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Microwave Lemon Curd couldn’t be easier, or more delicious. It’s perfect for topping yogurt, ice cream, cheesecake and so much more!
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you are well aware of the fact that I am a sucker for lemon desserts.
From lemon lime cupcakes and glazed lemon blueberry bread to this microwave lemon curd, I’m all about lemons – all summer long.
If you’re a lemon lover and have never made homemade lemon curd, print this recipe, head to the store, grab yourself a bunch of lemons, and get to making this microwave lemon curd.
While you’re at the store, be sure to also grab some vanilla bean ice cream, a cheesecake AND mini tart shells because you’re going to eating this sweet and tart spread on ALLTHETHINGS.
If you have never made lemon curd before, it’s a very basic process of heating eggs, butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest.
This combination of ingredients creates a thick, tart lemon spread that you’ll want to eat with a spoon. No shame here, I’m totally guilty of eating spoonfuls of the stuff with a little spray of whipped cream.
There are numerous methods for making lemon curd, but my absolute favorite way is in the microwave.
WHY I LIKE TO MAKE MICROWAVE LEMON CURD
Yes, the microwave.
Now before you tell me it’s easier to make lemon curd on the stove, I hear what you’re saying. And while I agree that making it on the stovetop is pretty simple as well, I find that cooking it in the microwave is just easier.
With this microwave method, you don’t have to mess with a double boiler, or really worry about cooking the eggs too much and ending up with little specks of scrambled eggs in your curd.
You may kind of feel like you’re cheating a bit and possibly become lemon curd obsessed since you can whip up a batch in about 5 minutes!
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CURD IN THE MICROWAVE
To make lemon curd in the microwave, start by whisking together all of the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
Then cook the curd on full power in 1-minute intervals, stirring after each minute. After about 3-5 minutes (depending on your microwave), the curd will have thickened so it coats the back of a metal spoon.
At this point, I like to run it through a fine metal sieve, just to remove any bits of egg that may have scrambled during cooking.
After the lemon curd cools, pop it into the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. It will continue to thicken as it cools, making that thick, luscious lemon curd that we all love so much.
HOW DO I SERVE LEMON CURD? ON EVERYTHING
Once you taste this easy lemon curd, you’ll be digging through your pantry and fridge just searching for something to slather it on. Whether you spread it on scones, waffles, or mascarpone pancakes, or spoon it over your favorite angel food cake, this lemon curd is sure to become one of your new favorites!
If you need some ideas to use up your microwave lemon curd, I love to use it in baking recipes, too! I’ve added it to No-Baked Layered Lemon Pie, Roasted Berry Napoleons, Mini Lemon Cheesecakes and Lemon Cheesecake in a Jar, just to name a few.
Microwave Lemon Curd
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs yolks and whites
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice about 4-5 lemons
- zest of 3 lemons
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth and thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest and melted butter.
- Cook in the microwave on full power for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute. This process will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. You will know the lemon curd is done cooking when it coats the back of a metal spoon.
- Remove from the microwave, push through a fine, mesh sieve and pour into sterile jar or container.
- Once the curd has cooled to room temperature, cover it with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. The curd will thicken as it cools.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I seen this recipe ages ago and lost it, I’ve been searching for it ever since. So looking forward to trying this, THANK YOU !!!!
Thanks for stopping by, Pauline!
Would love to know if the splendid work ??
Hi Roger! I haven’t attempted this with Splenda, but hopefully someone will chime in and give you feedback. Thanks!
-Jamie
This recipe is PERFECT! I used it to make lemon cheesecake bars for a Fourth of July picnic and they were an absolute hit! The curd is perfectly tart and firms up nicely. Best of all, it takes more time to juice the lemons than it does to cook the curd!
Katherine-
I am so happy to hear you had success with this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to report back on your experience! Have a great Sunday!
-Jamie
I have a question: Since I’m diabetic, can I substitute the sugar with splenda? I really would like to try it-THanks
Esther-
That is a great question, but unfortunately, it’s not a substitution that I have tried, so I can’t tell you whether it would work or not. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear about it! Thanks!
-Jamie
Can I store this in the freezer?
Aldana-
Yes, lemon curd freezes really well. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once it’s thawed, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so. I hope this helps!
-Jamie
How can I make this on the stove instead of microwave?
Yana-
I would recommend using a double boiler if you are making it on the stove. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
I have been using your recipe to make lemon curd and love it! Today I just made mango lime curd using this recipe :) Yum!
I am actually angry at this recipe — because after all these years of putting off my mom’s entreaties for fresh lemon curd, I learn that I could have been whipping it up in minutes in the microwave. I am all for the easy microwave where it works — best nut brittle, best dried out “baked” potatoes for gnocchi (think about it — exactly what makes the microwave bad for cooking potatoes is what makes it perfect for gnocchi…). I live surrounded by more organic citrus than I could ever use — if this recipe works as well as you say, I will happily repay you by offering you free Meyer lemons, Eureka lemons, key limes, sour oranges, etc. as you want! Thanks for the innovation!
OMG that lemon curd. I just made this. So easy! It was a little too sour for my taste so I added a little sugar and then… OMG THAT LEMON CURD!!! :))))
Thank you for this recipe. I have made it twice so far – first time I cooked it for 5 minutes because I was expecting it to be thick at end of cooking but it become more runny. The next time at 3 minutes it was just coating the spoon and when cool was perfect. Perhaps you could include something in the instructions about overcooking causing it to become runnier, to prevent those of us who think it should be quite thick before stopping the cooking. It is yummy and not as sweet as others. thank you!