Keto Lemon Curd (4 Ingredients, Whole Eggs)
This keto lemon curd is made with whole eggs, fresh lemons, butter and Groovy Keto Monk Fruit Decoction Powder, whisked over a pan of simmering water until thick. Each tablespoon has 0.4g net carbs. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook, then 2 hours to cool and set, and makes about 320g.
This keto lemon curd recipe borrows from some proven favourites. Miriam Nice's lemon curd on BBC Good Food keeps it simple: lemon zest and juice, butter and beaten eggs, gently whisked in a bowl over simmering water for about 10 minutes, then sieved. Carolyn Ketchum's keto lemon curd on All Day I Dream About Food uses whole eggs rather than just the yolks, so there are no leftover whites, and she warns that erythritol on its own can recrystallise as the curd chills. And in an r/ketorecipes post on Reddit, one keto baker's tips were to whisk the whole time, keep the heat low and cover the surface so a skin doesn't form. Our twist is to sweeten it with monk fruit powder, which has no erythritol at all.
The result is a sharp, silky keto lemon curd with 0.4g net carbs a tablespoon. If you're looking for a sugar free lemon curd to spread on scones or sandwich into a cake, this low carb lemon curd is quick to make and needs only 4 ingredients.
What we used: Groovy Keto Monk Fruit Decoction Powder, which is about three times as sweet as sugar, so 2 tablespoons sweeten the whole batch. Spread it on scones made with our Keto Scone Mix, or use it to fill a sponge made with our Keto Vanilla Cake Mix. See all our monk fruit sweeteners.
Groovy Keto Monk Fruit Decoction Powder
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Keto Scone Mix
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Keto Vanilla Cake Mix
View productKeto lemon curd vs shop-bought lemon curd
Classic lemon curd is mostly sugar, which sweetens it and helps it set. Here, the eggs and butter do all of the setting, and a small amount of monk fruit powder does the sweetening, so a tablespoon has far fewer net carbs.
| Per tablespoon (20g) | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon curd (CoFID) | 11.7g | 10.5g | 11.7g |
| This keto lemon curd | 0.4g | 0.3g | 0.4g |
Lemon curd figures are UK CoFID data for lemon curd (58.4g carbohydrate and 52.5g sugars per 100g), worked out for a 20g tablespoon. It contains no polyols, so its net carbs are the same as its carbohydrate. Our curd contains no polyols either.
Tips for the best keto lemon curd
- Use a glass or ceramic bowl. Lemon juice can react with some metal bowls and give the curd a metallic taste.
- Keep the heat low and keep whisking. The water should only just simmer. If the curd starts to catch around the edges, lift the bowl off the pan for a few seconds and keep whisking.
- Watch for the moment it thickens. It happens quite suddenly. When the whisk leaves trails and the curd coats the back of a spoon, take it off the heat.
- Grate only the yellow zest. The white pith underneath is bitter.
- Don't worry if it looks runny. Keto lemon curd firms up as it chills, so judge the texture after 2 hours in the fridge.
Keto Lemon Curd (4 Ingredients, Whole Eggs)
- Prep time10 min
- Cook15 min
- Cool and chill2 hours
- Total time2 hours 25 minutes
- Makesabout 320g (16 tbsp)
- Net carbs0.4g per tbsp
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 unwaxed lemons: 2 tsp finely grated zest and 100ml juice
- 2 tbsp Groovy Keto Monk Fruit Decoction Powder (about 27g)
- 60g unsalted butter, diced
You will also need a saucepan, a glass or ceramic heatproof bowl that sits on top of it, a whisk, a fine sieve and a sterilised 340g (12oz) jar.
Allergens: contains eggs and milk. See the allergen notes under Nutrition for the monk fruit powder pack.
Method
- Set up the pan. Put about 4cm of water in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Choose a glass or ceramic bowl that sits on top of the pan without touching the water.
- Whisk the eggs and lemon. Off the heat, whisk the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and monk fruit powder together in the bowl until the powder dissolves.
- Cook gently. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly for 10 to 12 minutes, until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don't let it boil, or the eggs will scramble.
- Add the butter. Take the bowl off the pan and add the butter. Leave it for 1 minute to melt, then whisk until the curd is smooth and glossy.
- Sieve and taste. Press the curd through a fine sieve into a clean jug to remove the zest and any bits of cooked egg. Taste, and stir in up to 1 tsp more powder if you like it sweeter.
- Jar and chill. Pour it into a sterilised jar, press a piece of baking paper onto the surface so a skin doesn't form, and leave to cool. Chill for at least 2 hours, until set.
Ways to change it
- Lime curd: use the zest and juice of 3 to 4 limes instead of the lemons.
- Orange and lemon: swap half the lemon juice for orange juice and add a little orange zest.
- Passion fruit: stir the pulp of 1 passion fruit into the sieved curd.
- Coconut oil: use 45g coconut oil instead of the butter.
Any of these changes will alter the nutrition figures.
How to serve keto lemon curd
- Cream tea: spread it on warm keto scones with clotted cream.
- Cake filling: use it instead of jam in our keto Victoria sponge, or sandwich a vanilla sponge with lemon curd and whipped cream.
- Quick pudding: ripple it through Greek yoghurt or whipped cream and top with a few raspberries.
- More spreads: for a fruity alternative, see our guide to keto jam.
Storage and making ahead
- Fridge: keep it in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge and eat it within 1 week. Always use a clean spoon.
- Freezer: freeze it in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Defrost it overnight in the fridge and stir well.
- Make ahead: make it the day before you need it, so it has plenty of time to set.
Nutrition
Per tablespoon (about 20g, one sixteenth of the batch):
| Nutrient | Per tbsp |
|---|---|
| Energy | 46 kcal |
| Fat | 4.1g |
| of which saturates | 2.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.4g |
| of which sugars | 0.3g |
| of which polyols | 0.0g |
| Net carbs | 0.4g |
| Fibre | 1.1g |
| Protein | 1.4g |
| Salt | 0.04g |
Net carbs are carbohydrate minus polyols. On UK labels, fibre is already listed separately from carbohydrate, so it isn't subtracted again. Most of the fibre comes from the tapioca fibre in the monk fruit powder. Figures are calculated from the Groovy Keto Monk Fruit Decoction Powder pack label and UK (McCance and Widdowson's CoFID) data for eggs (12-937), fresh lemon juice (14-277), whole lemons for the zest (14-128) and unsalted butter (17-661). They will vary with the size of your lemons and eggs.
Allergens: this recipe contains eggs and milk (butter). The Monk Fruit Decoction Powder pack says it is produced in a facility that also handles nuts and milk. If you serve it with scones or cake made from our Keto Scone Mix or Keto Vanilla Cake Mix, those packs say they contain almonds and milk, and that there may be traces of other nuts, cereals, milk and eggs. Always check the current pack labels before serving this to anyone with an allergy.
FAQ
Is lemon curd keto?
Shop-bought lemon curd isn't, because it is mostly sugar. UK CoFID data puts lemon curd at 58.4g carbohydrate per 100g, so a single tablespoon has about 11.7g. This keto lemon curd is sweetened with monk fruit powder instead, so each tablespoon has 0.4g net carbs.
Can you make lemon curd with whole eggs?
Yes. Many recipes use only egg yolks, but whole eggs work well and you don't have any egg whites left over. The curd is a little lighter and less likely to curdle. Cook it gently over simmering water and sieve it at the end for a smooth finish.
Which sweetener is best for keto lemon curd?
A fine powdered sweetener dissolves best. Our Monk Fruit Decoction Powder contains no erythritol, which tends to recrystallise and turn gritty as a curd chills. It is about three times as sweet as sugar, so 2 tbsp sweetens this whole batch. Start with less and taste.
Why has my lemon curd gone lumpy?
The heat was probably too high, so some of the egg set into small lumps. Take it off the heat straight away, whisk hard and press it through a fine sieve. Next time, keep the water at a gentle simmer and whisk constantly so the curd cooks evenly.
How long does keto lemon curd keep?
Keep it in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge and eat it within 1 week. Sugar helps to preserve classic lemon curd, so this version doesn't keep as long. You can freeze it for up to 1 month, but it may be a little softer once defrosted.
What can I use keto lemon curd for?
Spread it on warm keto scones, swirl it through Greek yoghurt or whipped cream, or spoon it over berries. It also makes a good cake filling: sandwich a keto vanilla sponge with it, or use it instead of jam in a keto Victoria sponge.
