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Learn how to make this easy recipe for strawberry lemon curd. The beautiful silky curd is tart and sweet and the most beautiful color of pink!

strawberry lemon curd tart with shortbread crust
Strawberry lemon curd tart with shortbread crust

OVERVIEW

Strawberry lemon curd is exactly as delicious as it sounds! All of the tartness of a classic citrus curd, paired with fresh strawberries for additional sweetness.

This recipe is an adaptation of my Classic Lemon Curd recipe. I wanted to add a sweet berry flavor to offset and compliment the tartness of the citrus.

Why We Love this Recipe

  • This curd is incredibly versatile and can be used as a filling for pies, tarts, sandwich cookies, and donuts! You could even spoon some over a classic pound cake or sponge cake!
  • The pink color is one of the best things about this recipe as it is absolutely stunning!
  • This is a relatively easy recipe as it doesn’t require any special equipment! Just a stove, a pot, and a rubber spatula.
A spoonful of Strawberry Lemon Curd

Ingredients and Substitutions

Lemon Juice: For the best flavor, use fresh lemon juice for any fruit curd. The flavor is far superior to the bottled stuff.

Lemon Zest is optional in this recipe but really brings a hit of tartness. I always include it because I love a curd that really makes my mouth pucker. But you can always leave the zest out if you prefer.

Strawberries: I like to use fresh berries in my fruit curd, but if you do not have access to them you can also use frozen strawberries! Raspberries would also be a delicious variation!

Egg Yolks are used for their gelling properties when heated. It’s important to make sure you separate as much of the white from the yolk as possible as this will reduce the eggy taste in the mixture.

Cornstarch is what is used to help thicken the curd enough so that it is sliceable. It can be left out if you want a really soft curd for something like a filling for donuts or to serve over toast.

If you are going to use it and you do not have cornstarch, the best substitute would be arrowroot. I recommend reducing the amount to 30 grams (1/4 cup) if you are using arrowroot.

Ways to use Strawberry Lemon Curd

This recipe can be kept loose to use as a mousse, topped over a scone, or filled into yeasted donuts. But to use it as a pie filling or to fill tart shells, you will want to use the optional cornstarch in the recipe. Cornstarch is what will help to set the curd so that it is sliceable and firm once chilled.

To use as a filling for fruit tarts

  1. Make a shortbread tart crust and blind-bake it fully.
  2. Make the strawberry lemon curd and allow it to come to room temperature.
  3. Pour the strawberry curd into the prepared tart crust.
  4. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

To make a Strawberry Lemon filled donut

  1. Make the curd and allow to cool completely.
  2. Make fried yeast donuts without cutting a whole out in the middle.
  3. Pipe the filling into the donuts until filled.
  4. Toss in granulated sugar if desired.

To make a strawberry lemon mousse

  1. Make the strawberry lemon curd (without cornstarch)
  2. Whip some heavy cream to stiff peaks with a bit of powdered sugar. Gently fold the whipped cream into the curd.
  3. Top with fresh sliced strawberries.

To make strawberry lemon filled sandwich cookies

  1. Make a batch of the curd and let cool completely.
  2. Make a batch of classic shortbread cookies (any shape) and let cool.
  3. Fill the cookies and serve immediately.
Shortbread cookie sandwiches filled with Strawberry Lemon Curd

Strawberry lemon curd tart with shortbread crust
Yield: about 3 cups

Strawberry Lemon Curd

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Learn how to make this easy recipe for strawberry lemon curd. The beautiful silky curd is tart and sweet and the most beautiful color of pink!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated, optional- use if you want a very tart curd
  • 170 grams (¾ cup, 180 milliliters) lemon juice, fresh is preferred over bottled, you will need about 3 large or 4 small lemons
  • 8 ounces (1 ½ cups) whole strawberries, fresh or frozen
  • 145 grams (8 large) egg yolks
  • 38 grams (5 tablespoons) cornstarch, *optional- use if you want a curd that will be firm and sliceable once chilled
  • 267 grams (1 ⅓ cups) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

PREP:

  1. Optional: Use a microplane to remove the zest from one of the lemons and measure out 2 teaspoons. This will give you a very tart curd, and you can skip this step if you want it to be more mild.
  2. Juice the lemons (if using fresh) and measure out 170 grams (¾ cup).
  3. Rinse and remove leaves from strawberries (8 ounces, 1 ½ cups). Place in a blender and add the lemon juice and zest (if using). Pulse and blend until completely smooth.

To make the curd:

  1. Whisk the egg yolks (145 grams, 8 large) together in a medium bowl and set aside. 
  2. In a medium saucepan, whisk the cornstarch (38 grams, 5 tablespoons) if using, sugar (267 grams, 1 ⅓ cups), salt (¼ teaspoon) and strawberry lemon puree together. 
  3. Heat over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. 
  4. Once the mixture has boiled for about 1 minute and has thickened, temper the egg yolks by slowly streaming in about a third of the hot liquid while whisking continuously. 
  5. Add the egg yolk mixture into the pot with the rest of the hot liquid and continue heating on medium low heat while whisking continuously. When the mixture comes back to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes longer. 
  6. Pour the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the butter (85 grams, 6 tablespoons) and whisk to combine. 
  7. If not using immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the curd to prevent a film from forming. Allow to cool down to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Notes

Substitutions

  • Cornstarch can be substituted with arrowroot. Reduce the amount to 30 grams (1/4 cup).
  • Strawberries can be substituted with raspberries if desired.

Note: Fruit curd tastes pretty eggy while it is warm. Once it cools down, this taste will subside.

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Nutrition Information:


Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0
© Baker Bettie
Category: All Recipes