Author: There are three main reasons why I wanted to share my recipe for Easy Vegan Lemon Curd today.
Reason 1: because it's super yum. The best reason of all! Do I need more reasons than that?
Reason 2: Mother's day is coming up and this would make a gorgeous homemade gift. This vegan lemon curd requires only 6 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make! Pour this into a fancy jar and tie a little bow or serve as a luxurious addition to breakfast in bed or a very special dessert. Oh la la!
Reason 3: I'm planning a trip to England and I wanted to celebrate with this classic English treat. Yay travel!
This easy vegan curd is the perfect combination of tart and sweet. It's wonderful for spreading on pastries such as my Super Easy Vegan Croissants, or serving with muffins, waffles, scones, pancakes, or French Toast. Or for dolloping on non-dairy ice cream, adding it to vegan yogurt parfaits, spreading between the layers of my vegan vanilla cake. Or just eating directly out of the jar by the spoonful (I don't judge) because who can resist the mixture of perfect velvety texture and tangy flavors? This vegan lemon curd is a welcome dairy-free addition to any special occasion.
Did you see the part that said I was planning a trip to England? I just booked tickets to London with my amazing boyfriend, Adam, woot woot! Even though I have dual citizenship (Canadian and British), I've never been to England before and I couldn't be more pumped about it! We will be spending time in both London and Brighton, so let me know in the comments what vegan restaurants I should go to, vegan shops, or other fun attractions I must see. I will be celebrating my birthday while I'm there so let me know if there is something really special I should do. Excited!
If you want to come along with my travels, make sure to follow me on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken where I will be posting about much of my trip.
Back to my easy vegan lemon curd...
How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd:
Start by zesting and juicing your lemons.
Now, in a small pot or small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Mixing the sugar and cornstarch first will just help evenly distribute the cornstarch so that no lumps form. Now mix in the non-dairy milk (soy or almond milk will suffice), lemon juice, lemon zest, and pinch of turmeric.
Put over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the curd thickens, about 5 minutes. You may need to whisk vigorously as it thickens to ensure a smooth curd.
Remove from heat and pour into a heat safe container to cool. Enjoy warm or store in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will thicken more as it cools.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
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Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
Servings: (makes about 1 cup)
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Ingredients
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, (+1 teaspoon for extra thick curd, optional—reader tip!)
- ½ cup plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (about 2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, (from about 1 lemon)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric, (optional for colour)
Instructions
- In a small pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. (Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch for the consistency shown in the photos, or add an extra teaspoon for a thicker curd—a tip a few readers have recommended!) Now mix in the plant-based milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and turmeric. Put over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the curd thickens, about 5 minutes. You may need to whisk vigorously as it thickens to ensure a smooth curd.
- Remove from heat and pour into a heat safe container to cool. Enjoy warm or store in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will thicken more as it cools.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
Michelle LaMontagne says
So delicious- I loved lemon meringue pie before I went vegan and am so happy with the substitute. Only complaint is it doesn’t keep for longer so I have to make a new batch every week for my toast!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha! Yummy problem to have!
Julie says
This lemon curd is amazingly good! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
I'm so happy you love it Julie! Thank you for the review 🙂
kate says
Super easy, I used arrowroot powder in the same quantity and if thickened great and pretty immediately. Putting it in a cake tomorrow :))
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! 🙂
Melissa says
It’s delicious. However, it’s not thick enough. If I add more cornstarch will it change the taste?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Melissa, the curd thickens as it cools and sets in the fridge. If you would like it a bit thicker, next time add in 1 tablespoon extra cornstarch. You will not be able to taste it but it will result in a thicker curd. I hope that helps! 🙂
Brittany says
I love this recipe! I actually found your recipe in a pinch and it's now a family favorite!! So what happened was...my gorgeous vegan cheesecake totally cracked because I was too forceful while trying to lift it from the bottom of the springform pan. Ugh! I was quick to think about how to cover up this splittage and I thought what about a curd?! Not only did you save my presentation for that event, but now I am asked to make that cheesecake all the time and your curd makes this dessert it truly does (I call that a happy accident). The curd is perfectly tangy, beautiful texture, color, grab a spoon and enjoy by itself good. Needless to say, cracked or not your curd is here to stay.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Brittany, I’m so happy to hear that the cheesecake and curd turned out to be a hit, despite the little mishap! It sounds like the perfect happy accident. I love it’s a new family favorite! Thanks so much for sharing – I'm so glad the recipe worked out so well for you! 😄💛
Jonathan says
Made this today, with tsp of extra cornflour and lemon extract, as I had no lemon zest. It is delicious. I can’t stop eating it! Thanks for all the great recipes 👏👏👏
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
I'm so thrilled you loved it so much Jonathan! Thank you for the review 🙂
NJ says
Super easy and delicious.
Sylvia says
I love this lemon curd….low fat and yummy. Taste great on anything!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're happy to hear it!
Jacqui Clarke says
Just made this for my vegan daughter. Looks like the picture and tastes delicious. Very quick & easy to make.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! We love to hear that!
Alberta says
Can I use this as a vegan lemon pie filling? Would i have to do anything to make it thiker?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Alberta, I would recommend instead using my vegan lemon meringue pie recipe in my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan or trying out my lemon squares recipe.
Casey says
Can this be frozen?
Lois says
I tried to make a PDF file of this recipe to keep on my tablet for easy to find when cooking. However, the entire recipe and pictures save as a PDF file BUT there are NO Ingredients. Everything else on that page shows up except the most important part - Ingredients and amounts of each. On every recipe you have on your site. Why have you changed your files to not show and save ingredients in a PDF file?????
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Lois, I just tested it and it worked fine for me. It might be a setting somewhere on your computer. These are the steps I took: click the "print" button which opens a new window, adjust settings to show what you like and click "print", this will open your printer settings and from here I was able to save it as a pdf instead of printing it. I hope that helps!
Nonie says
Delicious
Michaela says
Although the taste is alright, it is way to thin.
Lorraine says
Love the taste but think half cup of sugar is too much
Karen says
I have made this twice for my daughter and both times it has been lovely. Takes minutes and tastes delish - thank you
Erin says
I've made this recipe as is, and doubled about 12 times. It works out well every time. It saves well in my fridge in a mason jar. I love to put it on my yogurt in the morning. Thank you so much for a simple yummy recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so happy you like it! What a great addition to yogurt!
Linda Thomas says
I just made this and I'm surprised it tasted this good without butter. I added a little extra lemon because I love extra tart. thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Lovely! We're so happy you liked it!
Maggie says
This recipe came together so fast and was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to find more things to use it with!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Maggie, so happy you loved it 🙂
Rae says
Good, but a little plain as written. Whisk in about a tablespoon of vegan butter (salted, if you don't add other salt!) after the filling has cooked for added richness and flavor.
Cat says
If you're using Meyer lemons, I highly recommend using less sugar and adding about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. I used oat milk and a bit more cornstarch (thanks to the high altitude commenter for this tip!), tasted as I went, and it worked out wonderfully.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your experience!