Vegan lemon curd -a sweet, creamy, intensely lemony spread that is totally vegan and ready in under ten minutes!
I first made this lemon curd some time ago now to fill my vegan lemon curd layer cake, but I felt like it deserved it’s own recipe post.
Recently Damian has been trying to cut down on dairy as it isn’t very good for his stomach (a problem that a lot of people have I think), so I have been trying to join him. Seeing as I am already vegetarian, this has meant that I have been making a lot more vegan recipes so expect to see more of them on here!
It is amazing just how good this vegan lemon curd is, even without all of the eggs and butter that the original variety is made with. It is just as creamy and intensely lemony and is even quicker and easier to make in fact!
The curd comes together in under ten minutes and there is no need to worry about ending up with lemon flavoured scrambled eggs instead of curd as is is thickened with cornflour instead of eggs.
You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make it, unless you count almond milk and vegan spread as fancy; although they are both so ubiquitous these days that I really don’t regard them as such.
This vegan lemon curd is utterly addictive; despite the fact that it will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, it never lasts for more than a couple of days in my house… It is also incredibly versatile and can be used for so many different delicious things; why not try it:
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- spread on toast, muffins or scones
- with crepes or pancakes
- swirled into (vegan) yogurt or ice cream
- to make lemon tarts
- on top of a pavlova (use aquafaba to make a vegan meringue and top with coconut whipped cream)
- to fill a cake or cupcakes
- or just eat it straight from the jar with a spoon…
How To Make Vegan Lemon Curd:
Place the lemon zest and cornflour in a pan. Gradually whisk in the water to make a smooth paste then whisk in the lemon juice and sugar.
Place over a medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook the curd whilst stirring until it becomes very thick.
Turn the heat down to low and add the almond milk and vegan spread, stir until melted and smooth then remove from the heat and pour into sterilised jars.
The curd is best stored in sterilised jars. To do this, just before you begin making the curd, heat your oven to 140C/275F/gas mark 1. Wash the jars and lids well in hot soapy water, rinse them thoroughly then place the jars on their sides and the lids upside-down on a baking tray then place the tray in the oven.
Leave the jars in the oven to dry while you make the curd then carefully pour the hot curd into the hot jars (never pour hot curd into cold jars or vice versa or they may crack), place the lids on and leave to cool before putting them in the fridge.
If you like this recipe, then I also have a recipe for vegan blood orange curd that you might want to check out!
Vegan Lemon Curd Recipe:
Vegan Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- finely grated zest of 2 lemons (optional - omit for a smooth curd)
- 3 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) water
- juice of 4 large lemons (about 200ml)
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or soya milk)
- 70 g (4 Tbsp) vegan spread (or use coconut oil)
Instructions
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Place the lemon zest and cornflour in a non-reactive pan (such as stainless steel). Gradually whisk in the water to make a smooth paste then whisk in the lemon juice and sugar.
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Place over a medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook the curd whilst stirring until it becomes very thick.
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Turn the heat down to low and add the almond milk and vegan spread, stir until melted and smooth then remove from the heat.
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Pour the hot lemon curd into a couple of clean (preferably sterilized) jars. Seal them and place in the fridge overnight to set before serving. Store in the refrigerator and use within a couple of weeks.
I originally made this vegan lemon curd for DIYs, check them out for some awesome craft and recipe ideas.
Sally
September 12, 2017 at 4:28 pmVery clever Hannah. Hard to make vegan food appealing but you have managed to
Taylor
March 2, 2019 at 11:23 amI’m going to try this for (vegan) Pancake Day! Thanks for the recipe!
Kassy | Enjoying Earth
September 13, 2017 at 5:48 amI’m really really loving this! As soon as I saw the first picture here, I rolled my eyes at myself because I knew that I would not be able to stop myself from making a big fat batch of lemon bars with your recipe! I remember trying to make lemon curd with a non-vegan friend a few years ago by simply replacing all of the egg with flax eggs, and it was an absolute disaster. I thought that maybe lemon bars just weren’t possible, but here you are with this beautiful curd! Boo ya!
Ecfinn
January 23, 2019 at 9:53 pmWere you able to use this for lemon bars? I had great success with it as a spread but haven’t tried to use it in a lemon bar recipe.
hannahhossack
January 24, 2019 at 9:20 amHi! I haven’t personally tried using this recipe for lemon bars but I get the feeling that the curd would not set firm enough.
Amy | The Cook Report
September 14, 2017 at 10:05 amWhat a handy recipe to have on hand!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
September 14, 2017 at 11:12 amLemon curd is so delicious, great that you can make a vegan version of this!
Kaitie
September 14, 2017 at 11:36 amWhat a great dessert!! Good luck with dairy free recipes! I am df since my newborn is allergic, and while I’m nursing I’m still trying to enjoy a little of everything… this is a great treat!!
Veena Azmanov
September 14, 2017 at 12:16 pmI love lemon curd this is so cool that you made it vegan. I enjoy anything lemony. This will work great for cake filling as it’s nice and thick.
Diana
September 14, 2017 at 12:33 pmLove that this is vegan! I never make lemon curd because I don’t like the amount of eggs that goes into it. Your version looks great!
Kelly Mahan
September 21, 2017 at 12:38 pmWOW, this looks delicious! And you can do it in ten minutes? I’m trying this RIGHT NOW.
Agness of Run Agness Run
September 21, 2017 at 8:09 pmThis lemon curd seems so palatable and finger-licking! Can I use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
hannahhossack
September 27, 2017 at 10:27 pmYes, coconut milk (or any dairy-free milk I think) will work here 🙂
laelia sinden
June 5, 2018 at 11:05 pmHi Hannah. Just made this. Tastes amazing but mine came out green! I added a tiny bit of turmeric thinking it would enhance the colour so maybe thats why it happened! Has this ever happened to you? yours is such a beautiful yellow in the pics!
hannahhossack
June 6, 2018 at 8:19 amHi Laelia, oh goodness! No, that’s never happened to me before. It could be that the lemon juice reacted with the pan that you used – did you use either a plain aluminium or unlined copper pan? The acid in the lemon can react with these which could have caused the green colour; acidic foods should always be prepared in a non-reactive pan such as stainless steel. Apologies, I should have specified that in the recipe, I’ve updated it now. If it isn’t down to the pan then it may well have been the turmeric, I haven’t tried adding it before though so I can’t say for sure!
laelia
June 6, 2018 at 9:03 pmHi, yes after some research I found it was the pan! So gross. Was such a horrible green colour! I am attempting to make it again now with another pan…
Kavita Favelle | Kavey Eats
September 24, 2017 at 8:16 amI had no idea you could make lemon curd without eggs to help thicken it, so this is very interesting, it looks luscious and I can imagine it’s just as good as the regular stuff I am familiar with!
Carrie
March 8, 2018 at 7:18 amI made this tonight, so easy and it came out just perfectly. Thank you.
maria
August 26, 2018 at 11:56 pmWhat is the consistency of this lemon curd. I made it and although it tastes good, it looks like glar and is very gel like and stretchy.
hannahhossack
September 4, 2018 at 10:11 amHi Maria, it should be smooth and spreadable; I’m not sure why it would have a stretchy consistency. Did you use arrowroot in place of cornflour?
Renate Maria Callahan
September 4, 2018 at 2:07 pmI have the same experience as Maria in that it came out looking slightly transparent and feeling kind of ‘glue-ey’. Since I used it in a vegan buttercreme it didn’t matter and worked fine, but it sure looked weird. And yes, I used Arrowroot. I now bought corn flour and will try it the original way to see if that makes a difference.
Ashleigh Ochs
April 13, 2018 at 6:41 amHow long does the curd last for? Can it be left at room temperature or should it be refrigerated? Thanks
hannahhossack
April 14, 2018 at 8:02 pmHi Ashleigh, the curd needs to be stored in the fridge and eaten within a couple of weeks. You may find that it separates a little after a day or two but it just needs to be stirred before serving.
valerie Addy
May 20, 2018 at 7:37 pmI’m not even vegan but cannot eat eggs, I love butter but for an egg free lemoncurd I’ll forgo the butter! I’m definitely going to give this a try!
Ecfinn
May 21, 2018 at 4:16 pmWonderful! It is indiscernable to “real” lemon curd, IMO. And it was so easy to make. Mine turned out less yellow, I think because I used only a smidge of lemon zest. We had this with vegan (mock) clotted cream (that I sort of invented) and scones…in honor of the Royal Wedding. Delicious, thanks for the recipe.
Betty
April 21, 2019 at 12:11 pmOoh vegan clotted cream sounds amazing,I don’t suppose you are willing to share ?!
Samantha
June 4, 2018 at 11:45 pmCan i replace the cornflour with just normal flour?
hannahhossack
June 6, 2018 at 8:22 amHi Samantha, I don’t think that regular flour will work as well here, you definitely need to use cornflour for the best texture. I think that Arrowroot would also work if you can’t have cornflour.
Erica
June 20, 2018 at 5:47 pmI just made this recipe and it really taste great! It’s not quite as “heavy” as curd made with eggs and butter, but I think I like it better this way. Feels lighter and more fresh 🙂
Jaimie
July 5, 2018 at 12:04 amI am in need of an eggless curd for a wedding cake filling, and this looks great! However, it doesn’t have to be completely vegan for this bride. Would this recipe work with real butter and milk, or would it be too thick from the additional fat? Thanks!!!
hannahhossack
July 9, 2018 at 8:46 amHi Jaimie, I haven’t tried the recipe with dairy milk and butter but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Renate Callahan
August 10, 2018 at 11:56 pmHi there,
would you recommend replacing the cornstarch with Arrowroot? Just asking because I have that and would have to buy the other. 🙂
thank you!
hannahhossack
August 15, 2018 at 1:07 pmHi Renate, I haven’t tried it with arrowroot but I think it should work fine. 🙂
Renate Maria Callahan
August 15, 2018 at 5:11 pmthanks – that’d be a great help if I would not have to buy extra ingredients like cornflour. Will try this afternoon with arrowroot.
Maria
August 26, 2018 at 10:12 pmI’ve made it with arrowroot and it turned out fine. I would like to know why you need to use milk, because mine was fine before I added the milk. What is the purpose of the milk in this recipe?
hannahhossack
September 4, 2018 at 10:08 amHi Maria, I just prefer the texture of the curd with the milk. It firms up a little in the fridge and the milk helps to keep it spreadable and creamy. You can omit it if you don’t feel that it needs it. Good to know that arrowroot works well in place of the cornflour!
Lynn
September 6, 2018 at 4:09 amUm…YUM!!! I just made this and it was so easy and DELICIOUS! I used cows milk as I didn’t have soy or almond milk at home. Will def make again! Thanks for sharing!
Shibani
September 28, 2018 at 2:06 amHi I just made a batch of this eggless lemon curd.. it’s amazing.. thanks for the incredible recipe..
Skyler
September 30, 2018 at 2:22 pmCould I use corn meal instead of corn flour?
hannahhossack
October 1, 2018 at 8:13 amHi Skyler, No. cornflour (cornstarch) and cornmeal are two very different things and cornmeal will not work in this recipe. The only possible substitute for the cornflour is arrowroot, though I haven’t tried making the recipe using it so I can’t say for sure how well it works.
Anna Palfreeman
October 31, 2018 at 2:00 amThis might defeat the purpose, but I’m wondering if subbing butter for the vegan spread will still work. I’m egg free but not dairy free and prefer to use butter if possible. Thanks!
hannahhossack
November 1, 2018 at 9:34 amHi Anna, yes that should work fine.
Raven
October 31, 2018 at 9:23 pmLove the looks of this recipe and can’t wait to try it. Do you think this could be used in lemon bars? Poured over a vegan shortbread crust and baked? Would it set somewhat firm like lemon bars do?
hannahhossack
November 1, 2018 at 9:37 amHi Raven, I haven’t tried using it that way so I can’t say for sure but I don’t think that it would work; this recipe is designed to be a spreadable texture so I think that it would be too soft for lemon bars.
Meghan
November 4, 2018 at 9:35 amHi Hannah,
Tried making this recipe today. After adding in the milk and butter, the curd became a lot runnier. I may have not cooked it for long enough to thicken it, but does it thicken while in the fridge?
Thanks for the great recipe! Tastes delicious although consistency may not be the same as yours.
Meghan
hannahhossack
November 12, 2018 at 12:15 pmHi Meghan, The curd does set up further in the fridge. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Jane
December 9, 2018 at 4:33 amLooking forward to trying this, thanks! Do you know if it would freeze well? I have a lemon tree and wonder if I could make a bunch and freeze it for later.
hannahhossack
December 10, 2018 at 7:25 pmHi Jane, I’ve got no idea I’m afraid! I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure how it would react; I would maybe try making a batch and freezing a bit of it to see how it works. I hope you enjoy it!
Laurianne Giteau
January 12, 2019 at 7:24 pmHey Hannah,
Thanks for this great recipe. I made the curd this morning and it is now all set and delicious. I find it a little bit too sweet for me though….do you think it would work with less sugar (i.e. just using 100g of sugar instead of the 200g)? Thanks in advance for your time. Best Wishes, Laurianne
hannahhossack
January 13, 2019 at 12:44 pmHi Laurianne, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I think it should work fine with less sugar, I haven’t tested it though.
Laurianne Giteau
January 14, 2019 at 11:20 amThanks. I will try next time and will let you know how it turns out! 🙂
Pamcoven@covencreative.us
March 13, 2019 at 5:15 amYou did not complete the recipe with the lemon juice
hannahhossack
March 13, 2019 at 9:11 amUuumm… maybe you should read the recipe again, I definitely didn’t miss anything!
Marie
March 23, 2019 at 1:25 amDelish! I like the lemony flavor from lemon curd but dislike the slight metallic aftertaste that seems to come from the eggs. This took care of that problem. Very happy to have found this recipe, thank you!
JOSIE
April 7, 2019 at 12:10 pmI made this to make a lemon tart, so I added an extra spoon of corn starch. I also used less sugar to have a more tangy flavor. The result was amazing. Everyone loved it & our non vegan friends couldn’t believe it was vegan!
Andromeda
April 16, 2019 at 10:24 amI made your lemon curd the other day and it is perfection- zesty, sweet, perfectly thick. Incredible.
Betty
April 21, 2019 at 12:22 pmCor blimey! This curd sure packs some zing! And the coconut oil gives a lovely extra level of flavour, I think I will do this again with lime juice.
I did add a wee smidge of turmeric to boost the visuals , I just wish I had read the 24 hours setting bit, it’s gonna be a long wait and my cake is just sitting there all lonely will my tummy rumbles.
I’m off to look at your other recipies, thanks for sharing and making vegan life easier
Roberta
April 22, 2019 at 4:20 pmI made this curd to use as a filling for a vanilla cake with chai icing. The recipe didn’t call for the curd but one of the reader’s comments used curd so I did likewise….glad I did – it would have been too sweet otherwise.
The curd was a bit too runny to use as a filling so I cooked up a bit more arrowroot with water and added to
the original batch. Like one of the above comments, it turned a bit stringy and snotty (sorry to be so descriptive). However, it tastes amazing and because it was between two layers of cake, no one knew it was slimy. 😉
I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch because I think I read one comment that theirs came out a bit floury using
the cornstarch.
I’ll definitely keep this recipe and keep working on the perfect consistency for me. Thanks heaps!!!