lemon Bundt Cake– This lemon bundt cake is bursting with fresh lemon, easy to make, and quite addictive.
- Yellow Cupcakes- These delicious and easy dairy-free yellow cake cupcakes make the best birthday treat! They are better than the box mix recipe with the added bonus of being dairy-free!
- Apple Galette– This delicious and dairy-free Apple Galette is the lazy apple pie you need in your life right now.
Did you make this delicious and dairy-free Lemon Curd? Let me know below how it went and if you got a picture of it, share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share all of your life after dairy adventures!
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Lemon Curd
This sweet yet tart lemon curd is the perfect addition to your summer dessert menu!
Ingredients
- ⅓ c. Lemon Juice fresh squeezed
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg Yolk
- ½ c. Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Vegan Butter unsalted
- 1 Tbsp. Coconut Milk
- ½ tsp. Lemon Zest
- ¼ tsp. Vanilla
- pinch Salt
Instructions
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Juice 1 lemon to get ⅓ cup lemon juice. Heat the lemon juice in a sauce pan over low heat. Do NOT allow juice to come to a boil.
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Meanwhile, mix together eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in a bowl.
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Once the lemon juice is hot, pour the juice into the egg mixture, whisk rapidly then pour back into the sauce pan.
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Using a wooden spoon heat the lemon curd over medium low heat until it reaches 170°F. Do not leave the pot and stir it constantly not allowing the lemon curd to stick to the sides or bottom.
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Once it heats to 170°F remove from heat add vanilla, coconut milk, vegan butter, lemon zest, and salt. Stir until combined and move to a glass bowl to cool.
Recipe Notes
Store in an air-tight glass container for up to 4 weeks.
Helpful Tips:
When you heat the lemon juice, do not allow the juice to boil, in fact, it just needs to get hot. Once it’s hot pour into the egg and sugar mixture and beat it quickly before the egg and hot lemon juice begin to form scrambled eggs.
Then, when you transfer the lemon curd mixture back into the saucepan make sure you are stirring often and not allowing the curd to cook onto the sides of the pan. This will keep you from getting scrambled eggs mixed into your lemon curd.