Dairy and egg free lemon curd may sound too good to be true, but it’s so easy to make. Lemon curd (or lemon cheese) is very popular right now. And it’s not hard to see why. This deliciously sweet but tangy lemon spread has so many uses. Find out how to make your own dairy and egg free lemon curd with this easy recipe.
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Jump to RecipeHow to make lemon curd without eggs or milk
Lemon curd is a delicious thick lemony spread, traditionally made with eggs and butter. If you are allergic to eggs and milk, or care for people who are, you might have put lemon curd in the impossible category.
Luckily it is actually easy to make a vegan lemon curd without eggs or butter that is just as as delicious as the traditional version. With a few simple substitutes you can easily make allergy free lemon curd at home.
Easy substitutes for milk and eggs
This easy recipe replaces the butter with a dairy free spread (we use Nuttelex). It’s a straight one to one substitution.
If you cook without eggs for egg allergy, you’ll know there are quite a few ways to replace eggs. This includes substituting commercial egg replacers, ‘flax eggs’ made from fax seed (linseed) meal and water, or even apple sauce. For an egg free lemon curd, our secret ingredient is aquafaba.
What is aquafaba? It’s the viscous liquid from canned chickpeas. Often drained and tossed away, this magical liquid is an egg allergic person’s friend. It can be substituted for eggs in sweet and savoury recipes and even whipped to replace egg whites in meringue. 3 Tablespoons of aquafaba can be used to replace 1 egg.
In this recipe, the aquafaba is whisked for around 30 seconds until frothy and used instead of eggs to make a delicious creamy lemon curd that’s egg free.
TIP: If you ever cook with chickpeas, make sure you save the precious liquid from the can. You can freeze it in ice cube trays to use later in any egg free cooking. If you do open a new can of chickpeas to get the aquafaba for this recipe, save them to add to your next curry or soup, or use them to make our delicious hummus (without sesame).
Wheat and gluten free lemon curd?
Our dairy and egg free lemon curd recipe uses cornflour (or corn starch). Despite the name, some brands of cornflour are actually made with wheat starch. Sometimes this will be clear from the description, often “wheaten cornflour”, but it may not be clear until you check the ingredient panel. If you need a wheat or gluten free recipe, make sure that you carefully check ingredients on your cornflour and choose a brand that is wheat and gluten free. (In Australia, a good brand for baking is White Wings gluten free cornflour. Bob’s Red Mill cornstarch is another good allergy-friendly option).
Ingredients
To make diary and egg free lemon curd you’ll need:
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 6 Tablespoons aquafaba, whisked until frothy
- 2 Tablespoons cornflour/corn starch
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 Tablespoons dairy free milk (soy, oat or similar)
- 3 Tablespoons non-dairy butter/margarine
Method
Zest the rind of two clean fresh lemons into a small saucepan. Add the corn flour/starch to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Whisk the aquafaba in a small bowl for around 30 seconds until frothy.
Add the whisked aquafaba to the saucepan and heat gently over low heat. Using the whisk, mix the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste without any lumps.
Halve and juice the 2 lemons and add the resulting juice (about 8 Tablespoons) and the caster sugar to the mixture in the saucepan. Turn up the heat to medium and stir the mixture with the whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not boil.
The key to good curd is to gently heat the mixture whilst stirring until it thickens. To do this, you’ll need to adjust the heat down slightly so the mixture doesn’t boil. Continue stirring with the whisk for a good 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir through the non-dairy butter and plant based milk until well combined.
Pour the lemon curd into clean, sterilised jars. Allow to cool slightly before placing in the fridge to set for at least 1 to 2 hours.
This recipe makes about 1.5 cups of lemon curd.
Storing lemon curd
If you are using the lemon curd straight away in a recipe, just store the covered curd in the fridge until ready to use.
For longer storage, you’ll need to keep lemon curd in a clean, sterilised jar. An easy way to sterilise jars is to thoroughly clean in warm soapy water before popping in the oven at 150C for around 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and fill with the warm curd straight away. Seal immediately and allow jars to cool slightly before putting in the fridge for the curd to set. Stored this way, egg free lemon curd will keep for up to 2 weeks in in the fridge.
Ways to use lemon curd
Now that you have made this perfectly tangy and sweet lemon curd, what’s the best way to enjoy it? We love lemon curd spread between layers of cake as a filling. You can serve lemon curd with scones (like our white chocolate and blueberry scones) for extra flavour. Vegan lemon curd also makes a delicious filling for tarts and desserts. Or why not try lemon curd swirled through plain yoghurt ? There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious treat.
Dairy and egg free lemon curd also makes a thoughtful gift. Decorate your jar of curd with a pretty ribbon and make a label with the date – bonus points for including an ingredient list too.
More dairy and egg free recipes
For another allergy-friendly sweet treat using aquafaba, try our egg and dairy free crunchy cornflake cookies. Or for another delicious lemon recipe, you’ll love our allergy-friendly lemon slice. All of the recipes on our allergy-friendly recipes page are dairy and egg free (and free from other top allergens).
If you are managing egg allergy, you may also like to read our post about why some people can tolerate baked egg.
And don’t forget to subscribe for more practical allergy tips.
Tangy Dairy and Egg Free Lemon Curd (Vegan, Allergy-Friendly)
Equipment
- 1 citrus zester
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 small bowl
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 glass jar for storage
Ingredients
- 2 fresh lemons, zest and juice (about 8 Tablespoons)
- 2 Tablespoons cornflour/corn starch
- 6 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chick peas)
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 Tablespoons dairy free butter or margarine
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk (eg soy or oat)
Instructions
- Zest the rind of two clean fresh lemons into a small saucepan. Add the corn flour/starch to the saucepan and stir to combine.
- Whisk the aquafaba in a small bowl for around 30 seconds until frothy.
- Add the whisked aquafaba to the saucepan and heat gently over low heat. Using the whisk, mix the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste without any lumps.
- Halve and juice the 2 lemons and add the resulting juice (about 8 Tablespoons) and the caster sugar to the mixture in the saucepan. Turn up the heat to medium and stir the mixture with the whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Do not boil.
- Gently heat the mixture whilst stirring until it thickens. Adjust the heat down slightly so the mixture doesn't boil. Continue stirring with the whisk for a good 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir through the non-dairy butter and plant based milk until well combined.
- Pour the lemon curd into clean, sterilised jars. Allow to cool slightly before placing in the fridge to set for at least 1 to 2 hours.
I often use chickpeas, good tip to freeze the juice!
Thanks, I have been looking for such a recipe for my vegan family members. Pinned this one.