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Microwave Lemon Curd couldn’t be easier or more delicious. It’s perfect for topping yogurt, ice cream, cheesecake and so much more!

Glass jar filled with microwave lemon curd.
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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 scones and homemade lemon bars to this microwave lemon curd, I’m all about lemons – all year 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 cooking.

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.

Three ramekins of cheesecake topped with microwave lemon curd.

Why you’ll love microwave lemon curd

Yes, you read that correctly: the microwave.

Now before you tell me it’s easier to make lemon curd 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 it in the microwave is just easier. 

And it’s so fast! 

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!

And I can promise you that not a single person will guess that you used the microwave to make it. 

A fool-proof method that makes a curd that tastes like you spent ages on it?? You really can’t beat that.

If you love limes, too, make sure you check out my lime curd made with the same method.

Spoon drizzling microwave lemon curd into a jar.

How to make lemon curd in the microwave

If you think that you can’t make fancy recipes in the microwave, think again. 

Not only is this a super simple method, it’s perfect for anyone without a stove. Kids could even make this lemon curd! 

Ingredients you’ll need

The ingredients for this microwave lemon curd are pretty similar to what you’d need to make it on the stovetop. You’ll need:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 whole large eggs
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice 
  • zest of 3 lemons
  • ½ cup melted unsalted butter 
Microwave lemon curd ingredients arranged on a countertop.

Some curd recipes call for egg yolks only. This recipe uses whole eggs, so you’ll need the yolks and the whites. No need to separate them!

Make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice when making this recipe. Don’t use the bottled stuff—it’s just not as good. For 1 cup of lemon juice, you’ll need about 4-5 lemons.

Stovetop lemon curd usually has you whisk in pats of butter after the curd is done cooking. In this recipe, we’re going to use melted butter and add it upfront. 

Making this recipe

To make lemon curd in the microwave, start by whisking together all of the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.

Ingredients for microwave lemon curd whisked in a glass bowl.

Yep, that’s right. Add everything to one mixing bowl and give it really good whisk!

Then cook the curd on full power in 1-minute intervals, stirring after each minute. After about 3-5 minutes (depending on your microwave), the curd will have thickened so it coats the back of a metal spoon.

Keep in mind that the curd will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if it still seems a bit thin right now.

Strained microwave lemon curd.

At this point, I like to run it through a fine metal sieve, just to remove any bits of egg that may have scrambled during cooking. This is optional, though, so don’t worry if you don’t have a mesh sieve.

Pour the curd into airtight jars and let it cool before storing in the refrigerator. After it chills, you’ll see that it gets that thick, luscious texture that we all love so much.

Jar of microwave lemon curd with a spoonful of the curd set on top.

Storage

Store your homemade lemon curd in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. 

Give it a good stir before using it and enjoy it on just about anything you can think of!

Lemon curd being spooned on top of a ramekin of cheesecake.

Uses

Once you taste this easy lemon curd, you’ll be digging through your pantry and fridge just searching for something to slather it on. 

For breakfast, try it on homemade wafflesmascarpone pancakes, or blueberry french toast casserole.

Lemon curd and cheesecake were made to go together. Mini lemon cheesecakes, lemon cheesecake, and cheesecake bars are all begging for a bit of this curd.

I also love to pair it with cakes and cupcakes; it makes the perfect filling! Slather it between layers of lemon cake or pipe it into lemon cupcakes

It’s also perfect in layered lemon dessert.

You could even make easy-peasy mini lemon tarts using mini tart shells, spoonfuls of lemon curd, and a bit of whipped cream! Top with some fresh berries to make them extra fancy. 

Honestly, no matter how you serve it, this easy lemon curd recipe is one you’re going to come back to time and again. That’s a promise.

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Microwave Lemon Curd

By: Jamie
4.43 from 242 ratings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 15
Microwave Lemon Curd couldn’t be easier or more delicious. It’s perfect for topping yogurt, ice cream, cheesecake and so much more!

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • 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.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, zest of 3 lemons, 1/2 cup unsalted 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.

Video

Notes

Recipe from allrecipes.
Makes about 2 cups

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 122kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 14mg, Potassium: 31mg, Fiber: 0.05g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 238IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

4.43 from 242 votes (238 ratings without comment)

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264 Comments

  1. Barbara says:

    I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love lemon curd on gingerbread. Thanks for the recipe. It seems easy.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Barbara! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
      -Jamie

  2. Debra Whelan says:

    I made this today in the microwave for the 1st time. It turned out fantastic. So much easier then doing it on the stove top. And it tastes heavenly. I have a 1100 watt microwave and it took 5 ,mins to make it. I ended up making a double batch and got 6 ,jars of beautiful lemon curd. From now on this will be my go to receipe. Thankyou

  3. Mary says:

    Absolutely perfect, no need to strain, so easy thank you

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the curd, Mary! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
      -Jamie

  4. Carol says:

    Sounds so delightful

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Carol! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
      -Jamie

  5. Sue Giffin says:

    I love lemon.  Real lemon not fake lemon.  Lemon meringue pie is so good if it’s tart

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Sue! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
      -Jamie

  6. Dolo says:

    Are you kidding?! This is the easiest and most delicious lemon curd ever. I would never have tried making it but this is so clever. I’ve made it three times and it always comes out perfect. Thanks. 

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the curd! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!

  7. Melissa Weissman says:

    Oh WOW! So quick and easy – it started thickening up at the 3 1/2 minute mark. It’s perfectly tart. I added the juice of half a lime and the zest of a whole lime to this batch. I made this batch with a few of the lemons I got at Costco.
    I had a spoonful with a serving of rhubarb apple crisp and plain yogurt.

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the curd, Melissa! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
      -Jamie

  8. Diana Klingenberg says:

    Any idea on how to cut the sugar down or if Stevia could be used? And would it make it to runny.

    1. Jamie says:

      Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this substitution, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
      -Jamie

  9. Susi Matthews says:

    I wonder if you could can this when it’s done? The one other time I made it (over the stove) I canned it so I could use them as presents later. It worked great. So I may double the recipe try that with this.

    1. Jamie says:

      Hello! I haven’t attempted canning this recipe, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
      -Jamie

  10. Doris says:

    I made this for my older grandson, who has loved lemons since he was a toddler. We used it in mini tarts. They were delicious and a little bit addictive. lol At one point, my husband and grandson were dipping cookies into the leftover curd, completely cleaning out the bowl.

    The recipe is easy to make. I confess that I did use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh, as it was what I had on hand. It still turned out great! Today, I’m making the curd again today to use in a St. Patrick’s Day trifle with pound cake and fresh berries. Yum! Thank you so much for this ultimate recipe – quick, easy, and delicious!

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoy the curd, Doris! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
      -Jamie