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    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Desserts

    Easy Vegan Lemon Curd (5 Ingredients!)

    Published: Feb 13, 2019 · Modified: Mar 10, 2022 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    9.1K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    lemon curd with text "easy 5-ingredient vegan lemon curd".

    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.

    lemon curd in a container being drizzled out with a spoon

    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!

    container filled with vegan lemon curd surrounded by fresh lemons

    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:

    • Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
    • Vegan Lemon Lavender Donuts
    • Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies
    • Vegan Lemon Scones

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    container filled with vegan lemon curd surrounded by fresh lemons

    Easy 5-Ingredient Vegan Lemon Curd

    Only 5 ingredients are needed to make the perfect vegan lemon curd. For best results, let the curd set in the fridge overnight so it gets super thick and creamy.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegan Desserts
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
    « Vegan Blood Orange Linzer Cookies
    Vegan Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy says

      April 12, 2021 at 10:04 pm

      Looks delicious! How could we conserve the lemon curd for more days?

      Reply
      • Megan says

        April 12, 2021 at 10:33 pm

        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.

        Reply
      • Alana says

        July 13, 2022 at 11:46 pm

        Could you sub arrowroot with tapioca starch?

        Reply
        • Megan says

          July 13, 2022 at 11:50 pm

          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.

    2. Wandolyn says

      March 26, 2021 at 5:07 am

      Can you substitute arrow root for corn starch?

      Reply
      • Megan says

        March 26, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Yes but I usually don't recommend it as it changes the texture.

        Reply
    3. Patricia says

      October 07, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      Has anyone tried canning this?

      Reply
      • Megan Horowitch says

        October 08, 2020 at 2:41 pm

        I personally haven't!

        Reply
    4. Laci says

      May 11, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      This sounds really good!

      Reply
    5. Jacob says

      May 08, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      This curd was so good and had so much lemon flavor!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        May 08, 2020 at 8:50 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    6. Linda says

      April 19, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      could you use this in a graham wafer crust for a pie?

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        April 20, 2020 at 2:50 am

        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.

        Reply
    7. RenegadeRN says

      April 18, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        April 18, 2020 at 5:59 pm

        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.

        Reply
    8. Jennifer says

      March 28, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        March 28, 2020 at 4:46 pm

        Wow that sounds SO delicious! I can't wait to see that delicious dessert combo 🙂 Hope you love the lemon curd!

        Reply
    9. Angie says

      February 24, 2019 at 9:15 am

      How long will it last if kept in cold?

      Reply
      • mhorowitch8 says

        February 25, 2019 at 5:13 am

        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!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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