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Six-ingredient vegan lemon curd

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by Naomi Cook, A Life Delicious • Published on
Food

This blog first appeared in A Life Delicious.

This delicious Vegan Lemon Curd is made with just six ingredients. It is creamy, perfectly tart and naturally sweetened with a touch of maple syrup. It’s perfect as an indulgent dessert, or you can use it as a fun add-on for chia pudding, pancakes and scones.

Recipe Features:

  • Easy and delicious
  • Rich, thick and creamy
  • Lemony and tart
  • Just the right amount of sweetness
  • 100% vegan

 

Ingredient Notes For This Vegan Lemon Curd:

  • Thickener – Use corn starch for this recipe. I have tried both corn starch and arrowroot (which I love), but the arrowroot just doesn’t work for this particular recipe. It results in a gummy, stringy texture. However, the corn starch yields a perfect curd every time.
  • Turmeric – This ingredient is optional, but I love it because of the beautiful yellow color it gives. Add a pinch, stir and taste test. If it’s not yellow enough, repeat the process until you are happy with it. Just be sure not to use too much, or you will change the flavor of the lemon curd.
  • Coconut Milk vs. Coconut Cream & How To Use It In This Recipe:
    • Brand – It is so crucial to get the right brand for this particular recipe, because not all brands are created equal. The key…avoid brands with guar gum listed as an ingredient.
      • If you can’t find coconut cream, you can use coconut milk. However, the result may not be as thick and creamy.
      • The most important tip I can give, is to refrigerate the coconut milk or cream for a good 24-48 hours before you need it. So plan ahead! With coconut milk, this step allows the cream to separate to the top. Scoop out the cream for this recipe, and use the coconut water for something else like smoothies. With coconut cream, the refrigeration time will set up the entire can. (I will say, I have skipped this step before with the coconut cream, and I don’t love the end result. Even though it’s coconut “cream”, there is still just a little bit of water at the bottom. Not only that, if you don’t refrigerate it, it’s much harder to separate the cream from the water, because it is so soft. As you scoop it out, the two mix, and again, the end result of this recipe will be different). So….don’t forget to refrigerate!

 

Recipe | Vegan lemon curd

Ingredients

  • 1 14 oz can Savoy Coconut Cream, refrigerated
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Zest (equivalent to 4 large lemons)
  • 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (equivalent to 2 large lemons)
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
  • Ground Turmeric, just a small pinch or two

 

Instructions

  1. Make the lemon curd: To a small saucepan, add the coconut cream and lemon zest.
  2. Whisk: In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and corn starch together until fully dissolved and well combined.
  3. Bring to a boil: Add to the pan along with the coconut cream mixture. Then add the maple syrup. Over medium heat, bring to a low bubble – not boiling – whisking often. (I watch the entire time; whisking more often than not).
  4. Cook: Once is starts bubbling and getting thick, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for about 10 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, take a spoon, gently grazing the top of the mixture, and slide it from one side of the pan to the other. If some lemon curd gently forms at the other end that means it’s ready – remove from the heat. If not, cook for another 2-3 minutes and recheck.
  5. Taste for flavor: Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the flavor accordingly, if needed. (Add more lemon for acidity, or more maple syrup for sweetness).
  6. Resting time: Let rest for 15 minutes. At this time, you can add some turmeric. (Be careful though because if you add too much you will change the flavor of the curd completely. So add a small pinch at first. Give the mixture a good whisk. Then if it’s not yellow enough add another small pinch and stir again).
  7. Cover with plastic wrap: Transfer to a glass bowl or large jar, and cover the curd with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap actually touches the entire curd. This will prevent a film from developing on top.
  8. Chill time: Refrigerate for a good 4-6 hours, overnight, or until it is completely chilled and perfectly set.
  9. How to serve: Serve the lemon curd over chia pudding, pancakes, waffles, scones, or eat it by itself with some berries and nuts.

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