When life gives you lemons, consider yourself lucky because this Vegan Lemon Curd is like a creamy bite of sunshine! Made with just 6 basic ingredients with only 10 minutes of active kitchen time, my egg-free, dairy-free lemon curd is a simple treat that’ll add bright, citrusy, sweet-tart goodness to anything it touches.
Table of contents
What Is Lemon Curd?
Oh, lemon curd, where do I begin? Picture a bright yellow, zesty, creamy spread that will make your taste buds do a happy dance. It's like sunshine in a jar, and one spoonful will transport you to a sunny afternoon in a lemon orchard.
The texture is smooth, velvety, and luscious, with a slight thickness that spreads easily on your toast, scones, or even as a fruit tart or lemon cake filling without eggs. And let's not forget the aroma! The fragrance of freshly squeezed lemons combined with the rich aroma of butter is simply irresistible.
It's a versatile ingredient that can be used in so many ways, whether you want to add a zing to your breakfast or elevate your dessert game. You can even sneak a spoonful straight from the jar (shh, I won't tell anyone!).
How is vegan lemon curd different from traditional lemon curd?
Traditional lemon curd is a sweet and tangy concoction made from fresh lemon juice, sugar, butter, and eggs. In my nifty vegan-ized version, we swap in plant-based butter to maintain the same rich flavor and use cornstarch in place of the eggs to thicken it to spreadable perfection.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Lemon Curd
As much as I love all the cozy, rib-sticking fare of winter (see: mushroom risotto, lazy girl’s creamy pumpkin soup, and apple pie bread pudding), by the time spring rolls around I’m ready for a change.
While it’s still a bit chilly where I live, I’m super jazzed about the warmer weather. In fact, I just went to my first farmer’s market of the season and couldn’t be more excited to use my bounty of produce in pound cake, zucchini muffins, lemon loaf, and vegan pasta salad.
And, while swimsuit season is fast approaching, I’ve got a serious sweet tooth to contend with. Rather than reaching for chocolate (my go-to in cooler months), I’m craving all the light, bright, juicy flavors of fruit. This cheerful yellow vegan lemon curd recipe is the perfect fit, especially since I can even eat it for breakfast.
Aside from tasting like a light, fluffy, magical lemon-flavored cloud, this recipe for lemon curd without eggs is also:
- Quick & Easy - You only need about 10 minutes to make a batch of this sunshine in a jar. (When you think about it, that’s about how many commercials they show in a single sitcom! 😂)
- Made With Only 6 Basic Ingredients - Plus, they’re all easy to find at any grocery store.
- Wholesome - It's made without any animal products, artificial ingredients, or preservatives so you can feel good about what you're putting in your body.
- Allergen-Friendly - Naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free, this bright, sunshiny spread is safe for almost everyone to enjoy. As an added bonus, this citrusy vegan curd is a great way to show your friends that you're a thoughtful and inclusive host even if you aren’t plant-based yourself.
- Budget-Friendly - While eggs and dairy might be totally safe for you and your family to eat, the recent astronomical cost of eggs might be having you strategize how to replace them. This tasty spread costs just a couple of dollars to make, which is also much cheaper than buying it pre-made.
Ingredients Needed
As promised, you only need a handful of easy-to-find ingredients to make this eggless lemon curd. Here’s what to grab:
- Vegan butter - I used salted plant-based butter, but you’re welcome to use unsalted if you prefer. If you do, I suggest adding a pinch of salt to help balance the flavors.
- Granulated sugar - This ultra-white sugar is the best way to get the bright, gamboge hue we’re looking for, plus the neutral flavor allows the citrus to shine through. Feel free to swap in superfine or caster sugar if you prefer.
- Cornstarch - I used cornstarch as a thickener to replace the emulsifying property of egg yolks. If corn is a no-no, try swapping in an equal amount of potato starch or tapioca starch instead.
- Lemons - You’ll want both the juice and zest for the punchiest, springiest flavor. Feel free to use either regular or Meyer lemons.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk - If possible, use a rich, creamy, full-fat milk like oat or soy. While I generally reach for plain or unsweetened, vanilla-flavored options will also work.
- Turmeric - Technically, this is totally optional. However, if you want your lemony vegetarian curd to have the goldenrod hue that egg yolks would normally contribute, this all-natural food coloring will do the trick.
How To Make Vegan Lemon Curd
Making lemon curd vegan couldn’t be simpler. Here’s how you do it, in just two easy steps:
Step 1: Whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch in a pot. Add lemon juice, non-dairy milk, lemon zest, and turmeric. Mix until smooth.
Step 2: Heat. Add the vegan butter and heat the mixture on medium heat, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. Remove the healthy lemon curd from the heat and let it cool.
Optional Variations
As much as I love this lemon curd eggless recipe just the way it is written, you have several opportunities to put your own stamp on it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap your citrus. Feel free to swap in limes, grapefruit, or Meyer lemons for some variety.
- Spicy. Add some grated ginger and/or a hefty pinch of cayenne for a spicy twist.
- Floral. Infuse your lemon curd with some edible lavender for a burst of springtime flavor.
- Herbaceous. You can also play with herbs and spices by adding some fresh chopped rosemary or a pinch of ground cardamom for a deliciously savory spin on this classic fruit spread.
- Tropical. Swap in unrefined coconut oil and coconut sugar to give the curd a tropical-inspired twist.
Serving Suggestions
Once you make a batch of this lemon curd no eggs recipe, I have a feeling you’ll have no shortage of ways to put it to use. Here are just a few ideas to spark your creativity:
- Spread it on toast, scones, biscuits, waffles, or pancakes for a zesty breakfast treat. You can also use it as a fun alternative to cinnamon sugar for filling your morning buns.
- Use it as a filling for cakes, cupcakes, thumbprint cookies, or macarons for a burst of lemony goodness.
- Swirl it into your favorite yogurt or oatmeal for a tangy and creamy breakfast.
- Use it as a topping for vegan ice cream or sorbet (or add a swirl into your homemade frozen treats) for a refreshing and citrusy dessert.
- Fold it into freshly whipped cream and serve with fresh fruit or berries for a simple and elegant dessert.
- Use it as a glaze for baked goods such as donuts or muffins for a sweet and tangy finish.
- Mix it into your favorite cheesecake or cream cheese frosting recipe for a lemony twist.
Recipe Success Tips
- Make sure you use granulated sugar for a clean light yellow color. While you’re welcome to use organic cane sugar which will taste just as good, it won’t have the same bright yellow color if you do.
- Whisking continuously is a must while heating the curd. This will prevent it from curdling (ha!) or scorching on the bottom of the pan.
- Use fresh, preferably organic lemons for the best flavor. Also, since we’re using the zest, make sure you wash the lemons first!
- Use only the bright yellow part of the rind as the white pith tastes quite bitter.
- This lemon curd will thicken as it chills in the fridge — that’s totally normal! Don’t worry, it will spread nicely and loosen when it hits hot toast.
FAQs
Traditional lemon curd, which is sometimes referred to as lemon butter, is made with butter and eggs. However, my vegan lemon curd recipe is entirely plant-based, meaning it's made without any dairy. Here we omit eggs and swap in cornstarch as the thickening agent, while vegan butter gives it the rich, creamy texture of normal lemon curd.
While vegan lemon custard and dairy-free lemon curd use some of the same ingredients, the main difference is that their textures and uses are quite different.
Lemon custard is more pudding-like with a softer, looser consistency than lemon curd. It’s great for use in trifles or, depending on the recipe, spinning into ice cream. Lemon curd, on the other hand, is thicker, more spreadable, and has a more pronounced lemon flavor.
Similar yes, but different. Lemon jam is typically made with just lemons, sugar, and pectin and can be used in either sweet or savory applications. Lemon curd is much creamier due to the addition of milk and butter and is pretty much exclusively used for dessert applications.
You sure do! Once made, it should keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks.
Yep! There are exactly zero wheat-based ingredients in this lemon curd, so it’s perfectly safe for celiacs.
Since "healthy" is a subjective term that means a lot of different things to a lot of different folks, AND since I’m not a registered diet professional, I’m not really qualified to deem lemon curd as healthy or not.
What I will say, however, is that my vegan lemon curd recipe is made with real food ingredients and without preservatives or artificial ingredients, so I feel great about feeding it to my family. That said, it’s also a relatively sweet addition to any plate, so I tend to use it in moderation.
More Lemon Recipes
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you loved this recipe for Egg-Free Lemon Curd as much as I do. For more deliciously seasonal dairy-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan dessert inspiration, make sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter — I promise not to spam you!
Vegan Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅔ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric optional, for color
Instructions
- In a pot, mix together granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add lemon juice, non-dairy milk, lemon zest, and turmeric. Mix until smooth.
- Add the vegan butter and heat it on medium heat whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
Notes
- Spread it on toast, scones, biscuits, waffles, or pancakes for a zesty breakfast treat. You can also use it as a fun alternative to cinnamon sugar for filling your morning buns.
- Use it as a filling for cakes, cupcakes, thumbprint cookies, or macarons for a burst of lemony goodness.
- Swirl it into your favorite yogurt or oatmeal for a tangy and creamy breakfast.
- Use it as a topping for vegan ice cream or sorbet (or add a swirl into your homemade frozen treats) for a refreshing and citrusy dessert.
- Fold it into freshly whipped cream and serve with fresh fruit or berries for a simple and elegant dessert.
- Use it as a glaze for baked goods such as donuts or muffins for a sweet and tangy finish.
- Mix it into your favorite cheesecake or cream cheese frosting recipe for a lemony twist.
- Make sure you use granulated sugar for a clean light yellow color. While you’re welcome to use organic cane sugar which will taste just as good, it won’t have the same bright yellow color if you do.
- Whisking continuously is a must while heating the curd. This will prevent it from curdling (ha!) or scorching on the bottom of the pan.
- Use fresh, preferably organic lemons for the best flavor. Also, since we’re using the zest, make sure you wash the lemons first!
- Use only the bright yellow part of the rind as the white pith tastes quite bitter.
- This lemon curd will thicken as it chills in the fridge — that’s totally normal! Don’t worry, it will spread nicely and loosen when it hits hot toast.
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