Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey (dairy-free)

This Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey is a sweet, tangy and dairy-free treat!

Spread this luscious healthy lemon curd on bagels, English muffins, toast, scones and more.

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Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey

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.

Keep reading below for ways to use it.

What you need for Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey

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 Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey

First, add the palm shortening and honey to a large mixing bowl.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Substitutions and variations

• You can use ghee instead of palm shortening, but the curd might be a little softer and not quite as “set” – but it’ll still be delicious.
• No hand mixer? Use a sturdy spatula to whip the shortening, honey and zest together, then use a whisk to mix in the eggs (1 at a time), juice and salt.

Make ahead

The curd can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How to use Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey

• Spread it 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
  • 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
• Spread it on these Paleo Crumb Bars instead of jam
• 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

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey (dairy-free)

This Paleo Lemon Curd with Honey is a sweet, tangy treat! It's so smooth and creamy, you can spread it on bagels, English muffins or pancakes, or swirl it into yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream. Plus it's dairy-free!

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

chill time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy lemon curd, honey, paleo

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

All ingredients should be at room temperature:

• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (4 oz.) palm shortening
• ½ cup (4 fl. oz.) honey
• 3 large lemons (see notes)
• 4 large eggs
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

• Add the palm shortening and honey to a large mixing bowl.
• Zest the lemons with the microplane and add the zest to the bowl. (You should have about ¼ cup of zest.)
• 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 ½ cup of juice. Set the juice aside.
• Crack the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
• Using a hand mixer set at medium high, whip the shortening, honey and zest until blended and creamy.
• With the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time, blending each one in before adding the next.
• 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.
• Somewhere near your stove, set a canning funnel (if using mason jars) over a mason jar and a fine-mesh sieve over the funnel. This will make about 2 cups of curd so you'll need one pint jar or two 1-cup jars. If not using mason jars, just set the sieve over whatever container you're using. You want to strain out the lemon zest and any bits of cooked egg.
• Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and set it over low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has warmed up (after about 2-3 minutes), whisk it vigorously until it's smoother and more blended.
• Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened and reached 170° on an instant read thermometer. This will take about 6-10 minutes total.
• Immediately remove from the heat and pour through the sieve into the jar(s). Let cool slightly, cover and chill for at least two hours, or until set.

Notes

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.

Substitutions and variations

You can use ghee instead of palm shortening, but the curd might be a little softer and not quite as "set" - but it'll still be delicious.

No hand mixer? Use a sturdy spatula to whip the shortening, honey and zest together, then use a whisk to mix in the eggs (1 at a time), juice and salt.

Make ahead

The curd can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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