This easy vegan lemon curd has the same luxurious, creamy texture and sweet-tart flavour as the original, minus the butter and eggs! You’ll love it on pancakes, desserts, or just eating with a spoon.
I love all things lemon! There I said it; I admitted it and I’m not ashamed. Now that I got that off my chest, I can speak about this vegan lemon curd recipe with extreme bias.
I used to love lemon curd before going vegan, and I loved to make it from scratch too. I wasn’t sure if a vegan lemon curd could measure up to the original version, but I was so wrong. This vegan lemon curd is rich and smooth; tart and sweet; perfect for spreading on toast and scones for breakfast or shortbread and cakes for dessert.
That said, one of my favourite things about this lemon curd is how easy it is to make. Although I used to enjoy making regular lemon curd, I was always aware of how temperamental it was. I knew I could make this vegan lemon curd recipe at 2 am in the morning (this is my life) and still be able to pull it off easily.
If you’re not sold yet, you really should just give this recipe a try. I bet you’ll end up making it again and again!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Fresh lemon juice – This isn’t the time to use bottled lemon juice! Fresh is best.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch replaces the egg in this recipe, thickening the vegan lemon curd so it’s creamy and spreadable.
- Water
- Sugar
- Turmeric – This gives your lemon curd a nice colour even without the egg yolks.
- Coconut cream – Scoop this from the top of a can of coconut milk.
- Sea salt
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest – Zest the lemons before juicing them.
How Do You Juice Lemons Without a Juicer?
- Use a citrus reamer or a handheld lemon squeezer.
- Use a fork or a knife to poke holes into the halved lemons and break apart the membranes so it’s easier to squeeze out the juice.
Another quick trick is to let the lemons come to room temperature, then roll them on the countertop under the palm of your hand before squeezing. This will help more juice come out.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd
If you’ve made traditional lemon curd before, you’ll appreciate that this vegan version is much less fussy! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Combine the ingredients. Whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Thicken. With the saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the curd mixture for about 6 minutes as it warms up.
Add the next 3 ingredients. Once the lemon curd mixture has thickened, reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour in the sugar while whisking, then whisk in the sea salt and vanilla. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add the coconut cream. Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously whisk in the coconut cream.
Finish. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the vegan lemon curd thickens. Add more sugar to taste.
Chill. Refrigerate the lemon curd until you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Success
Here are some simple tips to help make sure your vegan lemon curd turns out perfect .
- Use coconut cream. Coconut cream is the solid white mass at the top of a can of coconut milk. If it’s warm in your kitchen, I recommend popping your can of coconut milk in the fridge a day ahead of time, as chilling will help the cream separate from the coconut water. (You can use the leftover coconut water to make smoothies—I love it in my Pineapple Peach Smoothie !)
- Whisk well. Both the cornstarch and the coconut cream can create small lumps in the lemon curd, so be sure to whisk constantly and vigorously to break them up.
- Be patient. This vegan lemon curd really benefits from the chilling time, which mellows any remaining coconut flavour and thickens the curd mixture so it’s super creamy and spreadable.
What Do You Eat Lemon Curd With?
Other than eating it with a spoon, I love this vegan lemon curd for breakfast with pancakes and waffles . It’s delicious spread on my vegan Japanese milk bread , biscuits , or just a slice of toast. Use it to make lemony desserts by layering it on vegan vanilla cupcakes , or keep it simple and serve a dollop over vegan yogurt or ice cream .
How to Store
Store this vegan lemon curd in a tightly sealed jar or container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, this vegan lemon curd freezes very well. Pour it into an airtight container and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
More Reader-Favourite Lemon Recipes
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Lemon Pepper Tofu
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Easy Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup sugar
- tiny pinch of turmeric for colour
- 1/4 cup thick coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk
- pinch of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- In an off pan whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water and lemon juice until fully incorporated. Turn the pan to medium-high heat and begin to whisk for about 6 minutes as the mixture heats up. You want to whisk the entire time so the cornstarch doesn’t clump up. The mixture will begin to thicken around the 3-minute mark then continue to get thicker by 6 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Slowly add in the sugar and whisk thoroughly into the curd. Add in the sea salt, vanilla and stir to combine. Stir for another two minutes. If you begin to see any lumps whisk vigorously to remove.
- Remove from heat and Stir in the coconut cream and whisk vigorously to combine again. Bring back to heat and allow the mixture to heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes more minutes until it begins to thicken up even more, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more sugar if needed for your tastebuds – it’s supposed to be sweet and tart.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool in the fridge. There’s barely any coconut flavour but any traces will be removed once it cools fully. Enjoy!
Notes
This easy vegan lemon curd has the same luxurious, creamy texture and sweet-tart flavour as the original, minus the butter and eggs! You’ll love it on pancakes, desserts, or just eating with a spoon.
I love all things lemon! There I said it; I admitted it and I’m not ashamed. Now that I got that off my chest, I can speak about this vegan lemon curd recipe with extreme bias.
I used to love lemon curd before going vegan, and I loved to make it from scratch too. I wasn’t sure if a vegan lemon curd could measure up to the original version, but I was so wrong. This vegan lemon curd is rich and smooth; tart and sweet; perfect for spreading on toast and scones for breakfast or shortbread and cakes for dessert.
That said, one of my favourite things about this lemon curd is how easy it is to make. Although I used to enjoy making regular lemon curd, I was always aware of how temperamental it was. I knew I could make this vegan lemon curd recipe at 2 am in the morning (this is my life) and still be able to pull it off easily.
If you’re not sold yet, you really should just give this recipe a try. I bet you’ll end up making it again and again!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Fresh lemon juice – This isn’t the time to use bottled lemon juice! Fresh is best.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch replaces the egg in this recipe, thickening the vegan lemon curd so it’s creamy and spreadable.
- Water
- Sugar
- Turmeric – This gives your lemon curd a nice colour even without the egg yolks.
- Coconut cream – Scoop this from the top of a can of coconut milk.
- Sea salt
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest – Zest the lemons before juicing them.
How Do You Juice Lemons Without a Juicer?
- Use a citrus reamer or a handheld lemon squeezer.
- Use a fork or a knife to poke holes into the halved lemons and break apart the membranes so it’s easier to squeeze out the juice.
Another quick trick is to let the lemons come to room temperature, then roll them on the countertop under the palm of your hand before squeezing. This will help more juice come out.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Curd
If you’ve made traditional lemon curd before, you’ll appreciate that this vegan version is much less fussy! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Combine the ingredients. Whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Thicken. With the saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the curd mixture for about 6 minutes as it warms up.
Add the next 3 ingredients. Once the lemon curd mixture has thickened, reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour in the sugar while whisking, then whisk in the sea salt and vanilla. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add the coconut cream. Remove the pan from the heat and vigorously whisk in the coconut cream.
Finish. Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the vegan lemon curd thickens. Add more sugar to taste.
Chill. Refrigerate the lemon curd until you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Success
Here are some simple tips to help make sure your vegan lemon curd turns out perfect .
- Use coconut cream. Coconut cream is the solid white mass at the top of a can of coconut milk. If it’s warm in your kitchen, I recommend popping your can of coconut milk in the fridge a day ahead of time, as chilling will help the cream separate from the coconut water. (You can use the leftover coconut water to make smoothies—I love it in my Pineapple Peach Smoothie !)
- Whisk well. Both the cornstarch and the coconut cream can create small lumps in the lemon curd, so be sure to whisk constantly and vigorously to break them up.
- Be patient. This vegan lemon curd really benefits from the chilling time, which mellows any remaining coconut flavour and thickens the curd mixture so it’s super creamy and spreadable.
What Do You Eat Lemon Curd With?
Other than eating it with a spoon, I love this vegan lemon curd for breakfast with pancakes and waffles . It’s delicious spread on my vegan Japanese milk bread , biscuits , or just a slice of toast. Use it to make lemony desserts by layering it on vegan vanilla cupcakes , or keep it simple and serve a dollop over vegan yogurt or ice cream .
How to Store
Store this vegan lemon curd in a tightly sealed jar or container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, this vegan lemon curd freezes very well. Pour it into an airtight container and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
More Reader-Favourite Lemon Recipes
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Lemon Pepper Tofu
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Easy Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup sugar
- tiny pinch of turmeric for colour
- 1/4 cup thick coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk
- pinch of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- In an off pan whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water and lemon juice until fully incorporated. Turn the pan to medium-high heat and begin to whisk for about 6 minutes as the mixture heats up. You want to whisk the entire time so the cornstarch doesn’t clump up. The mixture will begin to thicken around the 3-minute mark then continue to get thicker by 6 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Slowly add in the sugar and whisk thoroughly into the curd. Add in the sea salt, vanilla and stir to combine. Stir for another two minutes. If you begin to see any lumps whisk vigorously to remove.
- Remove from heat and Stir in the coconut cream and whisk vigorously to combine again. Bring back to heat and allow the mixture to heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes more minutes until it begins to thicken up even more, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more sugar if needed for your tastebuds – it’s supposed to be sweet and tart.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool in the fridge. There’s barely any coconut flavour but any traces will be removed once it cools fully. Enjoy!
Notes
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
Ingredients
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup sugar
- tiny pinch of turmeric for colour
- 1/4 cup thick coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk
- pinch of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd
- In an off pan whisk the cornstarch, lemon zest, turmeric, water and lemon juice until fully incorporated. Turn the pan to medium-high heat and begin to whisk for about 6 minutes as the mixture heats up. You want to whisk the entire time so the cornstarch doesn’t clump up. The mixture will begin to thicken around the 3-minute mark then continue to get thicker by 6 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Slowly add in the sugar and whisk thoroughly into the curd. Add in the sea salt, vanilla and stir to combine. Stir for another two minutes. If you begin to see any lumps whisk vigorously to remove.
- Remove from heat and Stir in the coconut cream and whisk vigorously to combine again. Bring back to heat and allow the mixture to heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes more minutes until it begins to thicken up even more, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more sugar if needed for your tastebuds - it’s supposed to be sweet and tart.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool in the fridge. There’s barely any coconut flavour but any traces will be removed once it cools fully. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Easy Vegan Lemon Curd https://jessicainthekitchen.com/easy-vegan-lemon-curd/ May 2, 2023
These air fryer smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. They’re crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and quick and easy to make.
Potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. They complement so many different meals, and add a salty, hearty element to the table. And this recipe for air fryer smashed potatoes is absolutely one of the best potato dishes I’ve found. It’s so easy to make, with just three ingredients, and takes less than 45 minutes.
I recommend making some vegan ranch dressing or roasted strawberry barbecue sauce to dip these crunchy potatoes into, but they’re pretty fantastic all by themselves, too. And did I mention that they’re vegan? If you need a new side dish in your cooking rotation, look no further!
Notes on Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that you need to make these crispy air fryer smashed potatoes. The recipe card at the bottom of the article has the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Baby potatoes – You want to use baby potatoes that are quite small, or bigger ones that are cut in half. Make sure they’re thoroughly washed and dried.
- Flaky sea salt
- Olive oil
- Pesto – This is an optional garnish.
- Shredded vegan cheese – Also an optional garnish.
How to Make Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Here’s how to make these quick and easy crunchy potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 400F until cooked all the way through. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Smash. Remove the potatoes from the air fryer and place them on a baking sheet. Smash them with the bottom side of a glass, breaking the skin and leaving the potatoes flat.
- Add the olive oil. Drizzle the olive oil over both sides of the smashed potatoes, making sure to coat them thoroughly.
- Season. Return the potatoes to the air fryer, then season with salt.
- Finish cooking. Cook at 400F for 8 minutes, then remove the potatoes. Top with the optional garnishes, then eat while hot.
Tips for Success
Here are a few of my favorite tricks and tips for making the best air fryer potatoes.
- Use good potatoes. Potatoes have a long shelf life, but after a certain point they start to get a little soft. Soft potatoes are still good to use for many different recipes, but I don’t recommend using them for smashed potatoes. In order to get the perfect crunch on this recipe, use potatoes that are still fully firm.
- Don’t crowd. When you return the smashed potatoes to the air fryer basket, make sure they’re not crowded. You don’t want the potatoes to be touching, or else air won’t be able to circulate around them, and they won’t get crispy. You may have to cook the smashed potatoes in batches, but trust me: it will be worth it.
- Don’t skimp on the salt. If there’s one food that can take a heavy dose of salt, it’s potatoes. How many times have you had a french fry that had too much salt? Probably not many times. But we’ve all had countless experiences with fries that aren’t seasoned enough. The same is true with smashed potatoes. They’ll taste a little bland if you don’t give them enough salt, but they’ll pop with flavor if you season them strongly.
Serving Suggestions
I’m a fan of serving these crispy potatoes alongside a hearty, warm dinner. Here are a few of my favorite dishes to serve them with.
- Vegan meatloaf
- Vegan wellington
- Vegan turkey roast
- Vegan pumpkin chili
- Easy grillable veggie burgers
How to Store Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
You can store these potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, they’ll lose their crisp pretty quickly, so I don’t recommend making a large batch just to have leftovers. You can reheat the potatoes in an air fryer set to 400F for 3 minutes.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze air fryer smashed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 months but, like putting them in the fridge, they’ll lose some of their crispiness. Reheat straight from the freezer, in a 400F air fryer for 5 minutes.
More Air Fryer Recipes
If you want to make sure that your air fryer is being put to use, try out one of my other favorite air fryer recipes.
- Crispy air fryer tofu
- Air fryer asparagus
- Air fryer baked sweet potatoes
- Air fryer orange tofu
Ingredients
- 1 lbs baby potatoes , small, or cut in half if bigger, washed and patted dry
- ½ – 1 tsp flaky sea salt , for topping
- 1 ½ – 2 tbsp olive oil
- pesto , optional
- shredded vegan cheese , optional
Instructions
- Add your potatoes into the base of your air fryer.
- Air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove potatoes and place on a large baking sheet. Using the bottom of a class, smash the potatoes slightly.
- Drizzle with the olive oil all over both sides of the potatoes. You want to really coat them in oil!
- Add the potatoes back into the air fryer, leaving enough space so they don’t touch (you may have to do multiple rounds but it’s worth it!). Sprinkle with sea salt all over.
- Air fry again at 400°F for 8 minutes. Remove and serve with any dip, or top with pesto, shredded vegan cheese, or more sea salt, and enjoy!
