Lime Curd
Lime Curd is a delicious, tart fruit spread that can be used in a variety of ways. It is so simple to make and is freezer-friendly. Read on to learn how to make this lime curd recipe as well as some fun suggestions for serving it.
Homemade Lime Curd
You’ve likely heard of lemon curd. Well, lime curd is just a variation of that recipe! It is a delicious, tangy lime flavored jam-like fruit spread. However, fruit curds are smooth and creamy rather than gelatinous like jellies or jams.
Lime curd is thickened by whisking egg yolks to the sugar and lime juice mixture, and later stirring in butter. The egg yolks and butter that are unique to fruit curds, cause the lime curd to melt in your mouth with a luscious, mouth-watering texture. If you’ve had it before, you’ll know exactly what I mean! If you haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat!
The downside to fruit curds is they don’t last forever due to the egg yolks and the butter – but I’m including freezer instructions in this post so you can extend the life of this recipe.
Lime curd is delicious served with fresh scones, muffins, spooned on to yogurt, and so many other ways! I’m certain that you’ll enjoy it no matter how you choose to serve it!
Tools Needed for this Recipe
You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this lime curd recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:
- Microplane Grater – for zesting the fresh limes.
- Measuring Spoons and Cups – to measure the sugar, lime juice, and zest.
- Small Food Processor – to grind the lime zest into the sugar.
- Medium Size Bowl – to combine the egg yolks with the fresh lime juice and sugar.
- Citrus juicer — Ensures you get every last drop of juice out of your lemons. It’s so much easier than squeezing the lemons by hand!
- Wire Whisk – whisking the eggs well is important so you don’t end up with lumps of cooked egg.
- Saucepan or Double Boiler – you can use a regular saucepan or a double boiler. I’ll include instructions for both. I recommend stainless steel since it is non-reactive.
- Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula – at the end of the cooking process, you’ll stir in the butter.
- Jar – I like to store my fresh lime curd in a jar. I love Weck Jars for this because they’re so cute, but any type of mason jars work fine!!
Lime Curd Ingredients
- Lime Zest
- Granulated Sugar
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Egg Yolks
- Butter
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this luscious lime curd, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Lime Curd
You’ll be amazed at how easy this lime curd recipe is to make. Here’s how it is done:
- First, you’ll process the lime zest with the white sugar to grind the lime zest up and release the flavor.
- After that, combine the lime juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat it until simmering over medium heat.
- While the juice is heating to a simmer, whisk the egg yolks until very smooth and set aside.
- Strain the lime zest bits out of the lime juice mixture using a fine mesh strainer.
- Then, slowly pour half of the lime juice mixture into the whisked egg yolks. Make sure you continue whisking while pouring.
- Then, transfer the egg and juice mixture back to the saucepan and continue cooking while it thickens.
- After that, remove the lime curd from the heat. Then, stir the butter in a tablespoon at a time. Cool to room temperature.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- For best results, use fresh lime juice rather than bottled lime juice. You’ll be so much more satisfied with the flavor!
- The added step of processing the sugar and zest together enhances the flavor! It releases the oils into the sugar for more lime flavor since at the next step we strain the zest out for a more attractive curd – i.e. no floating zest bits in the final product.
- Try using these three simple steps when squeezing your fresh lime juice. You’ll get so much more juice out of your limes and have plenty of juice for your recipe.
- Since you’ll only need egg yolks to make recipe for lime curd, you’ll want to check out the quick video attached to this post to learn How to Separate Eggs if you don’t already know how to do this.
- If you previously made a recipe that uses egg whites only, lime curd is a great reason to save those egg yolks. You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days until you’re able to make this homemade curd recipe, or you can freeze eggs.
Lime Curd Recipe FAQs
Got questions about how to make this homemade lime curd recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
Can I use key limes?
Yes! You can definitely use key limes and key lime juice instead of regular limes to adapt this into a key lime curd recipe.
How can you tell when lime curd is done cooking?
Lime curd has been properly cooked when you can run your finger along the back of the spoon you’re stirring with and the curd holds the trail from your finger.
Another way to test doneness on fruit curds is by using an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. The temperature of the lime curd will be 180 degrees F when it is properly cooked.
Note: Lime curd continues to thicken as it cools, so the curd will be a little looser right after cooking.
Why are there lumps in my lime curd?
If your lime curd turned out lumpy instead of silky smooth, it is likely for one of these reasons:
- You didn’t continuously stir the mixture while it was cooking.
- The eggs have cooked in the lime curd before they were whisked into the juice and sugar mixture.
To prevent lumps in your lime curd, make sure to whisk the eggs well, until they are completely smooth, before incorporating them with the lime juice mixture.
Then, slowly pour the hot lime juice mixture into the whisked eggs, whisking vigorously while you’re pouring. Continue stirring constantly after you’ve combined all the ingredients and continue to cook the curd.
If you find that you often have bits of egg in your curd, you can also try using a double boiler instead of a sauce pan. When preparing fruit curd with a double boiler, it takes a lot longer to cook so the egg portion cooks more slowly.
How can I get lumps out of my citrus curd?
If you only have a few lumps in your lime curd, they’ll easily be removed by straining the curd through a fine mesh sieve. However, if you have a lot of lumps in your curd, unfortunately, you’ll likely need to remake the recipe.
Why isn’t my lime curd green?
Lime curd is naturally yellow and very similar in color to lemon curd, so if you’re looking to have a pop of green color in your desserts, then you’ll need to add some food coloring to alter the color. For green lime curd, add 1 drop blue food coloring AND 2 drops green food coloring.
Storage Instructions
Homemade lime curd should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to a year.
Freezing Lime Curd:
- Prepare the Lime Curd according to recipe instructions, then let it cool completely. Smaller containers are better because the portions are more usable and they thaw faster.
- Transfer the cooled curd to an airtight container that is freezer safe. Make sure to leave about a 1/2-1 inch of space to account for expansion when the curd freezes. Label and date the contents.
Thawing Frozen Lime Curd
Thaw frozen lime curd in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you plan to use it. Larger containers will need more time to thaw, so plan accordingly.
Ways to Use Lime Curd
There are so many fun and delicious ways to use this recipe for lime curd. Here are some of my favorite ways:
- Pancake or waffle Topping
- Swirled into yogurt
- Spread on Toast
- On top of scones
- Inside donuts as a filling
- As a vanilla ice cream topping
- Drizzled on fruit with whipped cream
- As a macaroon filling in French macaroons
- Between cake layers on a layer cake
- Inside crepes
- Use as a lime curd filling in small tart shells or pie crusts for a simple pie. Then, top the pie or tarts with whipped cream.
- As a cupcake Filling
- Swirled in No Churn Ice Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream
- Marbled with cheesecake
- On pavlova (Pavlova will use up those leftover egg whites that you don’t use in the curd!)
Try this Homemade Lime Curd!
Next time you’re looking for a new citrus to try, give this homemade lime curd a try!
Did you love the sweet and tangy flavor? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy recipe.
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More Curd Recipes
Want more fruit curd recipes? Check out my other flavors:
This easy Lemon Curd Recipe is practically foolproof – it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, can be made on the stovetop or in the microwave, and even canned!
Grapefruit Curd is a fun take on the classic lemon curd recipe. This curd has a pretty, light orange color and has a nice sweet and tart flavor. Use ruby red grapefruits for best results!
This Homemade Orange Curd is one of my favorite recipes and a must make during citrus season or any time you have extra oranges on your hands.
Homemade Raspberry Curd is a delicious tart raspberry filling. You’ll also love its pretty color. It is perfect for making during the summer when raspberries are in season and has so many uses!
I love the combo of lemon and coconut together and this tart, yet sweet Coconut Lemon Curd just melts in your mouth.
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
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Lime Curd
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh squeeze lime juice
- 8 egg yolks
- 10 tablespoons butter, sliced into tablespoons
Instructions
- Place the lime zest and granulated sugar in a small food processor and process until the lime zest is finely ground. (Note: this releases the oils into the sugar for more lime flavor since at the next step we strain the zest out for a more attractive curd - i.e. no floating zest bits in the final product)
- In a heavy bottom medium-sized saucepan, combine the lime juice and sugar mixture.
- Heat over medium heat until simmering. Then, turn the heat to low.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, strain the zest out by placing a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or 2 cup glass measuring cup and carefully pouring the juice mixture into the strainer.
- Discard the strained zest. Return the juice mixture to the saucepan.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.
- Slowly pour half of the lime mixture into the yolks while vigorously whisking.
- Return the amount in the bowl to the saucepan and whisk until combined with the lime mixture that remained in the saucepan.
- Continue to cook over low heat while whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If using, stir in the food coloring*.
- Cool to room temperature, then store refrigerated in an airtight container for about a week.
Notes
*Lime curd is naturally yellow and very similar in color to lemon curd, so if you’re looking to have a pop of green in your desserts, then you’ll need to add some food coloring to alter the color. For green lime curd, add 1 drop blue food coloring AND 2 drops green food coloring.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 31mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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