Lemon lovers, rejoice! Easy Keto Lemon Curd takes only 4 ingredients and is the creamiest, dreamiest lemon dessert sauce. And it has less than 1g of carbs per serving!
I’ve been making my own sugar free lemon curd for what feels like a gajillion years now. I made my first batch in 2011 and was astonished that it worked out so well. And I’ve been improving upon that recipe ever since.
It’s one of those recipes that always surprises me when I taste it. I seemingly forget how much I like keto lemon curd between batches. And then when I make it again, I wonder why I don’t make it more often.
If you love lemon, I dare you not to eat the whole batch in one sitting. If you can resist the temptation, then you can use it to make Keto Lemon Curd Tart. Or spread it over Keto Cheesecake for an out-of-this-world keto dessert experience!
Why you need to try it
When I embarked upon writing the Easy Keto Desserts cookbook, I struck upon a trick for making sugar free lemon curd even easier than before: using whole eggs.
Typically, lemon curd calls for just the yolks. But using the whole egg works just as well and eliminates the step of separating the yolks from the whites. Less fuss, less muss, and nothing sitting in your fridge, waiting to be used up.
I’ve been making it this way ever since. It’s a little creamier and a little fluffier, and it doesn’t curdle quite as easily. And it takes only 20 minutes to make!
Reader Reviews
“I love this recipe. I can’t count how many times I’ve made it. Today I was out of fresh lemons, so I made it with bottled key lime juice and it was awesome. Thank you!!!” — Martha
“Amazing recipe!! Much easier than the lemon curd I used to make before I went keto!” — Sarah
“Wow, this stuff is delicious! I could sit and eat it with a spoon. I doubled the recipe and it took about 20 minutes to get thick. I can’t wait to make your ice cream with it!” — Becky
Ingredients you need
- Lemons: Curd uses both the zest and the juice of the lemons. Make sure to wash the lemons well before zesting.
- Eggs: No need to separate the eggs for this easy keto lemon curd recipe!
- Butter: This helps firm up the curd and makes it extra creamy. You can also use coconut oil for a dairy-free version.
- Sweetener: I find that a combination of Swerve Confectioners and allulose gives the best results. See the Expert Tips section for more options.
Step by Step Directions
1. Use a double boiler: Set a glass or ceramic bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
2. Whisk and cook: Whisk together the eggs, sweeteners, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as it will thicken all of a sudden.
3. Add butter: Immediately remove from heat and add the butter. Let sit a few minutes to melt and then whisk until smooth and creamy.
4. Refrigerate: Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.
Expert Tips
Always use a glass or ceramic bowl when making lemon curd. Lemon juice reacts with metal bowls and can give the curd a tinny or metallic taste.
The trick to perfect keto lemon curd is to take it off the heat at just the right moment. Keep a close eye on it at all times. The mixture will start to move more slowly and your whisk will begin to make tracks through it. The mixture will also become more opaque. Once it does, remove the bowl from over the pan to stop the cooking process.
Sweetener options: Curd relies on eggs to set properly so you can use your preferred sweetener. But do note that curd made with allulose alone takes a long time to thicken properly. It also stays a lot softer, even after refrigeration. Do not use liquid allulose, as it will introduce too much liquid into the mixture.
Using erythritol based sweeteners alone will cause some recrystallization. This is why I recommend a combination of sweeteners like Swerve and allulose.
Dairy-free option: You can make dairy-free lemon curd by replacing the butter with coconut oil. Use only 3 tablespoons in place of the 1/4 cup of butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conventional curd has about 20g of carbs per serving of 2 to 3 tablespoons. However, this keto lemon curd recipe has only 0.7g carbs per serving. So you can enjoy it with abandon!
Homemade lemon curd can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I recommend storing it in glass jars so that the acidity doesn’t react with the container. You can freeze this sugar free lemon curd, but it does change consistency a little during the freezing and thawing process.
I have not tried canning this sugar free lemon curd but it should work. Lemon has a great deal of acidity, which significantly reduces the risk of spoilage and contamination. Make sure your jars seal properly and store in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.
How to use Keto Lemon Curd
So once you’ve made this sweet and tangy lemon spread, what do you do with it? I mean, besides just eating it with a spoon! Here are some delicious ideas:
- Use as a spread for keto scones. It’s amazing with keto blueberry muffins too!
- Serve as alternative to syrup for almond flour keto pancakes.
- Make this gorgeous Keto Lemon Lush.
- Use it as the filling for Keto Lemon Bar Cookies.
- Churn up a batch of Keto Lemon Ice Cream.
Keto Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup Swerve Confectioners
- 3 tbsp allulose, or BochaSweet (use granular varieties)
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
Instructions
- Set a glass or ceramic bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Whisk together the eggs, sweeteners, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as it will thicken all of a sudden.
- Immediately remove from heat and add the butter. Let sit a few minutes to melt and then whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours to firm up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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This recipe never disappoints! Tart and sweet. Creamy and rich. I pared it with Almond Ricotta cake and a spoon of SF Raspberry jam. Heaven! Thank you Carolyn for all your recipes. Haven’t tried one yet that I didn’t like!
Soooo yummy! Thank you! I didn’t have fresh lemons so had to use lemon juice ????, but even so it was fabulous!
Is this recipe suitable for water bath canning? I’d like to make larger batches that can be stored in small jars until needed.
No, I don’t recommend it. It will re-crystallize badly as it cools.
I just tried making this and I can say it’s super! I think this will be a staple in my pantry since I really love eating sweet sour and always craving for something like this, I will eat it on it’s own, this will be my “happiness in a bottle!” Thank you Carolyn for generously sharing your recipes to us!
Wonderful!
Hello,
I was wondering if allulose would work in this recipe? Just add more?
Thanks, I love all your recipes, and have four of your cookbooks so far !
Allulose works But it can take a long time to set properly. And by that I mean a full 24 hours!
Wow, what a terrific recipe!! I was going to make the lemon curd ice cream, but we ate most of the curd warm, with a spoon. Guess I need to go make a second batch now…hope that one makes it into the ice cream. Only change was that I made the curd in my Vitamix (5 minutes on 10). Thank you! Looking forward to the book.
Brilliant idea Martha. I have watched contestants on cooking shows whisking til their arms almost fall off over hot water baths to make lemon curd, etc. Thank you so much for the awesome alternative.
This is absolutely delicious and so easy. I love lemon curd and really missed it on keto.
Yum
I am really sorry to see that this curd can’t freeze. I’ve seen one other recipe that can’t freeze, but have been making one that does. Unless this keeps in the refrigerator for weeks or months I won’t be making it, because I only use it in small quantities occasionally. What I’ve been using lemon curd for is yogurt bowls for breakfast, with Greek yogurt, lemon curd and fresh berries (or the berry syrup for your lemon ricotta pancakes). Lemon curd is soooo good.
Just made this. OMG!! So lemony! So delicious!! Love it.
What I have seen so far sound delicious and relatively easy to make.
Good ways to introduce my grandchildren to different flavors and fruits in nutritious, low added sugar desserts.
I’m new to lemon curd, but lemons are my girl! Can this be frozen?
Sadly, no. The curd changes consistency in the freezer and will come out all grainy.
Why is it necessary to use a glass or ceramic bowl?
Lemon juice is highly reactive to metal and will leave a metallic taste in your curd.
Super YUMMY and easy! Thank you!!!
Love this stuff! I make it at least once month – takes my low carb granola and yogurt parfaits to the next level. Can’t wait to use it as a cupcake filling!
Fabulous way to use it!
The flavor is spot on but next time I may just use the yolks to get a deeper yellow color. This recipe didn’t crystallize like another recipe that I had tried. I think the powdered sweetener and gentle heating over the double boiler was the reason why.