Microwave Lemon Curd

An easy microwave lemon curd recipe made in under 5 minutes!

It's tangy, creamy, buttery, and sweet, and far nicer than shop-bought lemon curd!

Homemade lemon curd (or lemon cheese as my Nana called it) is one of life's great pleasures don't you think? I will happily eat spoonfuls of the stuff straight from the jar!

Making it using the microwave method, you don’t have to invest in a double boiler, or worry about the eggs scrambling. It really is so easy and quick to make!

My family loves it on toast, scones, bagels, muffins, cakes, and especially pancakes!

Why not use some homemade lemon curd in my zesty lemon curd loaf cake?

Jump to:

• What is Lemon Curd?
• ✔️ Why should you try it?
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top tips
• 🍴 Serving suggestions
• 📖 Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• ❓ FAQs
• 😋Related recipes
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What is Lemon Curd?

Lemon curd is a rich tangy spread made from lemons, butter, and sugar. It's buttery and sweet, and can be made on the hob or in the microwave.

✔️ Why should you try it?

• Made in under 5 minutes in the microwave
• Deliciously lemony flavour
• Great on toast, in cakes or drizzled on pancakes
• Homemade lemon curd tastes 100% better than store-bought

🥘 Ingredients

• Lemons - you'll need the juice and zest for that wonderful lemony taste. Try and use unwaxed lemons for the best flavour.
• Eggs - to help thicken the curd. Lemon curd made on the stovetop usually only requires yolks, but this microwave version needs the whole egg.
• Sugar - caster sugar sweetens the curd.
• Butter - unsalted butter is melted and combined with the other ingredients to give the lemon curd that unique creamy buttery flavour.

🔪 Instructions

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

1. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large microwaveable bowl until pale.
2. Stir in the melted butter (cooled), lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
3. Microwave in 1-minute bursts, whisking each time. You want the lemon curd to coat the back of a spoon - then you know it's done. It took just 3 minutes for my lemon curd to come together but the exact time it will take you will depend on the wattage of your microwave.
4. Decant into sterilised jars and store in the fridge.

💭 Top tips

• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice will not taste nice!
• Try and use unwaxed lemons and use a fine Microplane grater to zest them. You don't want any large pieces of zest visible in your curd.
• Ensure your eggs are at room temperature before starting the recipe.
• Make sure your melted butter is cooled down before adding it to the mixture. If it's too hot it will cause the eggs to scramble.
• Whisk the lemon curd between each 1 minute burst in the microwave.
• If you notice any rogue bits of scrambled egg in your lemon curd, just strain it through a fine sieve before pouring it into jars.
• Store the lemon curd in sterilised jars to ensure the best shelf life.

🍴 Serving suggestions

Lemon curd is so versatile!

• Serve it on toast, bagels, teacakes and scones.
• Stir it through Greek yogurt for an easy dessert.
• Drizzle it on pancakes for a weekend breakfast treat.
• Use it in cakes, muffins, trifles and mini tartlets.
• Make lemon curd ice-cream or lemon buttercream.

📖 Variations

Try making orange or lime curd using the same recipe but swapping the lemons for oranges or limes!

🥡 Storage

The homemade lemon curd will keep in airtight sterilised jars in the fridge for up to 14 days.

It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.

❓ FAQs

😋Related recipes

Love lemons? Here are some more delicious lemon recipes to try!

Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

Recipe

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