This easy vegan lemon curd is thick, glossy, and bursting with real lemon flavor. With my new and improved method, fresh lemon zest is rubbed in the sugar for an incredibly intense flavor experience. It adds the perfect zesty kick to breakfast or desserts.
Prepare: Zest and then juice your lemons. Set a large mixing bowl and fine-mesh sieve aside for later.
Flavor the sugar: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a saucepan and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar crystals feel "wet".
Whisk in the ingredients: Add the cornstarch to the saucepan and whisk until evenly mixed with the sugar and zest. Then pour in the lemon juice and soy milk and whisk until completely smooth and there are no visible lumps.
Cook: On medium heat (low heat if you're using a gas cooker) and continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens - this will take around 10 minutes. (*see note 6)Alternate between a rubber spatula and a whisk to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the curd has thickened enough to coat the back of the spatula without running off of it, remove it from the heat and whisk in the turmeric.
Sift: Place the cold vegan butter in the large mixing bowl and sit the fine-mesh sieve on top of the bowl. Pass the lemon curd through the sieve, using a spatula to squeeze it through if needed. Whisk it into the butter until smooth.
Chill: Cover the surface of the lemon curd with plastic wrap, and let it cool slightly for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to the fridge to cool for an hour.
It will thicken while it chills in the fridge. Once chilled, you can go ahead and use it in other recipes, or transfer it to an airtight jar and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Storage: It will last for at least 2 weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge. If you plan on using it on the same day you can keep it out at room temperature in a sealed jar. You can gently heat and melt it in a saucepan anytime you need a runnier curd consistency. You can also freeze it for several months in a covered container and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
Granulated sugar: Some white sugar is not vegan, if in doubt use organic sugar.
Lemon Zest: Use organic lemons if possible, otherwise use unwaxed lemons and wash and dry them thoroughly before use.
Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed, not bottled juice.
Soy milk: Swap for another unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice. Almond milk and oat milk both work well.
Vegan butter: You can swap this for coconut cream or thick full-fat canned coconut milk. Just note that the consistency may not be quite as set as with butter.
Cook low and slow. If you're using a gas hob, the curd will cook and thicken quicker than with a convection or electric stove. So be careful to have the heat low on a gas cooktop so that it doesn't thicken too fast.