Simple Microwave Lemon Curd
Microwave Lemon Curd couldn’t be easier, or more delicious. It’s perfect for topping yogurt, ice cream, cheesecake and so much more!
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you are well aware of the fact that I am a sucker for lemon desserts.
From lemon lime cupcakes and glazed lemon blueberry bread to this microwave lemon curd, I’m all about lemons – all summer long.
If you’re a lemon lover and have never made homemade lemon curd, print this recipe, head to the store, grab yourself a bunch of lemons, and get to making this microwave lemon curd.
While you’re at the store, be sure to also grab some vanilla bean ice cream, a cheesecake AND mini tart shells because you’re going to eating this sweet and tart spread on ALLTHETHINGS.
If you have never made lemon curd before, it’s a very basic process of heating eggs, butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest.
This combination of ingredients creates a thick, tart lemon spread that you’ll want to eat with a spoon. No shame here, I’m totally guilty of eating spoonfuls of the stuff with a little spray of whipped cream.
There are numerous methods for making lemon curd, but my absolute favorite way is in the microwave.
Yes, the microwave. Now before you tell me it’s easier to make on the stove, I hear what you’re saying. And while I agree that making it on the stovetop is pretty simple as well, I find that cooking the lemon curd in the microwave is just easier.
With this microwave method, you don’t have to mess with a double boiler, or really worry about cooking the eggs too much and ending up with little specks of scrambled eggs in your curd. You may kind of feel like you’re cheating a bit and possibly become lemon curd obsessed since you can whip up a batch in about 5 minutes!
Once you taste this lemon curd, you’ll be digging through your pantry and fridge just searching for something to slather it on. Whether you spread it on scones, waffles, or pancakes, or spoon it over your favorite cake, this lemon curd is sure to become one of your new favorites!
If you need some ideas to use up your microwave lemon curd, check out these recipes on My Baking Addiction, or just eat it all with spoon. Totally your call – no judging here!
Microwave Lemon Curd
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (yolks and whites)
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
- zest of 3 lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth and thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest and melted butter.
- Cook in the microwave on full power for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute. This process will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. You will know the lemon curd is done cooking when it coats the back of a metal spoon.
- Remove from the microwave, push through a fine, mesh sieve and pour into sterile jar or container.
- Once the curd has cooled to room temperature, cover it with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. The curd will thicken as it cools.
– from allrecipes
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This recipe and post originally appeared on My Baking Addiction in May of 2008. It has been updated with new text and photos.
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Thank you for this recipe. I have made it twice so far – first time I cooked it for 5 minutes because I was expecting it to be thick at end of cooking but it become more runny. The next time at 3 minutes it was just coating the spoon and when cool was perfect. Perhaps you could include something in the instructions about overcooking causing it to become runnier, to prevent those of us who think it should be quite thick before stopping the cooking. It is yummy and not as sweet as others. thank you!
OMG that lemon curd. I just made this. So easy! It was a little too sour for my taste so I added a little sugar and then… OMG THAT LEMON CURD!!! :))))
I am actually angry at this recipe — because after all these years of putting off my mom’s entreaties for fresh lemon curd, I learn that I could have been whipping it up in minutes in the microwave. I am all for the easy microwave where it works — best nut brittle, best dried out “baked” potatoes for gnocchi (think about it — exactly what makes the microwave bad for cooking potatoes is what makes it perfect for gnocchi…). I live surrounded by more organic citrus than I could ever use — if this recipe works as well as you say, I will happily repay you by offering you free Meyer lemons, Eureka lemons, key limes, sour oranges, etc. as you want! Thanks for the innovation!
I have been using your recipe to make lemon curd and love it! Today I just made mango lime curd using this recipe :) Yum!
How can I make this on the stove instead of microwave?
Yana-
I would recommend using a double boiler if you are making it on the stove. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Can I store this in the freezer?
Aldana-
Yes, lemon curd freezes really well. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once it’s thawed, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so. I hope this helps!
-Jamie
I have a question: Since I’m diabetic, can I substitute the sugar with splenda? I really would like to try it-THanks
Esther-
That is a great question, but unfortunately, it’s not a substitution that I have tried, so I can’t tell you whether it would work or not. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear about it! Thanks!
-Jamie
This recipe is PERFECT! I used it to make lemon cheesecake bars for a Fourth of July picnic and they were an absolute hit! The curd is perfectly tart and firms up nicely. Best of all, it takes more time to juice the lemons than it does to cook the curd!
Katherine-
I am so happy to hear you had success with this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back on your experience! Have a great Sunday!
-Jamie
Would love to know if the splendid work ??
Hi Roger! I haven’t attempted this with Splenda, but hopefully someone will chime in and give you feedback. Thanks!
-Jamie
I seen this recipe ages ago and lost it, I’ve been searching for it ever since. So looking forward to trying this, THANK YOU !!!!
Thanks for stopping by, Pauline!
Oh yum! I cannot wait to try this!! :)
I hope you enjoy it, Lisa!
Can you use lemon juice from a bottle?
Hi, Rebecca! I wouldn’t recommend it. I think the fresh lemon juice really adds a brightness that the bottled wouldn’t. Take care!
Thanks so much for this! Planning some scones next week and I love lemon curd on top – but I hate paying a premium for a tiny jar of lemon curd! So excited to give this a try.
You are welcome! I hope you enjoy it!
please can someone help me with mango curd. also is it right to make lemon curd with the full egg and not just the yolk.
Hi, Hester! I would advise using whole eggs for this lemon curd recipe and not just the yolks. I haven’t made mango curd, but I suppose you could swap the lemon juice in this recipe with a pureed mango? Let me know if you try it!
updated 6/13/17
I am a convert to microwave lemon curd,after my Pyrex dish exploded over the pan of simmering water. Good to hear that it freezers, not that I’d have leftovers! Making seville orange curd whilst they are in season. Gorgeous :-)
Hi, Tracey! I’m sorry to hear about your Pyrex dish! The Seville orange curd sounds wonderful!
Someone mentioned about using whole eggs instead of just egg yolks for the curd and you recommend just using the yolks. I thought to myself, that’s funny, this receive just calls for 3 eggs. No where in the receive does it say yolks only. Please, would you clarify this. I can’t afford to waste a batch because I used whole eggs, and not yolks. Thank. You. Can’t wait to try this.
Pat-
This recipe uses the entire egg, not just the egg yolks. I hope this clarifies the recipe for you.
-Jamie
White sugar: is it confectioner’s sugar or regular sugar? Thank you!
Hi, Cathy! White sugar is regular sugar aka granulated sugar. Let me know if I can help you with anything else!
Hi , can we do this with orange or any tangy fruits
Hi, Padmaja! I think you could try it with any kind of citrus. Let me know how it goes!
Can I cook in the oven? If yes can you give me instructions?
Hi, Areej! I wouldn’t make lemon curd in the oven, but you could try making it on the stovetop. Whisk the sugar and eggs constantly over medium heat, and then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. You’ll probably have to whisk around 10 minutes or so. After the curd has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Let me know how it goes!
I made this last night. OMGosh it is perfect. I had some on icecream as a topping while it was still warm. It is so EASY, SIMPLE to make, TANGY and FOOL PROOF. Thank you ,thank you,thank you.
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
-Jamie
Hi! This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I do have a question–would this be thick enough to use as pie filling for lemon meringue? Thank you!
Hi, Christina! My concern with using lemon curd in a pie is that it wouldn’t set up before slicing. I would stick to lemon pie filling for the pie and use the lemon curd for other things. I hope you enjoy it!
After looking at a few recipes for lemon curd, yours seem to have almost double the lemon juice. I tried your method but used another recipe. It came out wonderful. Now I am a convert to microwave lemon curd instead of using my thermomix.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Ros. I love lemon curd!
Have you ever used a different citrus like orange or grapefruit before?
I have made lime and orange curd, both were delish! Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
If you think this is fast in the microwave, which I have made many times, you should try it with a VitaMix blender. You don’t even have to melt the butter; just throw everything in at one time, mix and done. You won’t need to put it through a sieve because it is completely smooth.
What a great idea, Mary Ann. I’m totally giving that a try!
I’m confused…in January of 2016, you told “Hester” to only use egg yolks, but the next month, you told “Pat” to use the entire egg. I want to make this, but, as I said, now I’m confused.
That was my error, Kathie. I fixed the recipe and updated my comment response. Sorry for the confusion. Use whole eggs as now listed in the recipe. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
Confused reading your replies to comments. On one you say use just egg yolk, then another whole egg. The recipe calls for whole eggs. So which is better? And can you use just took in this recipe?
Leesie-
I went in and updated that comment, I had another lemon curd recipe that I contributed to another site that just used egg yolks, so I think I got confused. I have updated the recipe to indicate that you do in fact use whole eggs for this particular recipe. Sorry for the confusion.
Jamie
OH, this is the best news I have read all week! I adore lemon curd and have been wanting some but it is just too hot and too time consuming for me. NOW I can try this and succumb to my lemon cravings!
Cannot wait to try this!
Wonderful, Susi!
Love how easy this is! I’ve never had lemon curd, but it looks so good!
I hope you enjoy it, Katherine!
I found your email in my in box yesterday. I love lemon curd – but I have never made it. That said I am an avid baker! (Love your blog). I read your write-up, then read the recipe again. So while out this morning I bought a bag of lemons. I made the microwave lemon curd – it was so easy and so good. This recipe will get a repeat performance. FYI I got one pint jar and one 4 ounce jar of fabulous lemon curd.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Candy!
Is there anyway of not putting eggs in or some other ingredients that substitute eggs?
Hi, Jean! I’ve always used eggs with my lemon curd, so I honestly can’t advise. I believe there are several recipes out there for eggless lemon curd, so maybe just do a Google search? Good luck!
so simple i must try
Let me know how you like it, Mary!
I need to use the curd almost immediately once it sets. How long will it take to set and is it ok to use it that quickly? You said something about letting it set for 2 weeks.
Hi, Kristen! You can definitely use the lemon curd right away. It can be kept in the fridge for two weeks for anything else you’d like. I hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe. So simple and sooooo good. Love it on ice cream and pancakes especially. When I sieve it I save the zest and freeze it in 1 teasoon piles and use in my zucchini-lemon bread recipe. So good. Thank you for some pretty awesome recipes.
Such a great tip, Shari! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I don’t bother with pushing through a fine mesh sieve, as the texture of grated rind isn’t a problem and proper whisking eliminates lumps
This didn’t turn out for me, unfortunately. It never thickened up but also overcooked to where when I strained it a few bits of egg whites came out with the zest and pulp. Even after chilling it’s thinner than I’d like and also IMO too tart for most people although personally I like lemon curd tarter than what comes in a jar. I will stick to stove top from now on. It’s not much extra work and it gives you a lot more control over how it cooks than using the microwave, and clearly lemon curd is not fool proof.
When life gave me lemons (lots of them!) I finally got around to trying to make fresh lemon curd. Your lemon curd. So easy and wow, it’s great. Thankyou so much for a great recipe.
Yay, Frances! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I’d heard of microwave lemon curd before, and my kids wanted to make it – so I am so happy to find this recipe!
I hope you love it as much as we do! So darn easy!
This also freezes well.
Thanks for the feedback, Tina!