Tart lemons are sweetened up in this homemade vegan lemon curd! Use in your favorite dessert or to top the perfect vegan biscuits.
We all had little quirks growing up, right? Weird things we ate or did that now seem totally crazy and kind of gross (well, they were in my case).
As for me, I used to suck on lemons and eat chunks of butter right off of the butter knife (told you it’s gross!), but of course now, those habits seem totally crazy.
We have a friend who used to eat sugar sandwiches, and AJ used to eat bologna and ketchup sandwiches. I mean, to each his own, right?
Anyway, since I used to suck on straight up lemons, you would think I’ve been a life long lemon dessert lover, wouldn’t you? The truth is, I’ve always been a way bigger sucker for chocolate and lemons are probably halfway down my ‘favorite dessert flavors’ list, except for recently.
I don’t know if it’s the hot weather or my new found affinity for always having a drawer full of lemons in the fridge, but vegan lemon desserts are slowing creeping their way into my dessert repertoire, bit by bit.
My vegan lemon bar recipe still continues to be a favorite on the blog and now that I’ve figured out how to make easy homemade vegan lemon curd, I think all lemon desserts are a go!
What is lemon curd?
If you’ve never had lemon curd, you’re totally missing out. Lemon curd is extremely popular in the UK, and is essentially a thick preserve made from lemons, butter, eggs, and LOTS of sugar.
Lemon curd can be canned and stored for longer periods of time, but once you open the jar it’s good for about a week. You can do pretty much anything with lemon curd that you would with jam or jelly.
What is lemon curd used for?
Spread it on toast or vegan biscuits, add a dollop to your oats or yogurt in the morning, or eat it straight from the jar! (I guess those childhood quirks never completely go away, huh?). I love using it in a batch of lemon curd and raspberry almond waffles, perfection!
How to make lemon curd
I bet you just read that paragraph and thought, ‘Wait, so lemon curd is like jam?’ and then proceeded to panic. Although lemon curd is similar to jam, you don’t make it the same way, and homemade vegan lemon curd doesn’t involve an intense canning process either.
Because vegan lemon curd doesn’t contain eggs or butter, it’s much easier and quicker to make. All you have to do is combine your ingredients in a sauce pan and heat for 5 to 7 minutes on the stove, or until it’s thickened up a bit.
For the best flavor and consistency, you’ll want to buy full-fat coconut milk (the canned stuff) and pure vanilla extract (which you can also make yourself if you prefer!).
The hardest part about making vegan lemon curd is making sure the cornstarch doesn’t clump up and make these weird, clear jelly things you totally don’t want in your curd.
The trick is to whisk the mixture constantly as you are cooking the mixture and making sure any chunks of cornstarch get broken up right away. If for some reason you do get those weird chunks going on, transfer the curd mixture into a blender, smooth it out, and return to the heat.
What is the difference between lemon curd and lemon pie filling?
Lemon curd is the more intense sister to lemon pie filling. They are super similar, but different!Â
Lemon pie filling makes more in a batch, since it needs to fill a whole pie crust and lemon curd typically makes a small batch that’s just enough for spreading. Lemon pie filling also uses more lemon juice and zest, since it makes a bigger batch!
Can you freeze lemon curd?
Yes! Lemon curd can be frozen in batched and thawed in the fridge when needed for use. The texture will remain mainly the same and be equally as delicious!
Feel free to make a double batch, freeze the extra, and thaw when you’re ready to spread on biscuits or top ice cream with your delicious vegan lemon curd.Â
More lemon desserts on Heart of a Baker:
- Vegan Lemon Lime Bars with Shortbread Crust
- Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cakes with Coconut Whip and Berries
- Vegan Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Bread
- Lemon Curd and Raspberry Almond Waffles
Homemade Vegan Lemon Curd
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tart lemons are sweetened up in this homemade vegan lemon curd! Use in your favorite dessert or to top the perfect vegan biscuits.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- Juice and zest of 3 lemons
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, and juice/zest of the lemons.
- Transfer to a saucepan over medium high heat and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook, whisking constantly over heat for 5-7 minutes. The mixture should remain smooth and start to thicken.
- After mixture has thickened, turn off heat and mix in the extract. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in fridge.
Keywords: vegan lemon curd
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thenomadicvegan says
Hi Abby,
I had no idea that paddleboard yoga was a thing! Do you do it on the water? Oh, and cheers for the lemon curd recipe too. I don’t believe I’ve ever had lemon curd before, so I won’t know if it tastes authentic or not, but it sounds pretty fun. I’m looking forward to seeing what you concoct with it!
The Frosted Vegan says
Yes, you do!
Sarah | Well and Full says
This recipe is genius, Abby! All of the lemon curd recipes I’ve seen have had tofu in them, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw yours was tofu-free!! 🙂
The Frosted Vegan says
I know, right? I just didn’t want to go the normal route, so I opted for something different 🙂
Heidi Kokborg says
Paddleboars yoga? I didn’t know you could do that. It sounds kind of hard… 😀
The lemon curd looks really good!
The Frosted Vegan says
It’s a challenge, ha! Thank you Heidi!
Julia says
I can’t even tell you how long I’ve been wondering how to make a vegan (and naturally sweetened) lemon curd! Mystery solved! Since I’m a coconut milk fanatic, you best believe I’m already drooling at the prospect of making this.
I hope you have a marvelous time paddle boarding! It’s been a few years since I’ve done it – it truly is a therapeutic sport (and a pretty great arm/ab workout!)! I’m trying to envision myself doing downward dog on a paddle board – challenge accepted!
The Frosted Vegan says
Get it get it girl! It’s not as bad as you would think, but it’s so challenging. I haven’t fallen off..yet!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Wow that looks terrific! I love lemon curd, your variation sounds perfect 🙂
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you June! It’s a winner for sure 🙂
whiskandshout says
Have fun paddleboarding (I’ve never heard of paddleboard yoga, but if you can do that, then I’m sure regular paddleboarding will be a breeze!). And on the topic of this lemon curd, may I say you’re a genius! I’m so busy in the kitchen right now preparing posts for when I’m at college, that my queue of your recipes to try is piling up (and you’re not helping by posting so many delicious recipes!) but rest assured when I have a moment, I’ll be making this and about 100 other things 🙂 Pinning!
The Frosted Vegan says
Haha, thank you! Man kudos to you for queing up recipes in advance, I should really get in the habit of that more often 🙂
Jessica DeMarra says
You have to imagine me behind my computer, jaw dropping and perhaps drooling (just a bit) over this recipe! Swooning over its simplicity and big lemon taste. I remember whenever I had homemade lemon curd, it straight up tasted like eggs. Blah. I envision myself baking little crusts in the bottom of teeny mason jars, topping them with this curd, and with a small mountain of fresh berries. Yes, I think I will do that!
The Frosted Vegan says
OH. MY. GOSH. You are brilliant! I think I’m going to need to do that right this second, come join me?!
tatin says
Sucking on lemons doesn’t really sound that weird! I remember a cooking show where the host used to ask their guests what’s their weirdest eating habit and one said he liked his ham and cheese sandwiches…. with mustard and dulce de leche! Eew!
This lemon curd sounds super easy! Any idea how long would it last in the fridge?
The Frosted Vegan says
Oh whoa, that sounds..interesting, ha! I would say it could last a couple weeks in the fridge! I’ve already had mine in there for about a week and it’s doing perfectly fine 🙂
Tessa | Salted Plains says
This is amazing, Abby! I’ve always wanted to make a vegan curd and didn’t quite know where to start. Also, I was totally a stick a finger in the butter and eat it kid. Happy to say not anymore. 🙂 Have fun paddle boarding this weekend!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Tessa! Oh gosh, I’m glad I’m not alone in eating butter, kinda gross right? Thanks love! xo
thenomadicvegan says
Just made this and it’s amazing! I actually have no idea what “real” lemon curd is supposed to taste like, but I bet it’s not nearly as good as this.
The Frosted Vegan says
I’m so glad you l liked it Wendy!
Kelly says
Hi Abby,
I’ve been craving lemon curd for a week now, and no shop sells a vegan one near me so I decided to make some! Your recipe was the one I chose because it’s simple and easy to follow, and wow what a great result, so creamy and lemony! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The Frosted Vegan says
Hooray! It’s one of my favorite lemon recipes 🙂
jacquie says
Hi – Sounds like a great lemon curd. Does this one batch make enough to use in place of the curd in the lemon bar recipe? or would i need to scale it up? I don’t use banana’s so I don’t want to use the other recipe directly. Thanks.
Heart of a Baker says
Hi there! I haven’t tried using the curd in the lemon bars, so I can’t speak to it working. If you are going to give it a try, I would double the batch.