Sweet and tangy, this homemade clean eating healthy lemon curd recipe made with honey is free from refined sugar but still tastes like that delicious traditional lemon curd you had growing up. Pile it high in little pastries or use it as a layer in a cake.
Clean Eating Lemon Curd With Honey
Lemon curd always reminds me of little old ladies and overly sweet treats.
I feel like all of my friend's grandmothers used to make little cakes with lemon curd piled on top when I was growing up, and it's one of those foods that always makes me smile.
I haven't had it in years though!
Our lemon tree just ripened, and we have over 200 lemons (the bitter type, not the sweet Meyer lemons) to put to use.
The first thing I wanted to make was a curd, but every recipe I happened upon was loaded with cups and cups of refined sugar.
Lemon Curd With No Sugar?
So I experimented and came up with my own.
Instead of piling in the white sugar by the cupful, we are going to sweeten this lemon curd with honey.
Honey sweetened lemon curd has that same sweet kick as a traditional curd, but there is absolutely no refined sugar in there.
Trust me, it tastes amazing!
All you need is:
- Eggs
- Honey
- Lemons (obviously)
- Coconut Oil (don't worry, it won't taste overly coconutty). If you are opposed to coconut oil, or it isn't something you regularly have on hand, you can always sub in some unsalted butter instead.
Even my hubby, who is a staunch non-fan of everything lemon, loved this and ate the whole lemony dessert I made with it!
Win.
Tips and Tricks To Make Sure Your Homemade Curd With Honey Works
WHISK. WHISK. WHISK.
I cannot emphasize this enough.
Under no circumstances are you allowed to walk away and leave this lemon curd on the stovetop for minutes at a time.
The eggs will cook too fast and you will have lemon-flavored sweet cooked eggs.
And that my friends, is just gross (believe me, I went through a couple of those versions in my attempts at getting this right and it is not something I want to taste ever again).
So be sure to stay at the stove and whisk this curd consistently for a lovely smooth texture with no cooked egg bits floating around.
Do I Have To Strain The Lemon Curd?
Straining the lemon curd once it has been cooked is an optional extra step.
It comes in handy for two reasons:
- It removes the zest from the cooked curd to allow for a completely smooth curd
- It removes any accidental pieces of cooked egg which can lead to a less than smooth curd
If you have managed to avoid cooking any egg, and you don't mind a little bit of zest then go on ahead and skip this step and simply transfer the curd straight to your storage jar and into the fridge.
What Do I Do With Homemade Lemon Curd and Honey?
What are some awesome recipes using lemon curd I hear you ask?
Well, you could eat it from the jar with a spoon (no judgment here, it's the best way!).
Or you could:
- Add it to a Lemon Chia Pudding
- Pop it into a little pastry tart and top with a raspberry
- Enjoy a dollop with some ice cream
- Pair with some cream as the middle layer of a cake
- On top of meringue and then topped with fruit
- Put it on your toast in the morning (do it, I dare you!!)
- Fold it through some yogurt and top with granola
- Add it along with a dollop of cream to some homemade scones (try it with these Lavender and Lemon Scones)
I would love to hear what your favorite thing to do with lemons is so sure to leave a comment!
For more homemade clean eating preserves, check out these little jars of deliciousness:
- Cranberry and Vanilla Bean Butter,
- 3 Ingredient Peach Butter
- Homemade Apple Sauce
- Homemade Clove and Cranberry Apple Sauce
- Paleo Orange Curd from The Cheerful Kitchen
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Homemade Clean Eating Lemon Curd with Honey
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup raw honey
- zest from 1 lemon
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 tablespoon coconut oil softened
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the eggs, honey, and lemon zest until it is light in colour
- Add in the lemon juice and coconut oil, and whisk to combine
- Cook the lemon mixture over a med-low heat, whisking continuously until it thickens and there are small bubbles on the surface. This can take up to 20 minutes.
- Once the curd has reached the desired level of thickness, pour it through a strainer placed on top of a large bowl. It should be thick enough that you have to push it through the strainer with a spatula (see notes)
- Pop the strained curd into an airtight container with a lid and into the fridge to cool
- Keep stored in an airtight container with a lid in the fridge for about a week. I have also had success with freezing
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated from the original December 2015 version to include more information for readers.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Kathy duck says
I have made this this morning and it is so simple to make, I used unsalted butter instead of coconut oil it was much nicer and I also added some lime juice to make lemon and lime butter, so much nicer than using sugar as I make up about 5 kilos of lemons weekly into butter or spread its very popular.
What is the storage time with this spread and does it need refrigeration before opening or can it be stored in the cupboard till ready to use. Thank you in advance.
Sydney says
LOVED MAKING THIS! It will be going on lemon cake later this evening!
Donna says
Yum!! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Amita says
How to make vegetarian lemon curd as i am vegetarian n do not have eggs. Pls reply. Thanks.
Donna says
Hi Amita, sorry I have never tried making this without eggs, however, there are lots of vegan lemon curd recipes with good revies if you do a quick search on google!
Jessica says
Was looking for a recipe to use up my lemons and this was perfect! I love the punchy flavor and it was very easy/impressive.
Donna says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Stevie says
This lemon curd was amazing and so easy to make! It didn’t take me 20 minutes to get it thick. It only took about 10! Def a yummy choice and you can’t taste the coconut oil!
Donna says
So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Manu says
Hi I am in Rome and have many lovely lemons. I adore curd and this looks like a great recipe. There is no way i am going to manage to get my hands on coconut oil though. Is it necessary? If so what can it be replaced with? We are not vegan.
Thank you!
Donna says
Hi Manu, I have only tried this recipe with coconut oil, but I imagine butter would work just as well, and is what is typically used in curd! Let me know how you go if you do try it out.
Stevie says
I think you can just use unsalted butter :).
paddy kamen says
Hello,
I am about to try a couple of your recipes.
May I ask: why strain the lemon curd? Is it usually lumpy?
Is it strictly necessary?
Very best,
paddy
Donna says
Hi Paddy, sometimes you will get little bits of cooked egg in there that haven't blended properly which can give it a little bit of a lumpy texture. Although not strictly necessary, it does give it a way better smooth texture if strained. Definitely do what works for you, the perfectionist in me just can't handle those bits 🙂
paddy kamen says
Thanks much for taking the time to respond.
I didn't strain it, and ...no bits!
Also, it didn't thicken as much as I thought it would, but
I figured it would as it cooled, which was the case.
Delicious!
Thank you for sharing!
Stevie says
I think some people strain to take the zest bits out. I didn’t strain and it was very yummy and I didn’t mind the bits of lemon zest!
Kat from curlsnchard.com says
Having a lemon tree in your backyard sounds so amazing! Some friends here have one too, but it's difficult to get them over the winter where I live. I've never had lemon curd, so this sounds really interesting to me 🙂
Donna1 says
Oh it is so amazing Kat! I am a bit overburdened with lemons at the moment, but it's a good problem to have 🙂 And it has forced me to learn how to best preserve them! You should try some lemon curd, the perfect balance of sweet and sour. I am hooked (but I love anything lemon)
Brandy M. says
200 lemons oh my goodness! I am a lemon lover and so that really sounds like heaven to me! I'm jealous your husband got to enjoy it all being the lemon hater that he is.
Donna1 says
I know, he really needs to start liking them!!
LifeStyleTalks says
Never seen or heard such a recipe before but it sounds great! I'm very pleased to read there's no refined sugar in it but honey instead! (Much healthier!) I've seen you can eat it on cake, are there other possibilities? I need to try this!
Donna1 says
There are so many ways to eat it! I have been having it as dessert, with some chopped pecans and pomegranate on top. I also baked some little shortbread cups (in mini muffin trays), and popped some lemon curd in there once it was cooled. Also yummy on scones/biscuits, and I also pop a big dollop on waffles! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a go 🙂
Choclette says
Ooh, honey lemon curd. That has got to be so delicious. I can't eat commercial lemon curd as it's way to sweet, but I love my homemade version. Might try it with honey next time.
Donna1 says
I definitely agree that the commercial stuff is way too sweet! Especially in the U.S. - I recently tried some for the first time since moving here, and I swear it is 10x sweeter than the versions available in Australia!
Johlene@FlavoursandFrosting says
I absolutely love lemon curd! This looks devine!
Donna1 says
Me too Johlene 🙂
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
So glad I've found your recipe! Our lemon tree is bursting with fruit (yay!!), and the most recent recipe I tried for lemon curd was no good! Yours looks absolutely delicious and can't wait to try it! Thanks!
Donna1 says
Oh yay, I hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
Judy says
Love lemon curd! Your recipe sounds fantastic. I make a lot of limoncello with my lemons 🙂
Donna1 says
🙂 I have a big batch of limoncello maturing in the cupboard!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
This sounds like creme brulee without the sugar coating on top. And the best part, i love that it's made healthy! Must give it a try soon!
Donna1 says
That's a great way to describe it Neli - definitely as creamy as a brûlée!
Ciao Florentina says
That color is perfection! I wanna eat it just like that out of the jar !
Donna1 says
Thats may be exactly what I did Florentina 🙂
Platter Talk says
This looks just wonderful. I've never had lemon curd before but now you've got my taste buds wondering... Great job!!
Donna1 says
Wow, I thought lemon curd was just something everyone ate growing up 🙂 But so many readers haven't heard of it before! It's super yummy (especially if you are a lemon lover)
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
I love the idea of using honey and coconut oil in this, it must be so delicious! Saving for later.
Donna1 says
Thanks Helen! The honey sweetens it just enough, and the coconut oil gives it the perfect texture!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
This looks so thick and creamy, love it! Can't beat lemon curd on toast - or inside cupcakes 😀
Donna1 says
Now I have a craving for lemon curd cupcakes!
Ali @ Home & Plate says
I absolutely love lemon curd but have never made it from scratch so this recipe is going in the recipe file. It would be perfect for linzer cookies.
Donna1 says
It's actually surprisingly easy to make from scratch! I hope you love it 🙂