Tangy, beautifully creamy and just on the right side of sweet - this zingy sugar free lemon curd tastes delicious! Learn how to make lemon curd at home in only ten minutes, you won't believe how simple it is.
I've never come across a keto lemon curd brand in the shops. But I have to admit, even the full-on sugar versions I have tasted have not knocked my socks off. Too sickly sweet, not tangy enough - just not fresh-tasting, if you know what I mean.
We all know that all homemade breakfast spreads tastes miles better - just try my simple sugar free nutella, my sugar free strawberry jam or this sugar free blueberry jam.
Once you've tried this recipe, you can add lemon curd to your personal list. It's like a ray of sunshine on your table!
Jump to:
How is lemon curd made?
Traditionally, lemon curd is made with only four ingredients: lemon, sugar, butter and eggs. We're replacing the sugar with powdered allulose, which instantly makes the recipe Keto and low carb.
Some people like to add lemon zest to the curd. I've left it as an option in this recipe - in my opinion it's not necessary, but it certainly won't do any harm either. Butter lends creamy richness, with the added benefit that you won't need to butter your toast before spreading your curd. The beauty of all-in-one food!
There are two schools of thought in terms of the eggs. Recipe use either the whole egg or only the egg yolk. If you use the yolk and the white, you're running the risk that the egg white curdles if the temperature is too high. Then you have no choice but to strain out the congealed whites. If it all works out though, the resulting curd is lighter in texture.
I like my lemon curd with yolks only because it's far creamier and sumptuous. I love its rich and jiggly texture, similar to a wonderfully wobbly mayonnaise.
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients for this recipe:
- Butter
- Egg yolks
- Fresh lemons - Always use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled
- Powdered sweetener - Allulose will give the smoothest result as it does not re-crystallize.
However, any powdered sugar replacement works. You could use erythritol monkfruit sweetener blends, Swerve or xylitol.
Until I discovered allulose, I always made the recipe with erythritol based sweeteners. There is a little re-crystallisation, but it never bothered me.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
1.) Melt the butter over a low heat.
2.) Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, egg yolks and powdered sweetener.
3.) Return the pot to the stove - make sure it's a low heat again. Whisk continuously until the mixture starts to thicken and has the consistency of a mayo. This takes a few minutes.
Fill into a jar and store in the fridge!
Recipe Tips
It's essential that you use powdered and not granulated sweetener. As mentioned above, erythritol has a tendency to re-crystallise once it cools down. You don't want any crunchy bits in your lemon curd when you're taking it out of the fridge the next day!
This recipe makes about 350 ml / 1 ยฝ cupsย of sugar-free lemon curd. I calculated a generous 2 tablespoons per portion.
Serve with
We have been eating this lemon curd on my easy Keto Buns. If you don't have much time, you could also spread it on a slice of Keto microwave bread, which you can make in minutes!
Try it on this sugar free vanilla ice cream. I think a ripple of lemon curd would take it to the next level!
Have you tried my Keto lemon bars? It's a really popular and super simple cake recipe. You could top it off with a frosting made from sugar free lemon curd and whipped cream.
Last but not least, you can use this recipe as a filling for a sugar free lemon pie.ย Simply use the crust of my low carb chocolate tart!
Storage
It's best to use sterilised jars to store the lemon curd. Wash your glass jar in the dishwasher or with soapy water. Rinse with boiling water. Then place in the oven on a baking sheet at 140 Celsius / 280 Fahrenheit to dry completely.
The acid in the lemon preserves the curd. I have had mine in the fridge for two weeks and it still tasted great.
I have never tried freezing keto lemon curd. But it probably works well.
Related recipes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
โ STAY IN TOUCH on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more great food and join my NEWSLETTER for the latest updates and a FREE EBOOK.โ
Recipe
How to Make Sugar Free Lemon Curd
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup / 120g butter
- ยฝ cup / 120ml lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup allulose powdered, 160g, or ยพ cup / 120g powdered erythritol
Instructions
- Melt the butter over a low heat in a saucepan.
- Take the pot off the stove and add the lemon juice, powdered sweetener and egg yolks.
- Return the saucepan to the stove (low heat). Whisk the mixture continuously for a few minutes until it thickens. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary.
- Fill into an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase a product, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
Georgana Farren Greene
How long will this last in the fridge? Thanks.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
We always eat ours within a week. But, since it contains SO much lemon, it really should be preserving the lemon curd for much, much longer.
Michele Elliott
Omgosh, simple ingredients, easy to make, sugar-free and soooo delicious! I got confused when to stop thickening (cooking) it. Wasn't sure what it should look like. I just took it off the stove when it was thicker than when I started. I used it to swirl in a sugar-free cheesecake. Came out beautiful too. Thank you for the recipe .