This no-butter lemon curd is better-for-you, yet just as rich and puckery as the traditional treat. Learn where lemon curd comes from, how to make it, and enjoy it from breakfast to dessert!

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Lemon curd is one of my favorite citrus condiments. Everything about it makes me happy: its bright yellow color, its zippy, puckery flavor, and the fact that you can enjoy it from breakfast to dessert.

A bit of lemon curd history: Lemon curd is a creamy fruit spread usually made with egg yolks, butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. It’s an English condiment that dates back to the 19th century. Lemon curd was traditionally (and still is) served with afternoon tea as an alternative to jam on scones, bread, and cake. You can also use it to fill pastries and tarts.

After making traditional lemon curd for years, I started experimenting with variations to avoid the butter usually required in traditional recipes (and make it friendlier for my lactose-intolerant belly). After perfecting this completely butter-less lemon curd, I realized I didn’t miss the traditional, butter-laden variety at all. Everyone who tasted it loved it too, and no one noticed the lack of extra calories—so I’ve never looked back.

This no-butter lemon curd is now my go-to lemon curd recipe. A little cornstarch helps achieve the right silky consistency, and a touch of cream leaves room for a slightly puckery taste—the hallmark of the bright condiment.

I always keep a jar of this no-butter lemon curd in the fridge and use it on anything and everything, from breakfast to dessert. I’m addicted, you see, and I think you’ll quickly become so, too.

If you’re not very familiar with the condiment, here’s some background on why lemon curd is so delightful, plus tips for making it at home.

Why is lemon curd called a “curd”?

In 19th-century England, lemon “curd” was exactly that: people mixed acidic lemon juice into cream, then strained it through a cheesecloth.

Over time, butter, eggs, and sugar replaced the cream to create the rich, velvety spread we know today. Modern lemon curd is made like a custard: a liquid (lemon juice) thickened with eggs.

What ingredients are used to make traditional lemon curd?

Traditional lemon curd uses butter, eggs, and lemon juice. In traditional lemon curd, butter serves as both a thickener and a way to add richer mouthfeel and flavor. In my no-butter lemon curd recipe, I achieve the same velvety texture with a spoonful of cornstarch and a bit of heavy cream. This lets me leave the butter out of the equation, creating a better-for-you condiment.

Can you add more sugar to lemon curd?

Lemon curd is meant to walk that fine line between too acidic and just sweet enough. That said, lemon sweetness varies. I do understand that some people might enjoy the aromatic quality of lemon curd but not its puckery acidity. You can add up to 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar to this no-butter lemon curd recipe to round off its edges.

But if you want a sweeter, less acidic citrus curd, I recommend using Meyer lemons, which are much sweeter than regular lemons, or swapping in a bit of orange, mandarin, or clementine juice for some of the lemon juice in the recipe. This will naturally sweeten the curd without adding more sugar.

Refer to my citrus fruit juice to sugar ratios below for more information about the different citrus fruits you can use to make curds and the associated amounts of sugar you should use to make them.

How long can I store no-butter lemon curd?

You can refrigerate no-butter lemon curd in an airtight jar for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze no-butter lemon curd?

You can’t freeze this no-butter lemon curd. This curd is cooked like a cornstarch-stabilized pastry cream. If you freeze no-butter lemon curd, it will thaw to a completely different texture. The rich, smooth texture will be replaced by a yucky, grainy one because the fats and proteins will separate during freezing/thawing. That silky smooth texture you want for your pastries will be gone. You can’t fix this. So please don’t freeze this no-butter lemon curd!

Can I use other citrus fruits to make lemon curd?

Of course, you can! You can use any citrus fruit to make curd. My favorite alternatives are clementines and mandarins because they’re so aromatic! Oranges are much sweeter than lemons, so if you’re swapping oranges for lemons, you’ll need to adjust the sugar in the curd, and you’ll get a much tamer, sweeter condiment. Those who specifically love the tartness of lemon curd will truly enjoy using limes or grapefruit! You can also mix citrus fruits, for example, lemons and clementines, to make curd.

Refer to my fruit juice-to-sugar ratios below to see the different varieties of curds you can make.

Photo above from my cookbook Simply Citrus.

Approximate citrus fruit juice to sugar ratios to make citrus curds

If you’re swapping lemons for other citrus fruits in this no-butter lemon curd recipe, you’ll need to adjust the sugar content. I’ve made nearly every variety of citrus curd, so here are the juice-to-sugar ratios I’ve created.

The number of citrus fruits indicated below should provide the amount of juice required in the recipe. Of course, citrus juiciness varies widely by provenance and season, so no matter which citrus you use, make sure you reach the required 3/4 cup (180 ml) of strained juice.

• 1 grapefruit, 4 lemons, 6 limes, or 18-24 key limes: use 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 6 Meyer lemons: use 1/3 cup (70 g) granulated sugar
• 3 oranges (blood, Cara Cara, or Navel) or 8 mandarins or clementines: use 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) bottled yuzu juice: use 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Photo above from my cookbook Simply Citrus.

Delightful ideas to use and serve lemon curd

• As a spread over scones, bread, toasts, croissants, muffins, and so on
• As a topping for angel food cake, quick breads, crêpes, pancakes, and waffles
• As a filling for cupcakes and layered cakes, tarts and tartlets, cream puffs and éclairs, and thumbprint cookies
• As a garnish for gelato, ice cream, yogurt, and granola

You can also enjoy no-butter lemon curd straight from the jar, by the spoonful! No matter how you serve lemon curd, you can’t go wrong with this wonderfully versatile condiment.

Citrus Desserts Cookbook

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