Pork Free Cornstarch Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and silky smooth, this lemon curd is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more special — think toast, tarts, yogurt parfaits, or spooned straight from the jar. The magic here comes from cornstarch rather than egg yolks, which means you get that gorgeous, glossy set without any of the fussiness of tempering eggs or worrying about scrambling them over the heat. Fresh lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting on flavor, giving you a curd that tastes genuinely vibrant and homemade rather than the flat, overly sweet version you find in store jars. Whisking in cold butter piece by piece at the end is the move that takes the texture from good to luxuriously smooth and rich. Straining the finished curd through a fine-mesh sieve gives it that clean, professional finish you'd expect from a bakery. It sets up beautifully in the fridge and keeps well, so you can make a batch ahead and have it ready whenever inspiration strikes.
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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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