Homemade Vegan Lemon Curd is tangy, perfectly sweet and SO easy to make in 10 minutes! Creamy and smooth, with no eggs or dairy. Perfect for scones, pound cake, crepes and so much more!
If you are a lemon dessert kind of person, you are going to fall in love with this best vegan lemon curd recipe! It’s so creamy, rich, smooth and intensely flavorful. There are usually eggs involved in lemon curd, but not with this recipe. No one would guess this sweet condiment is vegan!
I find myself licking it straight off the spoon, but you are going to want to put in on everything, from biscuits and scones, to pancakes and waffles, crepes and even in between cake layers!
How to make vegan lemon curd
It’s so simple to make! Simply add all the ingredients to a small pot:
- Almond/coconut milk, unsweetened – Soy or any other plant milk will work.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Sugar – Coconut sugar might work, but the curd will be darker in color.
- Cornstarch – Tapioca starch may work as well.
- Vegan butter – You could leave this out but it makes it extra rich and creamy. Homemade or any store bought brand will do.
- Optional: Turmeric or a few drops of yellow food coloring. I usually go with just a few drops of yellow food coloring.
Warm over medium heat, whisking frequently until it thickens a bit.
The lemon curd will be quite runny at first, so don’t expect it to be super thick right away. Transfer to a container or jars and refrigerate for an hour or longer. It will thicken up more as it cools.
Special tips & substitutions
- Don’t cut back the sugar unless absolutely necessary, it will change the outcome. Sugar is needed both for sweetness and structure. Liquid sweeteners will not work the same.
- You must use fresh squeezed lemon juice AND zest, bottled lemon juice will not work.
- You can likely substitute another non-dairy milk as long as it is unsweetened and unflavored, but I like either almond or coconut milk best.
- Tapioca starch might be okay to use in place of cornstarch, but I haven’t tested it. Arrowroot could work as well.
Frequently asked questions
Keep the curd in a covered container or jar for up to 2 weeks.
Yes, you can freeze it. Let it cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator and stir well before using.
To make it even thicker for cake layering, substitute canned coconut cream for the plant milk. This will make it much thicker once it chills.
As mentioned above, lemon curd is perfect for serving with scones, crepes, pound cake and crepes. It also goes well with yogurt, ice cream, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, cupcakes, muffins or even on an english muffin. Or layer in the middle of lemon cake or vanilla cake.
Want more vegan lemon recipes?
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lavender Lemon Bars
- Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Whipped Lemon Buttercream
- 1 Bowl Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Vegan Lemon Bars
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Vegan Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric or few drops of yellow food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small pot and warm over medium heat, whisking frequently until the mixture thickens. It will take 5-10 minutes.
- It will still be quite thin and runny when warm, which is perfectly fine and you can serve it immediately if desired. For a thicker curd, refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Makes about 2 cups.
- Serve over biscuits, scones, pancakes, waffles, french toast, regular toast, english muffins, in crepes or as a layer in lemon cake. Enjoy!
Notes
- Milk options – May use almond, cashew, soy, oat or coconut milk. Any plant based milk should work fine.
- Sugar – I wouldn’t skimp on the sugar in this recipe, as it provides structure as well as sweetness. You could substitute coconut sugar, but the curd will be brown.
- Thicker lemon curd – Substitute canned coconut cream for the milk. It will be much thicker once chilled and easier for layering in cakes.
- The vegan butter could be left out if needed, but it provides a silky rich texture that will be missed!
- It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a covered container. Can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Could I use canned oat whipping cream instead of coconut cream?
I haven’t tried it but I bet it would work!
This is so delicious!
It’s great on toast, and especially good just eaten by the spoonful!
Hi Karen, I know what you mean! I love lemon curd! I’m so glad that you are enjoying it! Thank you for sharing your awesome review and feedback!
I made this and the flavor is fantastic. However, mine has been in the fridge for three days and still totally liquid. I wa sola mind to use it as a cake filling but that will not work. Any advice to tighten it up?
I’m not sure that you can make it thicker at this point, but to make it thicker for cake fillings, use coconut cream instead of other milks. It will come out much thicker (I talk about this in the post).
Excellent flavor. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I used as a cake layer and enjoyed the leftovers w blueberries. I plan on making again to give gifts. It’s much easier to make than jam. Thank you Nora.
You are welcome, Ada! This is a great gift idea! I’m so glad that you loved lemon curd. Thank you for taking time to share your terrific review! Happy cooking!
Can I use bottled lemon juice in this recipe, plus lemon zest that I have in the freezer?
That should work okay, but the flavor will probably be better with fresh lemon juice.
Any other recipe I have tried makes lemon curd that feels plastic or milky. This recipe reminds me of the lemon pies I made growing up. Still rich, thick, and lemony without feeling artificial. Thank you for giving me one more thing I can keep from my childhood!
I’m so glad that you loved the lemon curd, Jackie! I appreciate your awesome review and feedback!