What is Keto Lemon Curd
Lemon curd is a dessert spread or filling that is made from eggs, sweetener, butter, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice.
Converting to a sugar-free lemon curd recipe was surprisingly easy! It is thick, smooth and lemony, and exactly what I wanted to achieve in a keto lemon recipe.
This low carb lemon curd recipe was originally published on February 18th, 2018. I have since updated with new step-by-step methods, images and recipe revisions.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Low carb – it has only 1g net carbs.
Quick and easy – With just four ingredients and a few simple steps, this will be ready in no time at all!
Basic keto pantry ingredients – The only “special” ingredient is keto compliant sweetener, and this would be one of your basic pantry ingredients. Please read the notes on the sweeteners so you pick the right one to use.
Just like the real thing – Substituting the sugar in a standard recipe for a low carb sweetener does not compromise the taste and texture of the keto lemon curd.
The Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the amount of each ingredient needed to make my easy lemon curd without sugar recipe.
Butter – I usually buy unsalted butter as I find it’s more versatile in recipes. To make a dairy free lemon curd you can substitute coconut oil. I promise it doesn’t taste like coconut in the curd.
Lemon Juice and Zest – Zest your lemon carefully to avoid any of the pith from being included. The pith is the white part of the skin and has a bitterness that can spoil the flavour of your recipe. If you don’t have a zester, there are other ways that don’t include having to buy a new kitchen utensil.
Sweetener – While I usually say use your sweetener of choice Xylitol or Allulose are the only two recommended sweeteners for this recipe. The reason being is that the others do recrystallise once refrigerated. Rather than using monk fruit sweetener or erythritol-based sweeteners try to use either of these sweeteners to avoid “crunchy” lemon curd.
Egg Yolks – I prefer to buy fresh, free-range eggs whenever possible. These tend to have the best colour to the yolks and the best flavour too.
How to Make It
Step 1. Add the butter, lemon zest, juice, and sweetener to a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir together while melting to dissolve the sweetener completely.
Step 2. Whisk in egg yolks and continue to stir over medium heat until the mix thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Leave to cool at room temperature then store in a jar in the refrigerator.
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Thermomix Lemon Curd
Making lemon curd in the Thermomix is incredibly easy.
Insert the whisk attachment. Add all the ingredients to the mixer; cook 11 min/80°C/speed 3. It will turn out perfect every time.
If you do not follow a keto diet then you can absolutely just use regular sugar. It still works just the same and you can use the curd in all your favourite desserts. We have a great keto Thermomix recipe for a lemon curd cake that is similar to the very popular Edna’s Lemon Curd Teacake but it is both sugar-free and gluten-free.
Related Recipes To Try
Once you’ve made the sugar free keto lemon curd, I am sure you will want more keto dessert recipes to try. Here are just a few of my favourites.
- Sugar Free Keto Pavlova – Top the pavlova with the lemon curd as well as double cream for a decadent but keto friendly dessert.
- Keto Lemon Cheesecake Matchsticks – The lemon curd adds a delicious twist to a much-loved treat!
- Keto Lemon Meringue Pie Easy – This dessert is always a show stopper, with its luscious topping of fluffy meringue over a delicious keto lemon curd pie.
- Lemon Curd Cake – This sugar-free and gluten-free keto lemon cake makes a tasty and healthy dessert. (Pictured below).
- Layered Lemon Delight Keto Cheesecake – a family-favourite sugar-free keto lemon cheesecake!
FAQs & Hot Tips
The reason for this recommendation is that other keto-friendly sweeteners do recrystallise once refrigerated. If you are making the curd to use on the day, then use any sweetener of your choice as long as it is a 1:1 ratio of sweetener to sugar.
The keto lemon curd can be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge in a clean, preferably sterilised, airtight container.
Yes, it can. Place the lemon curd in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Defrost in the fridge.
Lemons are keto-friendly. With approximately 3g net carbs per lemon. Lemons can be enjoyed on the ketogenic diet.
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Easy Keto Lemon Curd
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) butter
- ½ cup xylitol or allulose (see notes)
- 1 lemon zested
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 6 egg yolks see notes
Instructions
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat
- Add sweetener, lemon juice and zest and stir through until sweetener dissolves.
- Whisk in egg yolks and continue to stir over medium heat until the mix thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
THERMAL METHOD
- Place butter into mixer; melt 3 min/ 90℃/speed 1.
- Add sweetener, lemon juice and zest; mix 3 min/speed 3.
- Insert whisk attachment. Add egg yolks to mixture; cook 11 min/80℃/speed 3.
Video
Notes
Your Own Notes
Nutrition
Megan Ellam is an Australian keto recipes blogger and author of amazing keto cookbooks such as Slow Cook Keto, Keto Loco, The Healthy Family Keto Cookbook and Every Day Keto.
Megan has been following a ketogenic diet since being diagnosed with insulin resistance in early 2017.
72 responses to “Keto Lemon Curd”
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I doubled the recipe and it made 3 small jars. If you’re making this for a tarte filling… maybe triple it. -
So so easy and delicious! My recommendation is to somehow find your willpower before you taste the curd because it’s Very hard to put the spoon down!! I’m making the double batch this time, even though it’s only me eating it. I’ll have to freeze most of it or it’ll be gone in a whiz…
I’ve also remembered the Thickening ‘button’ on my TM6, so will try that as I’ve used it successfully before on a sauce. (I won’t be putting Megan’s recipe up, just using the setting to blend and cook) -
WAY too eggy! I would cut the number of eggs by a third if making again. I would also try a bit more sweetener. -
Great! I use a small dollop of lemon curd in spinach/blueberry smoothies with a bit of almond milk. It provides a wonderful smooth texture and richness to them, not to mention the tart lemon pop. Perfection! -
Thanks Megan! This is the most delicious Lemon Curd recipe ever! -
Wow, this is so simple to make. I used xylitol.
Literally followed exactly and there were no issues. They hardest part was separating the egg yolks from the whites.. I accidentally lost one yolk.
The taste is amazing. I wanted to make it on a whim, but I don’t have anything to use it on yet. I might just use one of those recipes suggested above 😋
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