Brazil Nut Free Cornstarch Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and impossibly silky, this lemon curd is the kind of thing you'll want to spoon straight from the jar. It gets its gorgeous thick texture from cornstarch rather than a heavy egg-yolk base, which means the process is surprisingly straightforward and the result is consistently smooth every single time. Fresh lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting on flavor, giving you that punchy citrus hit balanced by just enough butter richness to feel indulgent. The straining step is a small extra effort that pays off big — you end up with a glossy, lump-free curd that looks like it came from a fancy patisserie. Store-bought lemon curds can be a minefield of unexpected additives and shared-facility warnings, so making your own with these clean, simple ingredients is genuinely the better move. Slather it on scones, swirl it into yogurt, layer it in a tart, or just keep a jar in the fridge for whenever you need a little sunshine.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan until evenly combined. Add the water and lemon juice and whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved with no lumps visible.
- 2
Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns from cloudy to translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Once it begins to bubble, continue whisking for 1 full minute — the curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a clear line when a finger is drawn through.
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