Bright and beautiful instant pot lemon curd is full of summery citrus flavor. This lemon curd is great for topping or filling all sorts of pastries, cakes, buns, and tarts!
Why this recipe works
Did you know you can easily make lemon curd in the pressure cooker? Gone are the days of standing at the stove stirring and stirring. This instant pot lemon curd takes minimal effort with a delectable sweet-tart outcome.
There are so many ways to use lemon curd. One of my favorite ways is to add it to lemon curd poke cake or fill up thumbprint cookies with it. It’s important to note that this lemon curd is not as thick as your typical store-bought kind, but makes a delicious lemon topping or drizzle over pastries and cakes.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
LEMONS – You will need around 4-5 lemons to yield 3/4 cup of lemon juice. I like to buy a few extras depending on the size of the lemons to make sure I get enough. You’ll also be using around one lemon for its zest. Look for lemons that are firm with smooth skin, no green spots, and are bright in color.
SUGAR – The amount of sugar added to your lemon curd varies from person to person. We don’t like ours overly sweet, or overly tart. A nice middle-ground for us is about 1 cup of granulated sugar. Feel free to experiment with your sugar measurement to find the best suited flavor for yourself.
EGGS – The egg yolks will help thicken up your curd, while the whole eggs in this recipe will help keep it from being too dense. A mixture of the two will produce a lovely smooth lemon curd.
How to Make Lemon Curd
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Place the trivet in the bottom of your 6 qt Instant Pot and pour 1 ½ cups water into the bottom of the pot.
- Blend together the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the eggs and yolks, one at a time until just combined.
- Add in the lemon juice and zest and stir until mixed through.
- Divide and pour the mixture into the pint sized mason jars halfway to ¾ full.
- Screw the mason jar lids on tightly and place on the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and seal the steam valve. Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the lemon curd has finished cooking, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick-release any remaining steam and remove the lid. Carefully pull the jars out and remove the lids.
- Stir the curd mixture well until creamy and thickened. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Serve over your favorite pancakes, muffins, toast, or use to fill tarts and other baked goods.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
This instant pot lemon curd recipe does not contain any preservatives, so it must be kept tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Homemade lemon curd can absolutely be frozen. Store it in an air-tight container or mason jar kept in the freezer for up to 12 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to use it and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Lemon curd is delicious atop pastries, toast, pancakes, and muffins and can also be used as a filling for poke cakes, cookies, pies, lemon sweet rolls, or mixed with yogurt. You can easily double this recipe to make more for later.
More Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Lush
- Lemon Icebox Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Trifle
- Lemon Streusel Squares
- Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
- Lemon Cream Cheese Pudding Dessert
- Instant Pot Lemon Curd Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Lemon Cake
- Lemon Baked Donuts
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Instant Pot Lemon Curd
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup lemon juice fresh
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups water for bottom of instant pot
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Store curd in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks or in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Instructions
- Place the trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot and pour 1 ½ cups water into the bottom of the pot.
- Blend together the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the eggs and yolks, one at a time until just combined.
- Add in the lemon juice and zest and stir until mixed through.
- Divide and pour the mixture into the mason jars halfway to ¾ full. Screw the mason jar lids on tightly and place on the trivet inside the Instant Pot. Close the lid and seal the steam valve. Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the lemon curd has finished cooking, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick-release any remaining steam and remove the lid. Carefully pull the jars out and remove the lids.
- Stir the curd mixture well until creamy and thickened. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Serve over your favorite pancakes, muffins, toast, or use to fill tarts and other baked goods.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Pamela Houdashell says
I haven’t made this yet because I have a question. The ingredients list has 2 cups of water for the bottom of the pot. Yet the instructions say to add 1 and 1/2 cups water to the pot. Where is the other 1/2 cup used? In the curd mixture itself?
Staci Donley says
I used 1 and 3/4 cup water and it worked fine. Also don’t scree the lids on tight or your jar will explode in the instant pot. Screw them on so they are loose.