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.
Hi! I tried the original recipe and love it! I was wondering if it could be adapted for orange juice? I know I need to bring the sugar down but was wondering if you suggest any other changes?
I think it would work! I haven’t tried it, but I’d probably just try swapping the lemon for orange. Maybe lower the sugar a little bit.
Excellent lemon curd. I did add more cornstarch to make it a little more stable. Flavor is fabulous.
Hi Paula. I’m so glad you loved the lemon curd! Makes me think of spring! Thanks for sharing your terrific review! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora, love your recipes! Would it be ok to use lemon curd to fill a pie crust? Or will it go soggy? Thx, D.
That should work just fine, for a lemon pie? Just pre-bake the crust I would say, then fill with the curd and let cool in the refrigerator for several hours. Similar to my Lemon Meringue Pie.
I can’t wait to make this to put in between layers of your lemon cake recipe! Is it stable enough for layering in a cake without using coconut cream instead of milk, as suggested in the notes? I’m just afraid that might give it a coconutty flavor that might not be liked.
Yes, I think it’s stable enough without using coconut cream. The layer will be a bit thin in the cake, but I think that’s fine personally. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use Oat milk in place of almond milk?
Yes, oat milk will work! Happy cooking!
Woo, THAT’s the stuff! I’ve never had lemon curd in my life (deadly allergic to eggs), but I was looking for something bright and citrusy to add to the Christmas cookie tray this year … the lemon cookies using this curd are THE cookie I’m most excited about this year. The curd is fantastic balance of tart and sweet and so bright and fresh tasting! I did use the turmeric for color, albeit just a few dashes – not even 1/8 tsp – and it looks beautiful (and zero turmeric flavor).
PS- I have to agree, I cannot imagine making this recipe with bottled lemon juice and/or dried lemon peel. It’s got be fresh, and totally worth it!
HI Maria. I was so excited about this recipe as well, as I love lemon curd! Thanks for taking time to share your recipe experience and ideas! I appreciate your fabulous review! Happy holiday baking!
This worked out perfect! I made it and set it all up in mini gift jars for family this year. Early Christmas presents.
Thankyou
You are welcome, Maani! What a fun gift! Thanks for your fabulous review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!
Hi, can you use this curd to then cook with, for lemon curd pastry tarts?
Yes you could.
I have tested your recipe with tapioca starch. It works wonderfully. Taste amazingly. I think it works better than corn starch.
Excellent….thank you. I used soy milk and this thickened up beautifully for me. Perfect balance of sweet and tart.
The lemon curd was brilliant, as were all your other recipes I’ve tried! I’ve made it with the shortbread cookies (yum!) and would like to try it on tartlets. Would it work, do you think?
Yes, I believe it will work well on tartlets. Thanks so much for enjoying my recipes!
I have never seen a vegan lemon curd recipe so I was excited to try this. I ended up making a lime version since that is what I had on hand. Still delicious! Once again another great recipe Nora!
Hi Brooke. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Lime sounds delicious! I appreciate your fabulous review and feedback! Thank you for using my recipes. Happy cooking!
Loved this versatile recipe. Used this in lemon shortbread cookies, on vanilla cupcake… brilliant stuff
This is scrumptious, rich and lemony! Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome, Samara! I’m so glad you love the recipe! Thanks for your wonderful review!
Fun to make; delicious on toast or just eat by the spoonful!
Have you ever frozen leftovers?
I haven’t but I believe you can freeze it. When you want to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator. If it’s clumpy at all, simply blend it or whisk it well.
This is so tasty and so easy to make! Definitely one to add to the recipe file to make again and again!
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Kelly, and will be making it lots! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review! Happy cooking!
Thank you for sharing this simple great delicious recipe.
haven’t tasted it yet but i’m sure it’ll be awesome! i love that it’s a one pot curd without any complicated steps and ingredients! thank you !
I love this recipe!
I wanted to know if the lemon curd was able to not be refrigerated since it has no dairy or eggs?
I want to use it for gifting goodie jars. Let me know your thoughts on this.
Everything I’ve looked up talks about not letting it sit out due to eggs.
Thanks!
I’m glad you love it! Even though there is no eggs or dairy, I don’t believe it’s safe to leave it at room temperature for very long. I think it’s similar to jams and jellies, you would need to can it properly in order to make it safe. I’m no expert on this, but I believe that’s what you’d need to do.
Nora
I have just made your vegan lemon curd, I followed all instructions. It tastes wonderful, but is still very thin even after 3 hours in the fridge. It is definitely not spreadable. What can I do to rescue it?
I was planning on using it as the filling in your vegan lemon cake.
Thanks for any help you can provide
Dona
Hi there! When cornstarch mixes with liquid and has enough heat, it should thicken. Did you simmer it so it thickened on the stovetop? It should thicken in the pot somewhat, and then even more when it chills. Did you use cornstarch or do anything different at all? I’m not sure it can be rescued at this point.
Cornstarch doesn’t like acids, they inhibit its ability to thicken. Try potato, arrowroot, or tapioca starch instead!
This is amazing! So easy and delicious. I’ve made the lime version of this a few times now, to use in between cake layers. However, I’ve found that I need to add an extra tablespoon in order for it to be thick enough.
Loved Loved lovved this cake! I usually dont like lemons in my dessert coz they make it taste like dishsoap. But this cake was one of the BEST cakes I have made and when I see a recipe from you, I am confident it works. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Excellent! Thanks Nora! My husband said these are his new favorite!