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Making homemade lemon curd can be a complicated process. Not this Microwave Lemon Curd! It's silky smooth, bursting with bright lemon flavor and color and comes together in minutes!
Lemon curd? Ridiculously easy? No way! I know, I know, making lemon curd can be a bit of a pain. Some recipes involve a double boiler, some careful watching, stirring and standing over the stovetop. This microwave lemon curd? Not so much! It comes together in about 10 minutes and much of that time is hands-off cooking in the microwave.
Don't believe me? I wouldn't have believed making lemon curd could be easy either, but the first time I tried it, I was totally sold. These are the simple steps:
- Combine fresh lemon juice with sugar, eggs and egg yolks.
- Stir until everything's smooth and a sunshiny yellow.
- Add the butter.
- Microwave in 45-second increments, whisking in between. It will take 4-6 45-second microwave stints/stirs till the mixture turns to a thickened, glossy curd.
- Done!
See what I mean? Easy!
Ridiculously Easy!
Every now and then I come across (or come up with) a recipe that's is so good and so easy it just has to be designated as part of our Ridiculously Easy Series (you can see many of these recipes in the thumbnails above this post). Ridiculously Easy recipes here at The Café are super popular with our readers because they are simply so easy that it's almost, well… ridiculous! But that’s not the only criteria for ridiculously easy recipes. For those of you who are new to The Café, there is a list of attributes a recipe must have to be deemed “Ridiculously Easy”:
- A recipe that takes minimal effort and minimal hands-on time to put together. (Resting, rising or chilling time is not taken into consideration.)
- It’s also one that produces fabulous, super delicious results, ie, results that “appear” to have taken lots of time, talent, prowess and/or hard work.
- Ridiculously easy recipes have to work well on those busy days when time is short and expectations are high.
- And last, ridiculously easy recipes are perfect for entertaining, mostly because of the first two characteristics. They take the stress out of dinner parties as well as gatherings of families and/or friends and allow you more time to enjoy your people.
- Bottom line? They’re super simple, something anyone can do. (Shhhh! We’ll keep that part our secret.)
This microwave lemon curd definitely checks ALL of the boxes! On top of that, it's smooth, silky, not-too-tart and not-too-sweet. Besides just eating it with a spoon, there are lots of ways to use lemon curd.
What to do with lemon curd
- Spread it on toast, English muffins or these wonderful homemade biscuits.
- A spoonful would be fabulous on these Ridiculously Easy Sugar Top Scones.
- Lemon curd is delicious on pancakes, waffles, etc
- Spoon it over ice cream and serve with shortbread cookies.
- Fill homemade or store-bought crepes with lemon curd and topped with fresh berries and Raspberry Coulis
- Use lemon curd as a cake filling
- Lemon curd is a delicious filling for Pavlova or meringues.
- Combine whipped cream and lemon curd for a light, delicious lemon mousse.
- Pour it into small jars tied with a pretty label and give a jar as a gift. (If you'd like a PDF for the labels, just leave a comment below the post.)
- Serve it with fresh fruit for breakfast or brunch. I like to serve it in a pretty bowl next to the fruit. It's fun to add a small bowl of poppy seeds too for a fun and gourmet touch.
So, you know how they say "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade? I say, make lemon curd! Even if life doesn't shower lemons on you, be sure to pick some up at the store. You probably have everything else you need for this simple, elegant recipe. And if you make a batch today, you'll be all ready for our fabulous Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart (below) which we'll be sharing tomorrow. It might not look like it, but this is another super easy recipe you'll be making again and again!
Café Tips for making this Easy Microwave Lemon Curd
- This recipe calls for lemon zest. The "zest" is just the yellow part of the peel. The white part (the pith) is bitter. To easily zest a lemon (or other citrus fruits) use a microplane-style zester. These are wonderful little tools to have in the kitchen as they also work for parmesan cheese, ginger, garlic, etc. Just a note, these zesters do get dull and need to be replaced after a couple of years.
- If you notice any small lumps in your finished lemon curd, you may have overcooked it. Simply push it through a fine-mesh strainer and it will be silky smooth.
- You'll be using a total of 5 eggs for this recipe, 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. The extra egg yolks makes the curd a little thicker. Reserve the 2 egg whites for another use (like an egg-white omelet or some delicious meringues)
- Every microwave brand and model is different as far as power so there isn't an exact time to cook this lemon curd. It will take around 5-7 minutes in the microwave and you can tell when it's done when it coats the back of a metal spoon and/or the temperature is 175-180˚F. (I use my instant thermometer to check the temp.)
- This delicious lemon curd makes a nice gift. I like to pour it into pretty jars like these Weck jars and add a little label. If you'd like the PDF for these Homemade Lemon Curd labels just leave a comment below and I'll email it to you. Receiving a jar of homemade lemon curd is like receiving a jar of sunshine!
- This lemon curd will keep well in an airtight container for a week to 10 days.
- You can also freeze lemon curd. Freeze in freezer storage containers leaving ½-inch headspace to allow for expansion. I've never kept lemon curd this long but the National Center for Home Food Preservation says that "Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed."
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
Ridiculously Easy Microwave Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- finely grated zest from 2 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 egg yolks reserve the whites for another use or discard
- 3 large eggs
- 4 ounces salted butter (1 stick) cut into cubes
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt (⅛ teaspoon if using unsalted butter) until smooth. Add butter cubes. Microwave on high power for 45 seconds. Remove and stir vigorously with a whisk.
- Continue to cook 45-second intervals, stirring after each interval. It will take 4-7 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave. Lemon curd is done cooking when it coats the back of a metal spoon. You can also check it with an instant thermometer. It’s done when it reaches 175˚F.
- Remove from the microwave and whisk well. Add lemon zest and stir. Allow the curd to cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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Pamela Warren says
I can't wait to make this curd, but I need to get more eggs which are in short supply. I would appreciate you sending me the PDF lables.
Love your blog-check it everyday.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Pamela! Hope you find eggs soon! Labels are on the way!
Donna Dennis says
I love lemon curd but there are no lemons where I am presently living. However, we do have passion fruit. I bought four Friday not knowing what I was going to do with them. I now have some beautiful golden yellow passion fruit curd cooling on the counter. So easy and so good. Thank you for the recipe. Please send the PDF for the labels. Once borders open and planes are flying I'll be back in the land of lemons.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome idea, Donna! Passion fruit curd sounds amazing! I'll be happy to send you the labels!
Kari R. says
I am going to make this recipe today. It sounds wonderful!
Love your website. If you could send me the PDF for the labels , I would appreciate it.😊
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Kari! I'll send them now.
Cris says
Hi Chris,
From another Cris. A friend shared this site with me...I am so thankful she did.
I have not made your recipe but I love Lemon Curd and will be trying it very soon.
Please share the pdf with me of the cute labels.
Thank You!! ❤️🍋🍋🍋Lemon Curd is so good in Oatmeal with Blueberries and pecans.
Chris Scheuer says
Ooooh, lemon curd with oatmeal and blueberries sounds wonderful, Cris! I will try it soon. Sending you the labels now!
Sandy Stothers says
Hi Chris,
I would love to have your lemon curd labels.
Thank you!
Sandy
Chris Scheuer says
I'll send them to you now, Sandy!
Theresa says
Love all of the recipes that you post! May I have the PDF for the labels as well? They are so sweet!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Theresa, thanks so much! Yes, I'll send them now!
Josephine Mullane says
I haven't made this yet, but I will today. I do want to thank you for including the internal temperature. I wish other food bloggers would do the same because it eliminates guess work and the finished baked goods etc. are always perfect. Especially with Cheesecakes; I never did understand what this meant: "cake is done when it jiggles in the center". "Jiggles" isn't a very scientific way to decide if baked or not. Internal temperature is. Once again, THANKS. So glad I discovered your website.
Chris Scheuer says
So nice to "meet" you Josephine! Thanks for your kind comment! 💕
Nancy says
This is too good to be true—delicious. Love everything you do.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Nancy 💕💕💕
Marian Hoot says
Love this! Delicious with any of you are ridiculously easy scones. I would love for you to send me the labels. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed it, Marian. I'll send off the labels now!
DEANNA M NAIVAR says
I would love to have the labels. Thank you.
busybaker10@gmail.com
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! They're on the way!
Lynda says
Quick note! The curd I made with Swerve was wonderful the day I made it, but was sugared and grainy the next day, so stick with Chris’s recipe!! She knows best, and it was fabulous!!😊. Thank you Chris for the super cute labels!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Lynda! I know this will be helpful to other readers!
Christina says
This was amazing! And soooo easy! I would love to have the labels to use for gifts. Would you mind sending them to me? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Christina. I'll send you the labels now!
Debra says
Making this today. If it lasts long enough, (i.e., I don't eat outright!). I'm thinking about making either the tart or the Lemon Curd Cake. About to make the Ridiculously Easy Brioche Buns today as well. Thank you for the wonderful recipes - Would like the pdf for the labels please.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I know what you mean, Debra! Thanks for your kind words. I'll email the labels now.
Therese Lussier says
We love your recipes.Please could you send me the PDF? Thank you!
Therese
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! They should be in your mailbox now, Therese! 💕
Lynda says
Chris,
This is so easy and delicious! I’ve made it twice, and it came out perfectly. Yesterday I tried it with Swerve since my husband is diabetic, and it was really good too. Thank you so much for this recipe. Could I get the printable labels please? Thank you!!
Lynda says
This was meant to be 5 stars and I did something wrong! I would give it 10 stars if I could!! It’s wonderful!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Lynda. I can change that for you. Sending you the labels now!
Shannon McCarthy says
Thanks, Chris for this delicious recipe. Can't wait to try as I have 2 full lemon trees. I also would love the label pdf.
Chris Scheuer says
Two lemon trees? I wish I lived nearby! I'll send you the labels now, Shannon. Happy lemon curd making!
Jacklyn says
Thank you so much for this recipe. Please send the labels. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Jacklyn. Sending the pdf now!
Donna says
Lemon curd holds special memories for me. Excited to try this! And would love the PDF for the labels, too, please!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope the first bite takes you back in time to that wonderful place, Donna. Will send off the pdf now.
Victoria and Murray Sanderson says
Hi Chris! this is such an easy recipe. So good with lemon scones for breakfast guests - and me! Please send me the label PDF. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Victoria! It is wonderful with scones! I'll send you the labels now!
Jennifer says
This came out great and was so easy!! Thanks, Chris, for another great recipe! I am having a blast exploring everything on your site. I have already tried so many things! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Jennifer! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 💕
Barbara Lattin says
I would like a pdf of the labels for the lemon curd jars.
Thank you,
Barb
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Barb! Sending them your way!
Ems says
I have never made lemon curd before, being put off by the fussiness of double-boiler plus the time investment. This was so easy! I made two batches while dinner cooked. Gifted some, fr
oze some, and just ate some straight.
I would love your tag template please, as I want tovshow off with gifts. Thank you!
Chris says
love lemon curd, will try this easy recipe would love the label pdf, thx
Chris Scheuer says
Hello, Chris - from Chris! I'll send off the labels now!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so happy you enjoyed this, Ems. I love that it's so easy! I will send you the labels now!
Lynda says
Chris,
I’m so excited to make this recipe. I love lemon curd, and my husband told me to hurry up and make it! Could I get the labels please. Thank you!
Lynda
Lydia says
Hi Chris,
What is the wattage of your Microwave — important. Thanks.
Lely says
Hi Chris, as I was making the recipe I noticed that you mentioned to add salt in the first step however there is no salt in the ingredients list. If there is salt, could you please let me know how much? Thank you again for the delicious inspiration
Lely
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lely, just use a pinch of salt if you are using unsalted butter, about 1/8 teaspoon is all you'll need1
Jane Johnson says
Thank you so much for this recipe. Please send the labels. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Jane! Will send you the pdf.
Franziska says
How much whipped cream should you use for the lemon mousse and how much of the lemon curd should be put in?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Franziska, I would go with 2/3 lemon curd and 1/3 whipped cream for a light (not in calories!) and flavorful mousse.