23 Delicious Uses for Lemon Curd
Do you have some store-bought or homemade lemon curd and aren’t sure what to do with it? Here are 20+ delicious uses for lemon curd to help you out!
When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd.
And when life gives you lemon curd? There are soooo many possibilities!
You can enjoy the luscious, silky, tangy custard on scones or toast, by the spoonful, or as an ingredient in a huge variety of desserts and even breakfast foods.
What do I do with lemon curd?
If you’ve made or been gifted some lemon curd and aren’t sure where to start, here are some basic ideas of how how to use it. It’s so versatile!
- As a topping: On scones, pancakes and waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, other cakes (Vanilla/white/lemon/nutty), cookies (ginger cookies are a great match), or even plain toast!
- As a filling: Between cake layers, in a tart, in a crepe, or as a filling for macarons and other sandwich cookies
- With a spoon: Layered in a parfait, or literally by itself out of the jar
- In a recipe: See this whole list below!!
What flavors go well with lemon curd?
Now you know what to do with it, but what flavors go well with lemon curd? Here are some common flavor pairings you’ll see.
- Lemon curd + Fresh berries
- Lemon curd + More lemon
- Lemon curd + Cheesecake (or other mild creamy cheeses like ricotta or mascarpone)
- Lemon curd + Almond or coconut
- Lemon curd + Vanilla or white chocolate
Recipes that Use Lemon Curd
You can wing it based on the suggestions above, or there are tons of delicious recipes that use lemon curd as an ingredient!
Uses for lemon curd in a parfait or layered dessert
You can, of course, just eat lemon curd straight out of the jar, but you can also layer it into a parfait or other fancy dessert and still get nice spoonfuls of tangy goodness!
Lemon Mousse with Fresh Berries
Not only do you get a nice tangy lemon curd bonus at the bottom of the glass, you also use lemon curd to make the mousse itself! It's a super easy recipe and great to make ahead!
Strawberry Shortcake & Lemon Curd Parfaits
This sounds like the best idea ever! And oh, so beautiful too!
Mason Jar Strawberry Shortcake
Similar to the recipe above, this one is not only topped with lemon curd, but also vanilla mascarpone. Yes, please!! And I love these adorable mason jars!
Uses for lemon curd as a tart or pie filling
You can use lemon curd on its own it as a filling for tarts, or fold it in with various cheeses to create a tangy tart or pie filling!
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
If you've made your own lemon curd you may already have some egg whites left over for the meringue topping on these cuties! Great for tea parties, showers, and parties!
Lemon Curd Tarts
All you need to make these cute little tarts is lemon curd and some frozen puff pastry to make the shell!
Mascarpone Cream Cheese Berry Tart with Lemon Curd
I love how colorful this is! Puff pastry, mascarpone, lemon curd, and fresh berries sounds like a good dessert to me!
Grain Free Red, White, and Blue Berry Fruit Tart
This delightful tart uses a nut-based crust filled with a lemon curd-cream cheese mixture and is topped with fresh berries.
Mini Meyer Lemon Tarts with Shortbread Crust
Mini desserts are where it's at! You can top these with a couple berries, as shown, or cover the whole top if you want!
Uses for lemon curd as a filling for cookies and cakes
Lemon curd makes an excellent filling! It's great on its own between layers of cake, or you can mix it with ricotta or cream cheese for a more substantial filling. Here are a few examples!
Almond Lemon Curd Cake with Ricotta & Berries
Just tell me you don't want to eat this luxurious almond olive oil cake layered with ricotta and homemade lemon curd!
Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream
Lemon curd is a delicious alternative to frosting between layers of a cake! Just look at that glorious lemon curd oozing between these layers. I can almost taste it through the screen!
Lemon Cupcakes
Lemon cupcakes... filled with lemon curd... topped with lemon buttercream. Woah. I'll take it!
Perfect vanilla cupcakes stuffed with lemon curd.
Don't want lemon on lemon on lemon? Try stuffing vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd instead!
Easy Microwave Lemon Mug Cake with Lemon Glaze
When you have no sweets in the house (horror!) and want something quick for dessert that tastes like you spent the afternoon baking? Mug cakes are always the answer! This one has lemon curd mixed right into the batter, and a quick lemon glaze on top!
Cream Cheese Filled Lemon Biscuits
Be still, my lemon-loving heart! These lemon cookies with lemon cream cheese filling look like just the perfect treat for a summer afternoon tea!
Uses for lemon curd in or on top of ice cream
The easiest thing you can do is put a big ol' dollop of lemon curd on top of some white chocolate or vanilla bean ice cream! But if you want to get a little fancier with it, check out these homemade ice cream recipes that have lemon curd swirled right in!
Lemon Oreo Ice Cream
This sounds like a great use for those specialty oreos!
No-Churn Lemon Shortbread Ice Cream
No ice cream maker? No problem! I don't see how I could pass up a scoop or two of this no churn lemon shortbread ice cream! I love those swirls of lemon curd!
Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream
This one looks so delicious! I'm not usually one for dairy-free ice cream, but this one uses cashew cream which sounds just delightful, and has regular dairy substitutes for those who aren't looking for dairy-free!
Uses for lemon curd in breakfast foods
Can't wait for dessert to indulge in a lemon curd-filled treat? Never fear! You can have it for breakfast too!
Lemon Ricotta Crêpes with Raspberry Sauce
These crepes are stuffed with ricotta and lemon curd and topped with a homemade raspberry sauce. Sounds good to me!
Lemon Curd Yogurt Parfaits (Starbucks Copycat)
For more of an on-the-go breakfast you can make these parfaits in advance! Just keep the granola separate until you're ready to eat it so it stays crunchy!
Uses for lemon curd in other treats
Because lemon curd is so versatile it cannot be limited into the above categories, here are some miscellaneous uses for lemon curd you won't want to miss either!
Mini Pavlovas with Lemon Curd
Really, this one should be at the top of the list! Light, airy pavlovas are the perfect match for a big dollop of lemon curd, some fresh berries, and homemade whipped cream. A perfect summer dessert!
Coeur à la Crème au Citron et Lavande (Lemon-Lavender hearts with cream)
I've never seen a recipe like this! From the description, I envision it almost as a light, fluffy crustless cheesecake infused with tangy lemon and lavender flavors - served atop homemade berry sauce. This recipe requires special equipment (these heart-shaped molds with holes in the bottom, (affiliate link) or any mold with holes in the bottom!) but the result looks sooo worth it!
Yogurt Fruit Dip with Lemon
Please give me strawberries, skewers of blackberries and raspberries, nilla wafers, and graham crackers to dip in this glorious concoction!
Lemon Curd and Coconut Marshmallows
I want you to read that title one more time. Lemon curd. And coconut. Marshmallows. Yes, that's right. Just try and stop me from devouring the whole batch.
These are just a few of the many ways to use lemon curd to brighten up your desserts (and breakfasts)!
What’s your favorite way to use lemon curd? Let me know in the comments!
They all sound so delicious! How lovely!
What a huge selection of ideas to use my homemade lemon curd with. Such a helpful blog. Figuring out which one to start with is a good problem to have. Thank you!
For sure! Hopefully you have lots of lemon curd so you can try a few!
I’m so thrilled to find this site and all the gorgeous lemon curd recipes! I overbought 2 jars of lemon curd 🤨 Now I can’t wait to put them to good use. Love these recipes!,
Hope you enjoyed many delicious uses for your extra lemon curd!
a little dab on top of chicken salad is yummy
Wow, I would have never thought to try that! What kind of chicken salad do you like it with?
I was wondering if the lemon curd could be used in a more savory dish! Thank you for sharing your idea of adding it atop of a chicken salad 🙂 I love all of her suggestions and I’m definitely going to make some of them!!
I love any type of lemon dessert. It’s just so good.
Makes me ready for spring!
I adore lemon curd! Everyone should keep a jar on hand just for “emergency” desserts! Love these recipes!
I absolutely love lemon and I’m always looking for new ways to use up the ones our tree grows!
Oh man, just do a search on my site for lemon and you’ll find tons of other recipes too! It’s pretty much my favorite flavor in cooking, especially savory foods! I WISH I had a prolifically producing lemon tree!
Beautiful post with so many great ideas! Glad I made a lot of curd this year!
I can’t wait to try your recipe! It looks so delicious and unique!