Vegan Lemon Curd
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Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp/225g granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp/24g cornstarch
- ¼ tsp/2g salt
- ¼ tsp/ ½ g ground turmeric optional, for color*
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp/150ml lemon juice
- 2 tsp/4g lemon zest** optional
- 1 cup/235ml coconut milk full fat
Method
- In a medium pot, combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and turmeric. Whisk to distribute.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, whisking until smooth. Once smooth, add the coconut milk. The mixture will start paler and opaque and become more translucent and vibrant (if using turmeric) when cooked.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and translucent. This may take 7-10 minutes. If mixture starts to clump at any point, whisk vigorously until smooth again.
- Continue cooking until the mixture is thick enough that a trail of it drizzled over the top takes a full 2 seconds to sink back in.
- Remove from heat. For smoothest texture (especially if using zest), strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Press some plastic wrap to the top of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the fridge.
- Store in a glass or plastic container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
*In standard lemon curd, the color comes from the egg yolks. To get a rich lemon color here you can use turmeric or a couple drops of food coloring. This has no impact on taste. Without it the curd will just be a very pale yellow.
**The lemon zest is not necessary, but will help increase the lemon flavor and add a bit of bitterness to counter the sugar and acidity.
This is a thicker lemon curd that is perfect for filling cakes or sandwich cookies. Can also be used as a spread as is. For a thinner texture, reduce the cornstarch to 2 or 2 ½ tbsp/16-20g. This thinner texture is better for a spread.
Texture/taste Notes: This bright and tangy lemon curd is an easy vegan condiment with no eggs or dairy. Simple to make using coconut milk and cornstarch; just a few ingredients and no hard to find replacements. The thick texture is perfect for filling cakes or sandwich cookies as well as to be spread on toast or mixed in with yogurt, chia pudding, and more.
Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut milk. Nut milks can be used, but will result in a sharper, less well rounded flavor. Do not use rice or oat milk.
Flavor variations: For a lime version directly replace the lemon zest and juice with lime. Be cautious with the lime zest because it will go bitter more easily as it cooks. Do not use turmeric.
Grapefruit: Increase the zest to 1 tbsp/6g. Use ½ cup/120ml grapefruit juice and 2 tbsp/30ml lime juice. Do not use turmeric.
Orange: Increase the zest to 1 tbsp/6g. Use ½ cup/120ml orange juice and 2 tbsp/30ml lime juice.