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My light and tangy keto lemon curd recipe is the key to adding zest to your favorite keto treats! All for only 2 grams of net carbs.
Need more keto spreads? Try my keto jam, keto honey, almond butter, and keto mayonnaise.
My parents remember my obsession with lemon curd well as a kid. I’d always get caught with my spoon in the jar, almost even more than my healthy Nutella.
Traditional lemon curd is NOT keto-friendly due to the excess of carbs from sugar. Thankfully, with a very simple swap, you can have those same zesty and citrusy flavors for little to no carbs!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Easy to make. Most of us don’t make lemon curd on the reg, but after you learn how to make my easy keto lemon curd, I’m confident that will change.
- Light and fluffy texture. I mix egg yolks and whole eggs to keep the curd fluffy and gooey.
- Flexible. This stuff is seriously magic. It’s delicious on toast, in my keto lemon meringue pie, or dolloped on keto yogurt. There are no wrong answers!
- Customize it. Want that puckering tartness? Add more lemon juice. Prefer a milder lemon flavor? Use less. It’s that simple.
Ingredients needed
- Eggs AND egg yolks. Traditional lemon curd uses only egg yolks, but I found that to be too dense. I prefer a mix of whole eggs and yolks. Use room temperature eggs, not refrigerated ones.
- Granulated sweetener. Allulose is my preferred sugar substitute, as it melts exactly like sugar. Monk fruit sweetener can also be used, but there is a risk of it being slightly gritty.
- Butter. Unsalted and room temperature butter.
- Lemons. Which will be freshly juiced. Trust me, you want fresh lemon juice, NOT bottled lemon juice.
How to make keto lemon curd
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Combine. Add the eggs, yolks, and sweetener to a small saucepan. Whisk until combined.
Step 2- Simmer. Place the pan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until it thickens. Once thick, remove it from the heat.
Step 3- Strain and store. Strain the curd through a sieve into a medium bowl. Let the curd cool completely before transferring to a mason jar. Refrigerate for at least two hours to chill.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid metal bowls. Metal will interact with the lemon and give the curd a metallic flavor.
- Don’t use bottled lemon juice. I just mentioned this, but it bears repeating. Bottled juice often has additives that can affect the texture of the curd and dampen the flavor.
- Be patient. You want the mixture to cook slowly so the eggs don’t scramble.
- Keep it simmering. The longer it simmers, the thicker the curd.
- Know when to turn off the heat. Once your whisk starts making tracks and the curd becomes opaque, that’s your sign to remove it from the heat.
Variations
- Dairy-free lemon curd. Swap the butter for coconut oil.
- Add lemon zest. The zest adds a brighter, sweeter lemon taste. Don’t worry, it’ll get strained out.
- Switch up the citrus. Use oranges, limes, or grapefruit for a fun twist.
Storage instructions
To store: Lemon curd should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place the lemon curd in a freezer-friendly jar and store it in the freezer for up to six months.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional lemon curd is quite high in carbs (about 7 grams per tablespoon), whereas sugar-free lemon curd has only 2 grams net carbs.
Yes, real lemon juice is keto-friendly because it has zero net carbs.
Desserts to use in
- As the filling in keto lemon bars
- Layered between sheets of keto lemon cake
- Atop keto pancakes
- Swirled in keto scones
Keto Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice I used allulose
- 1/3 cup butter unsalted
- 2 large lemons juiced
Instructions
- Add your eggs, egg yolks, and sweetener into a small saucepan. Whisk very well until combined.
- Place the saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to whisk, until it thickens. Once it has thickened nicely, remove it from the heat.
- Strain the lemon curd through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Let the lemon curd cool completely, before transferring to a jar or mason jar. Refrigerate for at least two hours, to chill.
Love lemon curd
This lemon curd is so amazing and simple to make!
I loved all your Recipes, pls send me your simple Recipes & No baking. Thanks 👍
I would really love to make your Lemon Curd recipe BUT using Stevia granules! How much do I use???Please regard this as a genuine enquiry!
Kind Regards
Carolyn Martin
Hope to hear from you ASAP! 🙂
Not sure- I don’t use stevia.
Most delicious treat! Was very surprised it’s keto! Kudos
I made this tonight, and it is amazing! So easy to make; I followed the directions exactly, and it came out perfect. I used allulose like suggested. Perfection. Thank you.
Lovely lemon curd. I did add the zested peel of the lemons to the pot and added the butter at the end, off the burner (like my Mum use to do.) I strained for stray seeds and any lumpy egg bits. Will make again.
I used 3.5 large lemons and little less than 1/2 cup erythritol and it was WAY too sweet. Next time, I would use 1/4 cup erythritol only. I also used 1/4 cup salted butter and it was not too salty.
I made this as a middle for my 19 yr old daughter’s birthday cake. Our lemons gave us 3/4 cup, but since you did not say how much juice and Canada doesn’t get very big lemons I think it turned out perfect.
My usual lemon curd recipe includes adding the zest of the lemons to the mixture. Any thoughts?
Had to go a bit above low heat, but seemed to work fine and tastes good. I don’t have a reference for consistency unfortunately. Need a better video that let’s you see the consistency while you are making it.
Allulose is expensive where I am so I did 1/2 Allulose, half Erythritol. I put the Erythritol in the Vitamix (dry container) and powdered it first. There is not even a hint of grainyness.
The grittiness comes from the recrystallization of the sugar alternative.
I use monk fruit and it almost always does this to me no matter how long I cook it. You can always try using the powdered form of the sub sweetener as in the case of monk fruit they have just ground it superfine and did not add any additional ingredients.
I made this deliciousness today. What a wonderful treat! Thank for a simple, yet tasty dessert. I’m going to use some tomorrow to stuff in my waffles.
Holidays can be difficult on keto, this sure helped. I made the curd tonight and might too a little bit with meringue tomorrow. Supper yummy with a nice bite. I usually use Splenda monk fruit mix for a sweetener, but tried erythritol, the lemon eliminated the cooling effect and there was no graininess.
Outstanding recipe – as you said, hard to believe it’s keto friendly. I use it now to layer on a keto vanilla custard.
Thank you, this is a game changer.