A little bit sweet and a little bit tart, Meyer lemon curd is delightfully delicious and incredibly versatile. This curd recipe uses the traditional double boiler method for the thickest, richest, creamiest curd. Is it the easiest way to make it? Maybe not. Is it the most effective? Absolutely! Use it for tarts, as a cake filling, or as a substitute for jams, jellies, or preserves. Read on for all my tips to get it right the first time!

Overhead shot of meyer lemon curd in a glass jar next to scones in a mint green pan.

Easy Lemon Curd

I remember the first time I ever made citrus curd. I had found a recipe for an “easy” version using direct heat, with no double boiler required, and I was so excited. The flavor was intensely lemony and sweet, but the texture was slightly thin, making it an acceptable substitute for jam or preserves.

I initially used this method to develop my grapefruit and blood orange curd, and it’s led to many other flavor combinations over the years, along with many excuses to make homemade biscuits. Then, I tried using that same direct heat method to make my blackberry lime tart.

It was an epic failure. The curd was not thick enough to set into a pie or tart.

Lucky for me, I was able to chat with my friend, Chef Marlee, and she had six words for me: “Trust me, use the double boiler.” So, I tried it and wow, did I learn a lot! The results were thicker, creamier, and more luscious, and all I changed was switching from direct heat to indirect heat.

Most importantly, I learned that using a double boiler can be easy, especially if it means I’m getting the right results the first time. Needless to say, I now only make curd using a double boiler, and it’s easy!

What You’ll Need

This Meyer lemon curd calls for only four ingredients. As always, when making from scratch dressings and sauces, use the best quality ingredients you can afford. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Ingredients for lemon curd displayed, including meyer lemons, egg yolks, butter, sugar, and zesting tools on kitchen counter.

Featured Ingredient: Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons are slightly different from the traditional Eureka lemons you usually find at the grocery store. Most notably, Meyer lemons are a little more orange in color, and their flavor is slightly less tart. They also have a thinner, more delicate rind.

One issue you may run into with Meyer lemons is that they aren’t always available year-round, and some places won’t see them at all, as their thin skin can make long-distance shipping difficult. Like all citrus, lemons are considered winter fruits, and they begin to hit their peak around December. Depending on the growing season, you may find them in stores as late as April or May.

If you can’t find Meyer lemons due to location or season, try this recipe with the more common Eureka lemons. It will taste slightly more tart, but you may not notice the difference if you’ve never tasted it with Meyer lemons. If you are afraid it will be too tart, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

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Liquid measuring cup
Mesh strainer or sieve
Balloon whisk
Silicone spatula
Small saucepan
Metal or glass mixing bowls

How to Make Meyer Lemon Curd

This easy curd is one of my favorite Meyer lemon recipes. It’s not complicated if you have the right combination of ingredients and the right method. Sounds simple, right? It is!

Stainless steel mixing bowl on top of a black saucepan to create a double boiler. — Ensure your mixing bowl fits over the saucepan to create a double boiler. Add water to the bottom and bring to a boil.

Fresh lemon juice preparation with squeezed lemons, zest, a juicer, and a grater on a kitchen counter. — Zest, then juice the lemons.

Process shot for meyer lemon curd, showing lemon juice, sugar, zest, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl. — Add the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and egg yolks to the bowl.

Ingredients for lemon curd whisked together. — Whisk curd ingredients together until foamy.

A silicone spatula showing the thickness of lemon curd before cooking. — Before the curd is cooked, it will be thin and easily drip off a spatula.

A stainless steel mixing bowl placed on a black saucepan over a stove top to create a double boiler. — Move the mixing bowl to the saucepan with boiling water to create the double boiler.

Lemon curd while foamy and half way cooked in a stainless steel mixing bowl. — Whisk the curd continuously, scraping the edges of the bowl. The curd will be foamy, but after about 3 minutes, the bubbles will get noticeably smaller.

Cooked lemon curd in a stainless steel mixing bowl. — After about 7 minutes, most of the bubbles will disappear, and the curd will be noticeably thicker.

A silicone spatula showing the thickness of lemon curd after being cooked. — The thickened curd will register around 180ºF on a food thermometer and easily coat a spatula. When it does, remove it from the double boiler.

A metal mixing bowl containing a mixture of lemon curd and cubes of butter with a spatula. — While the curd is hot, add in the butter a couple of cubes at a time, mixing until they melt.

Pouring lemon curd through a sieve into a measuring cup with lemons in the background. — Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve.

A fine-mesh sieve over a measuring cup, showing leftover zest and bits of cooked egg. — Use a spatula to help push through the curd and separate out the zest and any bits of cooked egg. Transfer into a clean, dry jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to thicken fully.

Overhead shot of meyer lemon curd in a glass jar next to a white plate with a scone and a spoon of meyer lemon curd.

The Importance of a Double Boiler

After talking to Chef Marlee, I grumbled about using a double boiler, but I did it her way, and the difference was amazing. The double boiler version created a curd with a thicker texture and richer flavor, and the proof was in the straining step.

As I mentioned, the only change I made was switching from the direct heat of putting a pan on the burner to the indirect heat of using a double boiler. In both versions, I strained the curd to remove the zest and any bits of egg yolk that cooked solid after incorporating the butter.

After straining the direct-heat single-pan curd, I found a spoonful or two of cooked yolk and zest. The double boiler method only had about a teaspoon of zest, the same amount we initially added. This shows that the gentler heat from using a double boiler prevents the yolk from cooking solid. Since the yolk acts as our thickening agent, the curd sets up thicker when more yolk stays in it, giving it a richer taste.

Creating A Double Boiler

A double boiler is a pan-in-pan technique. While you can buy one from the store, I don’t personally own one. Instead, I create mine using tools I already own to act as the base and top pan.

The best base pan is a small, one or two-quart saucepan. The sides should be tall enough to hold an inch or two of water while suspending the top pan over the water.

The best top pan is a glass or metal mixing bowl with curved sides, which allows a whisk or spoon to easily scrape the sides as you mix. My favorite top pan is the metal mixing bowl from my Kitchenaid mixer. The handle makes it super easy to maneuver, and the shape is ideal for whisking.

To use your double boiler, put an inch or two of water in the base pan, set it over a medium-low flame and bring it to a boil. Add ingredients to the top pan, then place it over the boiling water. The boiling water will jump up and touch the bottom of the top pan, providing the indirect heat.

Double Boiler Caution: Watch Your Water Level

When using a double boiler, you don’t want the water level to be too high or too low.

If the water is high enough to touch the pan before you start cooking, it’s too much water. Once you add the top pan, the boiling water won’t have anywhere to go, causing it to boil over and make a mess.

On the other hand, if the bottom pan boils dry, it could damage your saucepan. While an inch or two is typically enough for this recipe, when using a double boiler for an extended time, you’ll want to check the water level occasionally and add more water as needed.

Thick meyer lemon curd dripping from a spoon into a glass jar.

Serving Suggestions

This Meyer lemon curd tastes amazing when served on biscuits or scones for breakfast, brunch, or a snack. Stir it into your favorite plain yogurt. You can use it in pies, tarts, or between cake layers. I love it as a base topping for pavlova before adding the whipped cream and fruit, which it’s also a great way to use up the leftover egg whites.

Storing Curd

Your easy lemon curd should be stored in an air-tight container. Great options are repurposing a used jelly jar, canning jar, or any storage container that can be sealed. It can be refrigerated for about a week and frozen for longer storage. While the texture appears the same after thawing out and works well in place of jam or preserves, I haven’t tested it in baking applications after it was frozen.

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