This 5 Ingredient Easy Small Batch Lemon Curd Recipe is easy to make, has the perfect amount of sweetness and tang, and can be used for all your delicious desserts, or to add to your morning toast.
Making Homemade Lemon Curd has never been easier. This Small Batch Lemon Curd recipe uses few ingredients and comes together in less than 15 minutes. It's sweet and bursting with tangy lemon flavor from the lemon juice and lemon zest. It's the perfect way to enjoy your desserts and baked goods, or to spread on your english muffins or toast in the morning. You can even try using it on my Lemon Curd Buns that are made with a fluffy brioche dough or my Lemon Raspberry Rolls.
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"This was a super easy recipe to make. I only needed a small amount, so this was perfect"
- Brianna.
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Small Batch - Obviously! But no need to create a big pot of lemon curd that you'll end up storing in your fridge and forgetting about. This small batch can be used for a single recipe dessert, and it's perfect to even add to your toast in the morning!
Easy - We all love an easy and quick recipe, and this one comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Zesty and delicious! - The lemon zest and lemon juice create such delicious flavors!
Only 5 ingredients - I'm sure you have all these ingredients in your kitchen, too!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Eggs: This small batch recipe only uses egg yolks to create a thicker, creamier and rich lemon curd. You can use the egg whites in my Chocolate Raspberry Tart since it uses exactly 3 egg whites for the meringue.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in this recipe. It balances the tartness, gives a sweetness to the curd, and helps with texture.
Lemon: Both lemon zest and lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice as well as fresh lemon zest. The zest gives a lot of flavor, so don't skimp out on that.
Butter: The butter gives a smooth, creamy and silky texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Sauce Pan: A medium sauce pan.
Mixing bowls: Make sure it's a heat-proof bowl, and either glass or stainless steel. It's very important since acid in the lemon reacts to metal, so it's very easy to pick up metallic flavor in the lemon curd.
Whisk: Make sure your whisk is silicone or stainless steel.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Prep the pan: In a medium sauce pan, bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Whisk ingredients: In a medium heat-proof bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until combined, then place the bowl on top of the pot. You could also use a double boiler.
Step 2
Cook the lemon curd: Whisk the mixture until it thickens, about 7-10 minutes.
💡 Hint: The acid in the lemon reacts to metal, so it's very easy to pick up metallic flavor in the lemon curd. To avoid metallic taste in your lemon curd, use silicon whisk, glass or stainless steel bowls.
Step 3
When it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (or the temperature reaches 170℉). IF after 10 minutes, it has not thickened, increase the heat, but make sure it doesn't burn.
Step 4
Once thick enough, remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter.
🎩Trick: Use a fine sieve or strainer for a silky and smooth lemon curd with no lumps.
Step 5
Strain: Strain the lemon curd through a fine sieve to remove any large bits of zest.
Step 6
Cover & Chill: Transfer to a glass container or bowl and cover with saran wrap, making sure the saran wrap touches the surface of the lemon curd. Chill in the refrigerator.
🤔 How to Avoid Metallic Tasting Lemon Curd
I've been there! Here I am wanting to make lemon curd because it's one of the easiest things you could make and the end result tastes like metal. With trial and error, and of course, a lot of troubleshooting, I've come to realize what could cause this not-so-great issue!
Cookware - If you used a reactive metal pot or whisk like aluminum, unlined copper, or even certain stainless steels, the acidic lemon juice can react with the metal. That chemical reaction gives your curd a sharp, tinny, metallic taste. To avoid this, cook in glass, ceramic, enameled, or non-reactive stainless steel.
Old lemons or bottled juice - Try to avoid using bottled juice and reach for fresh, firm lemons when making lemon curd. The fresher, the better.
Over zesting - When zesting, just get the outer yellow layer—avoid going down to the white.
🍋 How to use Small Batch Lemon Curd
- Lemon Curd Buns: My Lemon Curd Buns recipe is perfect because it only needs a small batch lemon curd recipe.
- Lemon Raspberry Rolls
- Filling for Cakes & Cupcakes
- Filling or toppings for cheesecakes
- Spread on toast or english muffins
💬 FAQ
This usually means the heat was too high, or the eggs weren’t whisked constantly. Use low heat or a double boiler, and stir non-stop to avoid curdling. Straining the curd through a fine mesh sieve at the end will save the texture!
I've outlined some reasons why above, but the gist: The acid in the lemon reacts to metal, so it's very easy to pick up metallic flavor in the lemon curd. To avoid metallic taste in your lemon curd, use silicon whisk, glass or good quality stainless steel bowls.
💡Pro Tips
Fresh lemons: Make sure your lemons are fresh. Don't use old lemon or store-bought lemon juice. It just won't work.
Don't over zest your lemons: You don't want the bitterness of the white part of the lemon.
Double boiler: Use a double boiler to avoid overcooking your eggs in this small batch lemon curd recipe.
Metal: The acid in the lemon reacts to metal, so it's very easy to pick up metallic flavor in the lemon curd. To avoid metallic taste in your lemon curd, use silicon whisk, glass or stainless steel bowls.
Whisk gently: Stir or whisk continuously until the mixture thickens. Make sure to whisk gently and not too vigorously.
Strain: If you want a smooth lemon curd, strain before storing.
Saran wrap: Cover the lemon curd completely with saran wrap and make sure it touches the curd.
Chill: Let cool completely before using. As it cools, the lemon curd thickens.
❄ Storage
Fridge: Store the small batch lemon curd covered in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezer: To keep longer, store in the freezer for 1-2 months.
📖 Recipe Card
Small Batch Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of one large lemon
- ¼ cup (61 g) Lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until combined, then place the bowl on top of the pot. You could also use a double boiler.3 egg yolks, ½ cup granulated sugar, Zest of one large lemon, ¼ cup Lemon juice, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Whisk the mixture until it thickens, about 7-10 minutes. When it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (or the temperature reaches 170℉). IF after 10 minutes, it has not thickened, increase the heat, but make sure it doesn't burn. Once thick enough, remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter.
- Strain the lemon curd through a fine sieve to remove any large bits of zest, then transfer to a glass container and cover with saran wrap, making sure the saran wrap touches the surface of the lemon curd.
- Chill in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Brianna says
This was a super easy recipe to make. I only needed a small amount, so this was perfect.
Hakima says
Thanks so much for the review, Brianna! So happy you loved the recipe.
Olivia B. says
Easy to make and very flavorful. Thank you for the recipe.