This Easy Vegan Lemon Curd is dairy-free, eggless, and takes only 5 ingredients to make! It's the perfect topping for pancakes, can be a filling in a cake, or even used as the perfect lemon custard for a lemon tart.
How crazy is it that vegan lemon curd can be made in as little as 10 minutes?!
First, I made a blood orange curd for these Vegan Blood Orange Curd Linzer Cookies. I loved them so much that I knew I had to make a dairy-free and eggless vegan lemon curd too.
The recipes do differ slightly because well...lemons are much sourer than oranges! Therefore, making a lemon curd without eggs requires a little more sugar to offset that tang.
Ingredients & tools
Pantry Tools:
- A small saucepan for making the vegan curd.
- A good Metal Whisk for whisking your curd while it's cooking
- A Citrus Juicer. Pro-tip, roll the lemon around on the counter with your hand before juicing as this helps make juicing so much easier.
Ingredients:
- Arrowroot Powder. This is the starch I use to thicken the curd. I like using arrowroot powder over cornstarch because it creates a clear gel and doesn't break down when mixed with really acidic citrus fruits. While you technically *can* substitute cornstarch, I actually don't recommend it.
- Vegan Butter. I love Miyoko's or Earth Balance brand.
- Coconut Cream- NOT milk, just the cream folks. If you do happen to only have canned coconut milk on hand, refrigerate it and just use the thick white cream on top.
- Organic Sugar. Make sure to use organic if you truly care about it being vegan
- Last but not certainly not least- LEMONS!
Steps to make vegan lemon curd:
First, make sure to mix the arrowroot powder into the lemon juice before heating the mixture. If you add the arrowroot in later or don't thoroughly whisk it before heating, it will form clumps that are impossible to get rid of. I whisk the lemon juice and arrowroot powder together until it is cloudy and no clumps remain.
Once the rest of the ingredients are in and the heat is on, make sure to continue whisking while you're cooking to prevent the curd from overcooking or cooking unevenly.
The last step you don't want to miss is to actually wait for the curd to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The eggless lemon curd you see here was the thickness achieved after 1 hour in the fridge as it will be runny while warm.
Actually, after sitting in the fridge overnight, this vegan lemon custard will thicken even more into a truly creamy and spreadable dairy-free lemon curd with no eggs needed!
What can I use lemon curd for?
First of all, this easy vegan lemon curd is AMAZING straight out of the jar.
Better yet, add it to your breakfast yogurt or smoothie bowl and top it with a little of this Chai Spice Pecan Granola. While we're on the topic of breakfast, I highly suggest you also use it as a topping for my absolute favorite Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.
Maybe even make this eggless lemon curd and use it as the filling in a beautiful lemon tart.
The possibilities for this vegan lemon custard are endless and I can guarantee you will be wanting to add this dairy-free lemon curd to everything you eat. Enjoy!
-TSG
More vegan lemon dessert recipes you will love:
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Easy 5-Ingredient Vegan Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup coconut cream not milk, just the cream
- ½ cup organic sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
Instructions
- Add your lemon juice and arrowroot powder to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Then, turn on the heat.
- Next, whisk in the sugar, coconut cream, and lemon zest. Continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the coconut cream melts.
- Cook the curd on low heat until thick, about 5-7 minutes. You will want to whisk the curd frequently while it is cooking so it does not burn. The curd is done once it is thick and drips slowly from a spoon or whisk when lifted.
- Remove the curd from the heat and add in the 2 Tbsp of vegan butter while the curd is still warm. Mix to combine and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Next, place the room temperature curd into a closed container. Put in the fridge to "set" for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight for 12-24 hours. The longer you let the curd set, the thicker it will become. After 1-2 hours, it will look like the pictures you see here. After setting overnight, it will be much thicker and spreadable.
- Take the curd out of the fridge and enjoy!
Notes
- Arrowroot Powder is the starch I use to thicken the curd. I like using arrowroot powder over cornstarch because it creates a clear gel and doesn't break down when mixed with really acidic citrus fruits. While you technically *can* substitute cornstarch, I actually don't recommend it.
- If you do happen to only have canned coconut milk on hand, refrigerate it and just use the thick white cream on top.
- Lemon Curd can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Nancy says
Looks delicious! How could we conserve the lemon curd for more days?
Megan says
It should keep in the fridge around 1 week. The only way to conserve it for longer would be to safely can the curd, but that is not something I have knowledge on how to do.
Alana says
Could you sub arrowroot with tapioca starch?
Megan says
I don't recommend tapioca because it leads to a stretchier less curd-like texture. However, cornstarch can work it will just change the color and consistency to be a bit thicker.
Wandolyn says
Can you substitute arrow root for corn starch?
Megan says
Yes but I usually don't recommend it as it changes the texture.
Patricia says
Has anyone tried canning this?
Megan Horowitch says
I personally haven't!
Laci says
This sounds really good!
Jacob says
This curd was so good and had so much lemon flavor!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked it!
Linda says
could you use this in a graham wafer crust for a pie?
ShortGirlTallOrder says
I haven't personally tried it so I'm not sure but if you do just let it set in the fridge overnight after you pour it into the crust. It thickens up a lot and should work.
RenegadeRN says
Happy to see a vegan lemon curd! Can you taste the coconut in it? ...not that lemon and coconut would not be a fab combo...but for some recipes I wouldn’t want a coconut taste.
Thanks!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
I do think you can taste the coconut in it slightly. Luckily lemon has a pretty overpowering taste, but it does still have a coconut taste.
Jennifer says
So excited to find this recipe! Just transitioning to vegan and saw this on your IG feed. Will definitely try, maybe mini aquafaba pavlovas with lemon curd and blueberry sauce. 🙂
ShortGirlTallOrder says
Wow that sounds SO delicious! I can't wait to see that delicious dessert combo 🙂 Hope you love the lemon curd!
Angie says
How long will it last if kept in cold?
mhorowitch8 says
Hi Angie! I've kept mine up to 3 weeks and it's been good, but I'm honestly not sure how much longer it will last beyond that. Definitely make sure to store it in the fridge either way!