Coconut Free Cornstarch Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and impossibly silky, this lemon curd delivers that glossy, spoonable texture you'd expect from a classic recipe — no eggs, no cream, and absolutely no coconut in sight. Many store-bought curds and even homemade versions sneak in coconut oil as a butter substitute, so making your own from scratch is the surest way to keep things safe and delicious. Here, cornstarch does the thickening work, creating a smooth, translucent set that holds its shape beautifully on toast, tarts, or stirred into yogurt. Fresh lemon juice and zest give it a punchy citrus flavor that feels genuinely vibrant, not artificial. Whisking in cold butter piece by piece at the end adds richness and a gorgeous sheen without any tropical fats involved. Straining the finished curd through a fine-mesh sieve is the small extra step that takes it from good to bakery-quality smooth. Once it's chilled and set, you'll have a jar of sunshine-yellow curd ready to elevate just about anything.
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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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