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The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd

4.8 stars, average of 430 ratings
By Martina Slajerova, updated July 28 202138
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Love lemon curd but don't want to eat all that sugar? This is the best lemon curd I had since going keto and it's been a favorite in my house ever since. It's smooth, creamy and packed full of flavor with the right zing!

It's the perfect filling for pies and cakes like these Low-Carb Lemon Curd Tarts, Low-Carb Lemon Curd Cream Cake and even summer parfaits like these Low-Carb Lemon Meringue Parfaits. You can even drizzle some lemon curd on keto ice cream or stir it in this No Churn Lemon Keto Ice Cream.

But how about egg yolks and egg whites? Not all recipes require both and you may end up wondering what to do with them. As long as you make sure that you store raw egg whites or egg yolks sealed in the fridge for no more than two days, they can be used in other recipes.

How to Use Leftover Egg Whites

Here are a few tips on how you can use leftover egg whites:

How to Use Leftover Egg Yolks

Apart from making this delicious lemon curd, here are some other recipes you can try:

Freezing Tips for Eggs

Egg yolks don't freeze very well — they become too thick when frozen. However, there is a trick you can use if you plan to use them in a savoury recipe: simply add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon per 8 egg yolks), beat in, seal well and freeze for up to 3 months.

Yes, you can place egg whites in freezer bags and freeze in batches for up to 3 months. When ready to be used, defrost in the fridge overnight.

Hands-on Overall

Serving size 3 heaped tbsp

Allergy information for The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd

✔  Gluten free
✔  Dairy free
✔  Nut free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian

Notes

  • Recipe can be made dairy-free or coconut-free.

Nutritional values (per serving, 3 heaped tbsp)

Net carbs2.6 grams
Protein2.2 grams
Fat13.6 grams
Calories139 kcal
Calories from carbs 7%, protein 6%, fat 87%
Total carbs2.9 gramsFiber0.3 gramsSugars1.2 gramsSaturated fat7.5 gramsSodium8 mg(0% RDA)Magnesium3 mg(1% RDA)Potassium44 mg(2% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings, 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)

Instructions

  1. Start by washing and zesting the lemons. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  2. Halve and juice the zested lemons. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  3. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with powdered Erythritol and add stevia (if used for additional sweetness). The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  4. Pour in the lemon juice and add the lemon zest. Mix until well combined. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  5. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water and stir constantly; make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  6. Keep stirring for 8-10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken. Then take off the heat.
    If you are planning to use the curd in a pie, add the thickener mixed with water (arrowroot or gelatine). The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  7. Add butter cut into small pieces and mix until melted and well combined.
    Don't worry if the curd is not smooth or looks scrambled. To fix it, you can use a blender or a food processor and pulse for just a few seconds. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  8. Place the bowl with the curd in a larger bowl filled with ice water (cold water with ice cubes) and mix until the curd is chilled. The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd
  9. When done, place in an airtight jar and keep refrigerated for up to 10 days. Lemon curd works great as a dip with grain-free crackers, poured over berries, as topping in parfaits such as Eton Mess or filling in pies (arrowroot or gelatine should be added for a firmer texture). Enjoy! The Best Low-Carb Lemon Curd

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 3 heaped tbsp)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Lemon zest (peel), fresh
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Lemon (juice), fresh
1.5 g0.1 g0.1 g5 kcal
Egg yolk, fresh
0.5 g2 g3.4 g41 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.5 g0 g0 g2 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g0.1 g10.1 g90 kcal
Total per serving, 3 heaped tbsp
2.6 g2.2 g13.6 g139 kcal

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Martina Slajerova
Creator of KetoDietApp.com

Martina Slajerova

I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food.

More posts by Martina Slajerova
Martina Slajerova

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Comments (38)

Hi, thanks for the recipe.
Just made it with coconut oil and bottled lemon juice and it's great. I love it with coconut cookies.

this was amazing! It was super tasty! I actually ate it hot and it was wonderful.

Thank you for your lovely feedback!

Hi I’ve made your delicious lemon curd many times but have just noticed that you mention using it to make popsicles by adding whipping cream!What kind of portions would you need to use and would you recommend any other ingredients?
Many thanks

Thank you Lynsey, I'm glad you like it! It depends on how tart you like them. I'd go with one part of lemon curd and two parts of whipping cream, or even half and half each 😊

Wow! Thanks for the recipe. It was my first time making lemon curd, and it turned out so creamy and delicious! Now I know what to do with those extra yolks 😉

Thank you Janet, I'm glad you enjoyed! Try making keto popsicles by adding some whipping cream to it - so good! 😉

I’m wondering if anyone has tried Lemon Curd in their Instant Pot? I just got one and there is a recipe to make it in a bowl in the IP. Sounds intriguing 😊

That sounds really interesting - I'd love to know if anyone tries! 😊

Low-Carb Lemon Curd is a great foundation, but was too strong and too jelled, with gelatin added. I will add a cup of water next time as well. This recipe needs experimenting with the freshness or staleness of your eggs, and do add at least a 1/2 cup of water. It would be good also, in small pastry tarts, as the lemon flavour is strong and the pastry in the tart shell would be a nice contrast.

Thank you Janet! The gelatin is optional and I would only use it if you plan to use the curd as filling in pies and tarts like this one: Zesty Low-Carb Lemon Curd Cream Cake (although in this cake I didn't use any). If you don't use gelatin, I would not add any water unless you want to make the taste milder 😊

I made half to try it out. I used powdered monk fruit sweetener. The texture was great, nice and creamy. But it's quite sour. I was afraid to add liquid monk fruit because it tends to have an aftertaste. What would be better to sweeten it up. It also had a metallic taste.

I suppose you could use more powdered erythritol or swerve. Or a few more drops of stevia. I like mine tart but you could make it less tart by using less lemon zest.

Hi I have just found your site.  It's a brilliant help to expand and otherwise basic ketogenic diet.
I have made the baguettes and want to try this to use up the egg yolks.  My question is what size air tight container should I get to keep the curd (oh and the "nutella" and the mayo) in?  It doesn't mention sizes of containers to keep it in.
Thanks and I shall keep using your recipes.

Thank you Susan and apologies for the delayed response! This recipe will make about  440-480 ml so any container that is 16 fl oz or over will work. I hope this helps 😊

OMG!!!!! This is incredible! I'm making extra for my low carb friends for holiday gifts.

FANTASTIC! I LOVE THIS! I made the Ultimate Keto Buns...PERFECT on the first try! I had the egg yolks left but only one lemon. So I got all the zest I possibly could, juiced it, boiled the rest of the lemon to get more juice and used lime juice. I also put in a few drops of lemon stevia and a little powdered stevia to sweeten it more. It's PERFECT! Thick and delicious. THANK YOU!

I'm glad you enjoyed!! ❤

Can this custard be frozen?

I can't answer that as I haven't tried it but I did use it to make popsicles and it worked wonderfully. However, it may not work if you want to just freeze and defrost it.

Thank you! I'm going to make this today after we made the Ultimate Keto bread yesterday and have egg yolks.

A convenient way to freeze and store extra egg yolk is to add the salt, mix then pour into one of those small fluted candy molds I have seen you use for fat bombs.  One mold holds one yolk.  After they freeze I remove the mold and keep frozen in an air tight container.  No need to guess how many yolks in a container, just pull them out as you need them.

That's fantastic Jill, thanks for the tips!

Lemon curd has been one of my very favorite treats for years. It is something I often gave as Christmas gifts. I swore off refined carbs about two months ago, so it's exciting that I can still enjoy lemon curd. This is so yummy. Thank you for the recipe.

It's the best way to use many leftover egg yolks at once. I hope you like it! 😊

So so delicious ❤ 😊 Thanks for the great recipe!

Thank you!

I JUST started eating "the Keto Way" to kick off the new year.  I made the Buns this morning, EXCELLENT!", and saw this little recipe.  GREAT Idea!  
I never even thought to make Lemon Curd, which I LOVE, thinking it was too fattening to eat.  I'm really LIKING this new way of eating!  
Thank you so much for such wonderful recipes and i've found such support from the Keto Diet group.  It has helped me tremendously!!  I may have otherwise been too unsure and even scared to try this way of eating but I have just started coming out of the "flu" and am feeling pretty great, especially after making this Delicious Lemon Curd!!!  😊

Thank you Sharon, I'm glad you liked them both! 😊

I very rarely (almost never) post on the web. But! I love this site. I've been doing Atkins since it first started. It was very unfashionable then. I was told many times that it would kill me. Years later I no longer need insulin or diabetes meds at all. And all my other 'stuff' is much better than it was. (Blood pressure-epileptic migraines-bipolar and others). Anyhow, I have a question...
About citrus - the zest in particular. I read something somewhere (cant remember where) about the pericarp sometimes carrying some sort of pathogen (along with the usual problems of pesticide). Do you know anything about this?
I'm wondering if there is a safe way to wash the lemons? Somehow I don't think washing under the tap would be adequate. Getting organic lemons where I live in Australia is nearly impossible. But I love the idea of using the whole of the fruit. I use the insides and I get my bioflavanoids fron the white layer. Currently I throw the zest away. I've been using pure essential lemon oil instead of using zest because I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. But any advice or even pointers to places for information would be so appreciated. (please).
I would really like to make this old favourite.

Thank you Rowan, I really appreciate that! Sorry for the late reply, it takes time to go through all my comments on a regular basis 😊 I haven't heard of this issue but I always get organic unwaxed lemons and wash them properly before using. I think that "non-organic" lemons will be an issue even if you wash them. The pesticides may not be in the fruit but will still be in the peel. I haven't tried essential oil to make this recipe but that actually sounds like a great alternative if you can't find organic lemons. Hope it works - let me know if you try it!

Use organic lemons.

This looks great! My Mom loves lemon curd but doesn't like the taste of Erythritol very much. Do you think granulated Splenda would work in this recipe if we powdered it? I imagine it would be sweeter than an equal volume of erythritol, but we could just not add the liquid sweetener.  

Yes I think that should work too. I don't personally use Splenda so I'm not sure how it tastes / how sweet it is. I think that Xylitol would work too - it's slightly sweeter than Erythritol and also has a cooling effect. So you'll have to try and see how sweet you like it 😊

Made this with lemons and limes and it's fantastic! Smooth, creamy and not too sweet (I skipped the stevia). Thumbs up!

Thank you Marie, I will have to try adding some limes! 😊

This is awesome!! Just made your fabulous bread and have exactly 6 egg yolks in the fridge! Clever thinking 😊

Thank you Joanna! Hope you like it 😊