- rich and creamy
- sweet and tangy
- naturally sweetened!
I’d been thinking of making a vegan lemon curd recipe for a long time, especially as I plan to use it to make a Vegan Lemon Pie, Vegan Lemon Bars or a Vegan Lemon Curd Cake – the possible uses are endless!
Not only is this lemon curd dairy-free and egg-free, but it’s also:
- gluten-free
- refined sugar free
- oil-free
- nut-free
What’s more, this vegan lemon curd is super easy to make, requiring just one pot and only 4 ingredients.
The base of this vegan lemon curd is a custard made using shop-bought custard powder.
This is my favourite custard powder – it’s vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free, and contains just 4 simple ingredients!
Not only does the custard powder act as a thickener, making the lemon curd extra creamy, it also adds a lovely colour without having to use something like turmeric.
So, all you need to do is to make a custard using custard powder and your choice of plant-based milk.
You can use any type of dairy-free milk, though results do vary depending on which you choose: cashew or oat milk make the creamiest curd, whilst almond or coconut milk will be less creamy. If you prefer a more jam-like consistency, rice milk works well.
What can the custard powder be replaced with?
If you can’t get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can substitute it with the same amount of cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot, which will result in a similar texture, though the colour will be considerably less yellow. To add yellow colour, I would suggest adding a tiny pinch of saffron, which I much prefer to turmeric as it has a much milder flavour.
Then all you need to do is add lemon juice – I didn’t add any lemon zest as I prefer a super smooth curd and find that zest can make it grainy.
I used maple syrup to sweeten, but any other liquid sweetener would work too. I definitely suggest taste-testing the lemon curd whilst cooking, so you can add some more lemon juice or maple syrup to taste.
I flavoured this lemon curd for it to be eaten like a pudding, but if you’d like to use it to spread on toast, or as a frosting for a layer cake, you will have to add extra lemon juice and maple syrup to taste.
For more lemon desserts, check out my:
- White Chocolate Lemon Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
Helpful tools to make this Vegan Lemon Curd:
measuring jug
Vegan Lemon Curd (GF)
This Vegan Lemon Curd is rich and creamy, sweet and tangy and naturally sweetened!
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Servings: 4
Calories: 105kcal
Ingredients
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) plant-based milk* (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons custard powder ** (or sub cornflour/cornstarch or arrowroot)
- 8 tablespoons lemon juice to taste (approximately equals the juice of 1 lemon)
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup to taste (or sub any other sweetener)
Instructions
- Measure out the milk in a jug or measuring container
- Pour the milk into a pan, leaving behind a few tablespoons of milk in the jug
- Heat up the milk in the pan
- Add the custard powder to the remaining milk in the jug and mix well, ensuring it has dissolved completely
- Once the milk in the pan is steaming, add approximately half of the hot milk to the bowl with the dissolved custard powder, mix well and transfer the custard powder mixture to the saucepan
- Mix well and keep stirring on a low heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened
- Add the lemon juice and maple syrup
- Taste and add extra lemon juice or maple syrup if desired***
- Pour into jars/cups and leave in the fridge for up to a few hours for it to set
Notes
*You can use any type of plant-based milk, though results do vary depending on which you choose: cashew, oat or coconut milk make the creamiest curd, whilst almond milk will be less creamy. If you prefer a more jam-like consistency, rice milk works well.
**If you can't get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can substitute it with the same amount of cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot, which will result in a similar texture, though the colour will be considerably less yellow.
To add yellow colour, I would suggest adding a tiny pinch of saffron, which I much prefer to turmeric as it has a much milder flavour.
***I flavoured this lemon curd for it to be eaten like a pudding, but if you'd like to use it to spread on toast, or as a frosting for a layer cake, you will have to add extra lemon juice and maple syrup, to taste.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Lemon Curd (GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 105
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Helen
Lovely Rhian another great recipe!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Alison
Looks fabulous!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Nicola
How long will it last if put in jars in the fridge
Rhian Williams
Up to a few days if you keep it covered!
Anonymous
Thank you very much
Amna
Can I freeze it?
Rhian Williams
Sorry I don’t think that will work!
Shannon Compton
Hi! This didn’t set for me…maybe I have to cook it longer? It thickened but not enough to hold up to use in a crust like I was hoping for. I definitely let it go the five minutes then let it cook more to try to get it thicker. Should I cook even longer? Thanks!
Rhian Williams
Hi – so sorry to hear that! If you look at the blog post above the recipe, I have said that this lemon curd has a thin consistency like the lemon curd you get in a jar. If you’d like it to be a lemon curd that’s firm enough to set in a pie crust and slice properly, then I’d recommend using the filling of my Lemon Tart recipe instead – it’s very similar to this recipe but is firmer: https://www.rhiansrecipes.com/lemon-tart/