How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd

A deliciously tangy, creamy and sweet vegan lemon curd without butter and eggs! Make it in under 10 minutes and use it in all kinds of goodies, from tarts to cakes to cookies. You can also smear it on a piece of toast, vegan scones or vegan pancakes.

Lemon curd is one of those recipes that, at first, might appear hard to veganize because its unique, gooey texture is traditionally created with eggs. But in reality, as one often finds out with baked goods, the eggs are eminently dispensable.

Today I have for you a vegan lemon curd recipe made from scratch that is not just easy, it also needs just six ingredients, and once you have gathered your ingredients in a small saucepan it comes together in under five minutes.

This is a delicious curd: tangy, sweet, creamy. And there are so many things you can do with it:

But first, let's begin with the basics.

What is lemon curd and what is it made of?

Lemon curd is a thick, gooey, usually rich topping or spread. It is comfortingly creamy and startlingly tart, all at the same time. Lemon curd is usually made by whisking together butter and egg yolks with lemon and sugar.

Lemon curd can be eaten by itself, although it is usually used as a topping or spread in breakfast and dessert dishes.

To make a vegan lemon curd, we will replace the dairy (butter) and the eggs with plant-based ingredients, for a result that's very similar to the original.

Ingredients for vegan lemon curd

• Tapioca starch: Traditionally the unique texture of lemon curd is created by heating eggs with other ingredients, like butter and sugar. As the proteins in the eggs heat up, they thicken or coagulate, creating a thick but still slightly runny and gooey curd. For this vegan lemon curd recipe we'll replace the eggs with a starch. I used tapioca starch (cornstarch or arrowroot starch are fine too).
• Nondairy milk: Oat milk, which is thick, gives a nice creaminess, so use that if possible. Soymilk is a fine option. I am not a big fan of using coconut milk because the flavor of coconut competes with the lemon, but you can get a decent lemon curd with it, so use if that's your only option.
• Lemon juice and lemon zest: A large lemon would yield enough zest and juice (about three tablespoons) for this recipe.
• Sugar: I add six tablespoons because, remember, you want to balance the sweet and the tangy in this recipe. You can add less--or more.
• Vegan butter: Just two tablespoons. It adds creaminess and the richness.
• Turmeric: Albeit an unusual ingredient here, the turmeric adds the beautiful yellow color you would otherwise get from the egg yolks. Don't add a lot--a fourth of a teaspoon is enough to add color and disappear without changing the flavor. Too much turmeric will make the curd bitter.

How thick should lemon curd be?

I tried out the lemon curd with different amounts of starch to vary the thickness, and here's what I found.

A tablespoon and a half of starch make a thicker curd that works great in tarts.

A tablespoon of starch makes a runnier but still thick and viscous curd that is wonderful as a spread for pancakes, waffles, toast, etc. and as a topping for a cake.

In the image comparison below the picture on the left is one made with a tablespoon of tapioca starch and the one on the right is made with a tablespoon and a half. As you can see, the one on the right is more opaque and thicker.

Both taste amazingly good, with a great balance of tart and sweet.

One thing to keep in mind is that the curd will thicken further as it cools down, so it's best to leave it just a bit runnier than you'd like it when you turn off the stove.

Uses for vegan lemon curd

There is no end to the amazing ways in which you can guzzle down this vegan lemon curd.

You can smear it on a piece of toast, vegan waffles, vegan pancakes or vegan scones. You can bake it up into a tart (or tartlets). You can even use it to top this scrumptious vegan lemon cake or a vegan lemon pound cake or these vegan cream cheese cookies!

Storage tips

You can store the vegan lemon curd in an airtight jar or container for three to four weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze the lemon curd in an airtight container for longer storage. Thaw and whisk before using.