This citrusy and silky smooth eggless lemon curd is completely vegan and dairy free! It is tangy, sweet, and ready in just 20 minutes. It is perfect as a cupcake filling, used in lemon bars, drizzled on top of your favorite ice cream, or eaten by the spoonful.
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a thick, tart, sweet spread and topping, like a smooth and creamy lemon jam. It's perfect to use in a variety of desserts like lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, and lemon tarts. It also makes a great topping for yogurt and ice cream.
You can pick up a jar at your local grocery store, but it's super easy to make homemade lemon curd!
Traditionally, lemon curd is made with about a cup of granulated sugar, butter, egg yolks, and fresh lemons. Lots of people with dairy and egg allergies can't have this fruit spread, so I decided to make a dairy-free lemon curd without eggs so everyone can enjoy it! This recipe has a few "non-traditional" ingredients, like coconut milk, vegan butter, and flour to thicken the spread without eggs.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card below.
- Coconut milk- This is the base of the lemon curd. I'm usually particular with what type of coconut milk (full fat, canned) to use in my recipes, but it doesn't matter in this one. Any coconut milk will work, but I chose this lite coconut milk.
- Granulated sugar- This is a traditional lemon curd ingredient. I chose to use this instead of a sugar alternative because it doesn't overpower the lemon flavor like honey or coconut sugar might.
- Lemons- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest is best. I do not recommend using store-bought bottled lemon juice.
- Vegan butter- This adds a rich flavor to the curd. I recommend using vegan butter sticks instead of spread. My favorites are Miyoko's European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
- Gluten free all purpose flour- Usually eggs are used to thicken lemon curd. Since this lemon curd is eggless, a bit of flour helps to make it the perfect not-too-thick consistency.
Substitutions
- Coconut milk: Any plant milk can be used instead.
- Granulated sugar: If needed, you can substitute granulated monk fruit or coconut sugar. Coconut sugar will change the color and flavor of the curd.
- Vegan butter: Substitute coconut oil for butter. It has a very mild flavor, so the lemon flavor will be even more prominent.
- Gluten free flour: Cornstarch or arrowroot powder can be used to thicken the lemon curd instead of flour. Traditional all purpose flour can be used if you don't have gluten allergies.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
- Microplane Zester- This is my favorite lemon zester. When I worked in a kitchen, we used Microplane zesters because they are super sharp, made with surgical-grade stainless steel, and are dishwasher safe.
- Lemon Squeezer- Using a lemon squeezer is way easier than squeezing the lemons by hand. I like this one because it also works for limes.
How to Make Eggless Lemon Curd
You will need a medium saucepan and a whisk to make the curd and an airtight container or jar to store it in.
Quick Overview
- Heat the coconut milk and sugar.
- Whisk in the flour and butter.
- Pour into a jar and chill.
Step by Step Instructions
BEFORE YOU START - Juice and zest your lemons and place a small saucepan on the stove. Then, rub the cane sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl until fragrant. This is optional but helps the lemon peel release its oils!
STEP 1: Heat the coconut milk and sugar. First, put the coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a pot over medium heat. The key is to have the element high enough to heat the mixture but not boil it. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
STEP 2: Add the flour and butter. Add the flour and butter to the pot. Then, whisk constantly until they disappear and the mixture is smooth. Continue to whisk until the curd comes to a simmer (again, don't let it get to a boil) for about 5 minutes.
The mixture should look like the picture above. It should be slightly thick.
TIP - Stir in the flour well. You don't want little chunks of dry flour in the lemon curd!
STEP 3: Chill. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully pour the curd into a heat-proof, air-tight container or jar. Place the eggless lemon curd in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes. You'll know that the curd is chilled enough when it coats the back of a spoon.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh lemon zest and lemon juice, not bottled. Fresh lemon juice has a sharp, more potent lemon flavor we love.
- Use regular lemons instead of Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are sweeter and have a soft skin that is difficult to zest.
- Before cutting the lemon, press down and roll it back and forth with your hands on the counter like you would with a rolling pin. This helps bring the juices to the surface of the citrus. Doing this helps get more juice out of each squeeze.
- Make sure to watch the pot as you heat it on the stove and continuously whisk to prevent burning. Use medium-low heat if your burner is temperamental.
Make Ahead and Storage
Lemon curd keeps extremely well when stored properly. Make sure your container or jar is airtight to prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the curd.
- Refrigerator- The curd will last in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. If the curd gets too dry or lumpy, add 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk to loosen it up.
- Freezer- You can freeze lemon curd for up to 3 months! Simply let it thaw in the refrigerator for a day or on the counter for a few hours until you're ready to enjoy.
- Make ahead- Planning to use eggless lemon curd in a recipe soon? You can make the curd ahead of time and store it using either method above.
How to Use Lemon Curd
Traditionally, lemon curd is served over scones, English muffins, and biscuits as an alternative to jam. There are tons of different ways to use it (besides eating by the spoonful):
- Spoon over a lemon mug cake.
- Drizzle over lemon pancakes with cream cheese icing.
- Use it as a filling for cupcakes, shortbread cookies, croissants, or crepes.
- Spread over a warm slice of toast or poundcake.
- Beat into whipped cream to create lemon mousse.
- Stir into yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Use as a tart filling with your favorite graham cracker crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This recipe yields about a cup of lemon curd. If you're making a tart or lemon bars, you may need to make more curd and can easily double or triple the recipe.
It may not have been heated enough! Make sure to let the mixture come to a simmer but not a boil
There are no egg yolks in this recipe, so the lemon curd might not be as yellow. You can add a pinch of turmeric powder while it is cooking for a vibrant color.
More Lemon Recipes
📖 Recipe
Eggless Lemon Curd
Equipment
- 1 zester
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon gluten free flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter dairy free
Instructions
- Read the ingredient notes. Zest and juice lemons and measure all other ingredients before beginning.
- Add all of the ingredients besides the butter to a small pot on the stove top on medium high heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it begins to thicken. This will take 5-10 minutes and should coat the back of a spoon.½ cup coconut milk, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoon lemon zest, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon gluten free flour
- Add the butter and whisk until it has completely melted into the curd.1 ½ tablespoon butter
- Carefully pour the lemon curd into a heat-proof jar or shallow bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it thicken in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before using.
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