Easy Vegan Lemon Curd Jessica In The Kitchen

I love all things lemon! There I said it; I admitted it and I’m not ashamed. Now that I got that off my chest, I can speak about this vegan lemon curd recipe with extreme bias. I used to love lemon curd before going vegan, and I loved to make it from scratch too. I wasn’t sure if a vegan lemon curd could measure up to the original version, but I was so wrong. This vegan lemon curd is rich and smooth; tart and sweet; perfect for spreading on toast and scones for breakfast or shortbread and cakes for dessert. That said, one of my favourite things about this lemon curd is how easy it is to make. Although I used to enjoy making regular lemon curd, I was always aware of how temperamental it was. I knew I could make this vegan lemon curd recipe at 2 am in the morning (this is my life) and still be able to pull it off easily. If you’re not sold yet, you really should just give this recipe a try. I bet you’ll end up making it again and again!

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Fresh lemon juice – This isn’t the time to use bottled lemon juice! Fresh is best. Cornstarch – The cornstarch replaces the egg in this recipe, thickening the vegan lemon curd so it’s creamy and spreadable. Water Sugar Turmeric – This gives your lemon curd a nice colour even without the egg yolks. Coconut cream – Scoop this from the top of a can of coconut milk. Sea salt Vanilla extract Lemon zest – Zest the lemons before juicing them.

How Do You Juice Lemons Without a Juicer?

If you don’t have a juicer, you can use any of these methods instead:

Use a citrus reamer or a handheld lemon squeezer. Use a fork or a knife to poke holes into the halved lemons and break apart the membranes so it’s easier to squeeze out the juice.

Another quick trick is to let the lemons come to room temperature, then roll them on the countertop under the palm of your hand before squeezing. This will help more juice come out.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd

If you’ve made traditional lemon curd before, you’ll appreciate that this vegan version is much less fussy! Here’s what you’ll need to do. Combine the ingredients. Whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Thicken. With the saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the curd mixture for about 6 minutes as it warms up. Add the next 3 ingredients. Once the lemon curd mixture has thickened, reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour in the sugar while whisking, then whisk in the sea salt and vanilla. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the coconut cream. Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously whisk in the coconut cream. Finish. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the vegan lemon curd thickens. Add more sugar to taste. Chill. Refrigerate the lemon curd until you’re ready to serve.

Tips for Success

Here are some simple tips to help make sure your vegan lemon curd turns out perfect.

Use coconut cream. Coconut cream is the solid white mass at the top of a can of coconut milk. If it’s warm in your kitchen, I recommend popping your can of coconut milk in the fridge a day ahead of time, as chilling will help the cream separate from the coconut water. (You can use the leftover coconut water to make smoothies—I love it in my Pineapple Peach Smoothie!) Whisk well. Both the cornstarch and the coconut cream can create small lumps in the lemon curd, so be sure to whisk constantly and vigorously to break them up. Be patient. This vegan lemon curd really benefits from the chilling time, which mellows any remaining coconut flavour and thickens the curd mixture so it’s super creamy and spreadable.

What Do You Eat Lemon Curd With?

Other than eating it with a spoon, I love this vegan lemon curd for breakfast with pancakes and waffles. It’s delicious spread on my vegan Japanese milk bread, biscuits, or just a slice of toast. Use it to make lemony desserts by layering it on vegan vanilla cupcakes, or keep it simple and serve a dollop over vegan yogurt or ice cream.