This ridiculously easy recipe for meyer lemon curd can be used with meyer lemons or regular lemons! Smooth, sweet, tart, and perfect for pastries, desserts, and cheese plates!
I used to despise making lemon curd. All of that double-boiling and extra dishes and stirring and stirring and stirring and wondering why is my lemon curd not thickening yet?! Nope nope. I quit. I’m a quitter.
So while this meyer lemon curd recipe may not be made in the “traditional” manner and would probably draw some seriously stern side-eye from Paul Hollywood . . . it will forever be my go-to recipe.
This lemon curd recipe is more of a dump, mix, and heat process. And while it starts off looking like something my baby nephew would chunk up, I PROMISE you guys, it turns out perfectly. This is because the butter/sugar/lemon juice mixture starts off cold and looking curdled. But after you turn up the heat, that butter will melt and you’ll start seeing this lusciously smooth recipe for the sweet thing she is.
What’s the difference between a meyer lemon and lemon?
Meyer lemons are a fair amount sweeter, but still have a hint of that tangy, face-squishing effect of regular lemons. Kind of like lemons and oranges had a baby, but the baby got more of mama lemons’ genes.
What do you eat meyer lemon curd with?
Technically, it’s “with what do you eat lemon curds,” you grammar heathen. But generally – pastries, desserts, and cheese plates! Great for danishes, sweet rolls, ice cream, cake filling, and on top of crackers! (Especially graham crackers if you want a childhood-adulthood snack mash-up.)
I love using meyer lemon curd in this adorable little lemon berry fool recipe.
How long does lemon curd last?
10 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer are my rules. There appears to be quite a debate as to lemon curd’s shelf life, based on the inclusion of eggs and butter. But I have personally stored lemon curd for this long both ways and did not die upon eating it.
mikaela | wyldflour
About 1 2/3 cups
Luscious meyer lemon curd! This super easy recipe produces a thick lemon curd that can be spread on biscuits or used in desserts.
20 minPrep Time
20 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (20 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) fresh meyer lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon meyer lemon zest
Instructions
- Juice lemons and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar using a mixer for about two minutes. Add the yolks and eggs and beat for one additional minute. Mix in the lemon juice. Do not be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled--it will smooth out as the mixture cooks and the butter melts.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and using a spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides and bottom of the pan. Do not let the curd boil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the mixture is thickened. (If you're using a thermometer, it will read 170 degrees Fahrenheit.) When you pull your spatula out of the pan, the curd should coat the spatula. When you run your finger down the spatula through the curd, it should leave an open trail, rather than just melding back together.
- Remove the lemon curd from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, and pour into a heat-proof glass bowl. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down into the bowl to touch the top of the lemon curd. This prevents a film from forming on top as your lemon curd cools. Chill in the refrigerator until fully thickened and cold.
- Serve on biscuits, on toast, or in desserts!
Notes
Feel free to substitute regular lemons or limes for a different flavor!
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