Carrageenan Free Cornstarch Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and silky-smooth, this lemon curd delivers that classic sunshine-yellow spread without a single additive or thickener you'd have to second-guess. Many store-bought curds and even some homemade recipes rely on egg yolks or stabilizers that can sneak in unwanted ingredients — this version keeps things clean with cornstarch as the sole thickener, producing a glossy, spoonable curd that sets up beautifully. Fresh lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting on flavor, while a finish of cold butter whisked in piece by piece gives the curd its luxuriously smooth body. The technique is straightforward: constant whisking over medium heat coaxes the mixture from cloudy to translucent, and that one full minute of bubbling ensures it sets properly once chilled. Straining through a fine-mesh sieve at the end removes any zest solids, leaving you with an impossibly smooth result. Spoon it over yogurt, swirl it into whipped cream, or spread it thick on toast — it's the kind of jar you'll find yourself dipping a spoon into straight from the fridge.
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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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