On the eighth day of Christmas, there were still lemons in my kitchen. That’s right, I have not somehow figured out how to use 200 lemons in one week. But lucky for me, I’m not sick of them yet, despite drinking them in my water, and cocktails, and adding them into any recipe I can think of. So that’s why I bring you easy microwave lemon curd tonight, and even better, a recipe that takes fewer than 30 minutes from start to finish.

What is lemon curd?

Lemon curd is essentially a more intensely lemon custard, due to the higher proportions of lemon juice. It’s delicious on scones, baguettes, in tarts, as a pie filling, over vanilla ice cream or yogurt, or just eaten off a spoon. Recently, a few of my friends and I spent a day of making lemon curd in a friend’s Instant Pot, so if you’ve got one of those, give this recipe a whirl. Our curd was delicious!

How do you make it?

I don’t have an IP, so I use an easy microwave lemon curd method. Lemon curd is only eggs, butter, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon zest. For the smoothest texture, it’s imperative to sieve it before putting it in the sterilized jars. My favorite use for it is over plain or vanilla yogurt for breakfast, but it’s also dynamite slathered on a scone or biscuit.

Egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice
3.34 from 9 votes
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Easy Lemon Curd

The easiest way to make lemon curd–in the microwave!

Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword microwave lemon curd
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Author Amanda

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • zest of 3 lemons
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 yolks
  • 1 stick butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

  1. In a microwaveable bowl, mix sugar, butter, zest and egg yolks.

  2. Add lemon juice and whisk.
  3. Cook in 1 minute on 100% power in the microwave until it coats the back of a metal spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Whisk after every minute.
  5. Pour into sterile jar or container and refrigerate.
  6. Keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge.

It makes a great homemade gift, packaged in one of my favorite squat Ball jars and tied up with a pretty ribbon.