Dairy-Free Lemon Curd (gluten-free, Paleo)

This Dairy-Free Lemon Curd is a sweet, tangy treat!

Spread it on English muffins, toast, scones, bagels and more.

Plus it’s sweetened only with honey, and it’s gluten-free and Paleo friendly.

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Why this recipe works

Lemon curd is a thick, creamy spread usually made with lemons, sugar, butter and eggs.

But for those of us who don’t want or can’t eat dairy or white sugar, most store-bought curds and homemade recipes are off limits.

So that’s why I created dairy-free lemon curd instead, using palm shortening instead of butter and honey instead of sugar.

It has that signature balance of sweet and tangy, plus it’s so smooth and spreadable.

All lemon curds are naturally gluten-free and this lemon curd with honey is also Paleo friendly.

Keep reading below for ways to use it.

What you need for Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Ingredients, all at room temperature:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 oz.) of palm shortening (if you’ve never used palm shortening or have hesitations about it, you can watch my video about why it’s one of my favorite dairy-free substitutes here)
• 1/2 (4 fl. oz.) cup honey
• 3 large lemons
• 4 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Equipment:

• a large mixing bowl
• a hand mixer
• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• a measuring glass
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• a scale (if you want to measure the 4 oz. of palm shortening)
• a microplane grater
• a medium mixing bowl
• a medium saucepan
• a whisk
• a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• an instant read thermometer (optional but recommended)
• a small sieve
• a fine-mesh sieve
• a canning funnel (optional)
• glass/mason jars or containers (one pint jar or two 1-cup jars)

How to make Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Step 1: Add the palm shortening and honey to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Zest the lemons with the microplane and add the zest to the bowl. (You should have about 1/4 cup of zest.)

Step 3: Cut the lemons in half and juice them (I stab them with a fork over a small sieve set over a measuring glass, twisting the fork while I squeeze and twist the lemon half) until you have 1/2 cup of juice. Set the juice aside.

You may only need 2 or 2.5 lemons to get 1/2 cup of lemon juice, depending on how big and juicy they are.

Step 4: Crack the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 5: Using a hand mixer set at medium high, whip the shortening, honey and zest until blended and creamy.

Step 6: With the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time, blending each one in before adding the next.

Step 7: With the mixer still running, add the lemon juice and salt and blend until combined. The mixture will be loose and clumpy and, honestly, not very pretty. But that’s okay! It’s totally normal.

Step 8: Somewhere near your stove, set a canning funnel over a glass jar and a fine-mesh sieve over the funnel.

Step 9: Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and set it over low heat. Once the mixture has warmed up (after about 2-3 minutes), whisk it vigorously until it’s smoother and more blended.

Stir constantly until the mixture has thickened and reached 170° on an instant read thermometer. This will take about 6-10 minutes total.

Step 10: Immediately remove from the heat and pour through the sieve into the jar. This makes about two cups so you can use one pint jar or two 1-cup jars.

Step 11: Let cool slightly, cover and chill for at least two hours, or until set. No need to cover the curd with plastic wrap to prevent a “skin” from forming.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to use Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Spread this non-dairy lemon curd on:
– a bagel, with or without cream cheese (here’s a Paleo bagel option)
– toast (here’s a Paleo bread option)
– an English muffin (here’s a Paleo English muffin option)
– a scone
– a muffin (like these Paleo blackberry muffins, Paleo strawberry rhubarb muffins or Paleo zucchini chocolate chip muffins)
– pancakes (like these Paleo pancakes or these Paleo sheet pan pancakes!)
– waffles
– crepes
– use it to replace the icing on this Paleo Blueberry Snack Cake
– angel food cake
Swirl it into yogurt and top with berries.
Swirl it into softened vanilla ice cream or a fruit-flavored sorbet.
Swirl it into this Vanilla Coconut Chia Pudding.
Fold into whipped cream or whipped coconut cream (leaving streaks visible) and serve with berries, on angel food cake, this Paleo Strawberry Shortcake, etc.
Use as a filling in a layered cake.
Mix a spoonful into a vinaigrette with olive oil, your favorite vinegar, salt and pepper (and maybe some Dijon mustard).

Other recipes you might like:

1. Easy Rhubarb Sauce
2. Vanilla Coconut Chia Pudding
3. Creamy Lemon Chicken, Olives and Artichokes
4. 7 Ways to Whip Cream

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