Do you like lemons? I sure do! If you have never had Instant Pot Lemon Curd, you are in for a treat This is an easy pressure cooker lemon curd recipe, and the results are amazing! Lemon curd is a tart-sweet custard type confection, and is a wonderful topping on yogurt, cheesecake, toast, pastry, and much more.
Instant Pot Lemon Curd
I think lemons are the best citrus fruit! Their bright scent and pretty yellow color makes me happy! You can do so much with lemons, like make cleaners, essential oil, wood polish, and of course, there are a ton of food recipes that lemons are the star of!
Instant Pot Lemon Curd is one of those recipes, and it’s delicious and super easy to make.
Here’s how to make it:
My favorite cake filling is lemon curd. And on yogurt, lemon curd is divine! Many people don’t know how easy it is to make. You can make it on the stove, in the microwave, and in your Instant Pot!
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Instant Pot Lemon Curd is a delicious confection made with lemons , eggs, and butter. It is so delicious, and is great on cheesecakes, pastries, yogurt, toast, and as filling for cakes, pies, etc.
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
- 1 cup Lemon Juice (about 4-5 lemons)
- 1 1/4 cups Sugar (reduce to 1 cup if you like it tart)
- 5 Tbsp Butter, softened
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolks
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Pour 2 cups of water into the inner liner stainless pot. Place the trivet/rack in the pot.
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Add the Zest of the lemons (careful not to get any of the white pith, you just want the yellow part) and put zest in a mixing bowl.
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Juice as many of the lemons as you need to get 1 cup of lemon juice. Set juice aside.
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Add the sugar and butter to the mixing bowl with the zest, and cream together, using a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.
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Add the eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined (it will be lumpy from the butter).
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Pour into 1 cup or pint mason canning jars and put the lids on finger tight. Don't fill more than 3/4 full as the mixture will "rise" as it cooks (it does come back down when you stir it).
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Place the jars on the trivet in the pot. Place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the + or - button or dial to select 9 minutes.
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After the cook time has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute Natural Release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position and release any remaining steam/pressure.
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When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid and very carefully remove the hot jars of curd. Use an oven mitt, or a canning jar retriever. Be very careful! Set the jars on a surface that can withstand the heat.
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Carefully open one of the jars and stir the lemon curd with a fork or very small whisk until it comes together and is creamy. Repeat with remaining jars of lemon curd.
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If there are any small lumps that you don't want in there, you can strain it into a bowl and refill the jars, or transfer to a container of your choice (though this has never happened to me). Let cool for about 15 more minutes, then put in the fridge for a few hours to chill and firm up.
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Serve this delicious lemon curd on yogurt, toast, cheesecake, pastry, cakes, muffins, or just eat it by the spoonful!
If you are going to use this lemon curd as a cake filling, add 1 1/2 Tbsp of corn starch to the mixture when you add the eggs. This will help it stay on the cake layer.
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Jill N
Delicious! I used 5 medium lemons and added lemon juice to make 1 Cup. I used a tablespoon of zest that I cut up a bit. I softened the butter to almost melting in the microwave. After making this twice before, I’ve discovered that skimming off the little egg white pieces that rise to the top helps and I don’t have to strain the curd. I used a 4 Cup PYREX measuring cup covered with parchment paper. I used a silicone sling for ease of removal. I mixed with a silicone whisk and then I transferred to 4 one cup mason jars with lids, filled 3/4 of the way up.
Judy Robison
How long does the lemon curd last when refrigerated?
Sandy
About 4 weeks.
Joanne Turgeon
Tastes amazing, sure hope it thickens up when cooled.
sewqueen
This is great! Nobody wants to stand at the stove stirring forever lol. Thanks!
Kelly
I’ve been making lemon curd for years and after finding this recipe, will never make it any other way. Pure perfection. I used my stainless steel pan insert with the lid and it was amazing. Thank you! 5 stars!
Cher
I don’t have small canning jars but I have the big ones ! Can I use big ones and do I have to adjust cooking time ?
Sandy
I think so. Don’t fill them all the way. You only want about a cup to a cup and a half in each jar.
Helen
I made mine last night, tastes good but has a gritty chew. Did the sugar not desolve? What else could cause this?
Sandy
I’ve never heard of that happening with this recipe. You can try blending it in the blender to smooth it out. Then slowly reheat it using a double boiler, stirring.
Jen
If you use a smaller jar does the cook time need to be adjusted? Or do I need the pint size jar?
Sandy
If you use a jar smaller than 1 cup (half pint) then yes, reduce the time by 2 or 3 minutes.
Megan
Does anyone know, if after you take out and stir you can then take these to a water bath to seal the jars for a shelf stable gift?
Sandy
I believe so. I would check the Ball Canning website for instructions.
HELEN
Hi
If you haven’t got a pressure cooker what can I use to make the Lemon Curd ?
Sandy
Hi Helen, you can cook it on the stove. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine lemon juice, zest & sugar. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir the mixture until it has melted and combined. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Cindy
This is lemon curd perfection !!! Absolutely delicious and oh so easy to make. The hardest part is trying not to eat it all by myself . Thank you sooo much for sharing
Sandy
Thank you, Cindy! I feel the same way about this lemon curd!
Jennifer
OMG! I just made this lemon curd and its so good! Just the right amount of sweet and tart. The hardest part of the recipe was trying to get the bag of sugar open without spilling it everywhere, LOL! I will definitely be making this again!
Sandy
That’s great! Thank you!
Melissa
Do you mind telling me which zester you own. I tried making orange curd yesterday, different recipe and on the stove and it still had bits of zest in it even after staining.
I could buy a finer strainer but I’d like for add cornstarch to make it firmer so I’d probably not be able to strain it.
I’d like a small enough zest that it would completely cook up. My zester/peeler gives me tiny shreds. They probably would have strained better if I hadn’t tried to chop them up into smaller pieces. But straining is not an option if I use cornstarch.
So which one do you suggest? I browsed Amazon but I couldn’t tell which ones give the finest zest.
Thanks.
Sandy
Hi Melissa, it’s called a Microplane zester: 40020 Classic Zester/Grater (affiliate link).
Joanne
I am English and love my Lemon cured, and home made is a must in my lemon cake recipe! This is the first recipe I made in my insta-pot and it turned out perfectly! Just the right amount of tart and sweet! Thank you!
Sandy
Thank you, Joanne! I’m so happy you like it!
Kim
How much does this make? How many jars? Sounds yummy!
Sandy
Hi Kim, this recipe yields 3 to 4 cups.
Denise
Oh deliciousness! Tastes like the creamy goodness out of a lemon filled donut ?
Sandy
So glad you liked this lemon curd recipe, Denise! Also, lemon filled donuts are amazing! I could see getting some powdered sugar donuts and dipping them in this!
Tricia Gout
Can you use lemon juice from the bottle?
Sandy
I’m not sure. Maybe try it with a half batch and see if you like the flavor?
Jess
Can I do it without individual containers?
Sandy
You can try making it in an oven safe dish, but it’s best if it has a lid. Not directly in the pot. At least I haven’t tried that.
Jen
I had the same problem on all my jars. Do you think the plastic type would work or does it need to be the metal.
Sandy
I wouldn’t pressure cook plastic. You could try foil or small silicone flat discs that are food safe. I have a suggestion here.
Tracy
Can you use silicone molds that are made for making yogurt for this?? I really want to make this but don’t have canning jars…. yet.. 🙂
Sandy
That is such a great idea! I think it would work if there are lids that prevent spillage.
Amelia Jordan
Help. I just made lemon curd but my ball jars have 2 part lids. Even though the outer ring wasn’t tight the flat lid is stunk on where I can’t open jar to stir. What do I do?
Sandy
Just pry it off when it cools enough to touch. Then stir the curd really well. You may need to warm it. I have had this happen, too.
Lana
How long will this keep in the refrigerator and also can this be frozen….
Sandy
Hi Lana, I keep mine in the fridge a few weeks. Yes, it can be frozen! Just thaw it in the fridge about 1 day before you are going to use it.
Jeanne
Does the zest disappear into the curd? When I’ve made lemon curd via stovetop, I’ve always strained it out.
Sandy
Hoi Jeanne, yes, it does for me. I use a microplane zester so the pieces are very small.
Jeanne
Thanks for the reply, I’m very excited to try it!
Teale
Thank you!
I used a 8 qt. Instapot and substituted splenda for sugar
Tastes amazing!
Sandy
That’s great, Teale! I have had people ask me about a sugar substitute, and I’m glad it worked for you! Thank you for your review!
Lauren
Oh my goodness this stuff is dangerously good! I wasn’t sure about it when I opened the first jar because it looked like it had separated, but when I stirred it up it got all smooth and creamy. Whew! The taste is fabulous! I will be making this often to go on my morning yogurt!
Sandy
Ha ha, I know, it does look like a mistake when you first open it. That’s just the melted butter. That’s the reason you need to stir it while it is still hot, then it comes together perfectly! I’m so glad you like it! Thank you for your review!