Lime Curd
This Lime Curd Recipe is so easy to make that you’ll never buy store bought curd again! It comes together in under 30 minutes, it keeps for weeks in the fridge, and it’s freezer-friendly!
Whenever I have an abundance of citrus, my mind always goes to curd. It’s one of the easiest things to prepare, and it elevates everything that its served with.
For example, my mini lemon cheesecakes are completely delicious on their own, but when I top them with lemon curd, there’s an explosion of flavor that can’t be denied.
Years ago I had a lime tree that produced a very large amount, so I decided to make Lime Curd. I loved it every bit as my lemon version and more!
It’s thick and luxurious, tart and sweet, and it tastes so much better than any curd that you can buy at the store. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This lime curd recipe has a rich, luxurious texture, and is the perfect balance of sweetness and tangy lime flavor.
- It’s an easy recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes.
- It’s a great filling for pies and cakes, as a topping for scones, and so much more.
- It keeps in the refrigerator for about a month, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Limes. You’ll need 1/2 cup lime juice for this recipe. Be sure to zest one entire lime before juicing as well. The limes may be juiced up to a few days in advance or frozen until you’re ready to make curd. Key limes are a bit milder in flavor and work wonderfully in this recipe as well!
- Sugar. The curd is sweetened with 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the perfect balance of sweetness and tang. If you prefer a sweeter lime curd, consider adding 2-4 tablespoons more sugar.
- Eggs. The eggs are essential to thickening the curd, and the yolks provide a rich texture.
- Butter. Many curd recipes use up to a stick of butter, which I find excessive. In my opinion, 3 tablespoons is plenty to add a bit of richness and still let the fresh flavors come through.
How to make this recipe
This lime curd recipe is so easy to make. It’s thick and luxurious, tart and sweet, and it tastes so much better than anything you can buy at the store.
Pro tip: Juice the limes up to a few days in advance or freeze fresh lime juice until you’re ready to make the curd.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Whisk together sugar, eggs and lime juice in a stainless steel or heat proof bowl until well combined. Place over the top of a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of sour cream, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer placed over a medium bowl, using a spoon to help it through.
- Add the butter, and stir until completely melted. Stir in the lemon zest and let stand at room temperature. The curd will thicken as it cools.
- Once the curd has cooled, place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd to keep a skin from forming, and store in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Lime curd includes (4) simple ingredients — fresh lime juice and zest, sugar, eggs and butter.
Homemade lime curd lasts for about 4 weeks stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze lime curd by placing it in an air tight container with plastic wrap over the surface. From there, freeze up to 3 months.
To defrost, place frozen curd in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before you plan to use it.
Serving suggestions
There are so many uses for lime curd…the sky is truly the limit!
- Use as a topping for no bake mini cheesecakes or cream cheese pound cake by A Latte Food.
- It’s a great filling for your favorite pie crust or tart shells. Simply top with homemade whipped cream and fruit! It’s also a great filling for layer cakes and cupcakes.
- Serve as a condiment for brunch alongside scones, pancakes or waffles. You can also dollop some on top of my breakfast fruit tarts.
- Layer curd and Greek yogurt or whipped cream with fruit to create beautiful parfaits.
- Fold lime curd with whipped cream for an easy lime mousse.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Juice the limes up to a few days in advance or freeze fresh lime juice until you’re ready to make the curd.
- Substitute the lime juice with your favorite citrus. This would make a wonderful key lime curd recipe, or use lemon, orange or grapefruit.
- Many citrus curds out there contain almost an entire stick of butter, which masks the tangy citrus flavor in my opinion. I choose to use less butter to let that fresh citrus flavor shine through!
- The curd will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months following the instructions in the FAQs section.
More citrus desserts you’ll love:
- Angel food cake roll
- Greek butter cookies
- Key lime bars
- Key lime cooler cookies
- Key lime pie
- Lemon bars
- Lemon pudding cake
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Lime Curd
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh lime or key lime juice 3-4 large limes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small chunks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
Instructions
- Whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs and lime juice in a stainless steel or heat proof bowl. Place over the top of a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly so the egg doesn't curdle, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of sour cream, about 10 minutes.3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup fresh lime or key lime juice
- Remove from heat and pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer placed over a medium bowl, using a spoon to help it through. Add the butter, and stir until completely melted. Stir in the lemon zest. Let the curd stand at room temperature. The curd will thicken as it cools.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
- Once the curd has cooled, place plastic wrap over the surface of the curd to keep a skin from forming, and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Pro tip: Juice the limes up to a few days in advance or freeze fresh lime juice until you’re ready to make the curd.
- Substitute the lime juice with your favorite citrus. This would make a wonderful key lime curd recipe, or use lemon, orange or grapefruit.
- Many citrus curds out there contain almost an entire stick of butter, which masks the tangy citrus flavor in my opinion. I choose to use less butter to let that fresh citrus flavor shine through!
- The curd will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months following the instructions in the FAQs section.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This post was originally published in June 2013. The photos have been updated to include step by step photos and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.
19 Comments on “Lime Curd”
Great idea, I’ve never tried this but think I will make it this weekend. Thanks for the post!
Lime curd is too good to be true. I hope you try it, and thanks for stopping by!
You had me at lime….anything with lime is my favorite! I made a Lime Curd Cake back in May that I still dream about. Really, though, I could eat the whole bowl of lime curd just by itself! 🙂
I remember your lime curd cake! It looked so good. I swear, every bite I take of lime curd is an OMG moment.
Me, too!!
I can’t wait to try your curd recipe as I tend to like a more tart version.
This has plenty of lime kick, which I love. Thanks, Karen!
Confession – I’ve never made either lemon or lime curd! I feel like I’m missing out. I think this needs to be fixed soon!
If you love citrus, this is a must. I think you’ll love it!
What a gorgeous curd and a great flavor! I think I’d stuff mine into cupcakes or spread on top of pancakes… mmm!
It’s great in or on cupcakes, and I’m sure it would be on pancakes, too! I love it because its so versatile.
How unique! You see and hear lemon curd everywhere. Lime curd definitely deserves its own post. Thanks for sharing your recipe Marcie.
Lime curd definitely should not be left out.
Love the bright color of anything lime! I can’t wait to see how you use this!
I posted my granola tart shells with Greek yogurt, lime curd, & blackberries today. Check it out if you can!
Help needed please,have just started making curds,i have got lemon curd setting ok but cannot get lime curd to set,any ideas please.
Do you have unflavored powdered gelatin? If so, add a tablespoon of gelatin to about 1/4 cup of water and let it soften. Cook it over medium low heat to dissolve the gelatin and once it’s smooth, whisk it into your curd. Place the curd in the fridge and it should set up nicely. Hope that helps!
In the process of trying your suggestion,will keep you informed of the outcome!! Thank you for the idea
Still have to make a slight adjustment to the quantity of gelatin as the amount of ingredients i used was slightly more than your recipe,what is the quantity your recipe makes please,thank you again for your help.