Vanilla Bean Lemon Curd

Aug 17, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Paste Medium

Filled doughnut cut open to show vanilla bean lemon curd

A tangy, silky vanilla bean lemon curd for doughnuts, cooked gently until thick. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 1 1/2 cups; fills 10 to 12 doughnuts.

Prep 10 min

Cook 12 min

Chill 2 hr

Total 2 hr 22 min

Yield 12 doughnuts

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

doughnuts

½ cup (120.0 ml)fresh lemon juice
1.0 tbsplemon zest, finely grated
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
4.0 (72.0 g)large egg yolks
⅛ tspfine sea salt
6.0 tbsp (85.0 g)unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1.0 tspVanillaGoods vanilla bean paste

Make it at home

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Instructions

In a medium heatproof bowl or small saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water), or cook the saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula until the curd thickens enough to coat the spatula and reaches 170°F, 8 to 12 minutes. Don't let it boil.
Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the butter and vanilla bean paste, a few pieces at a time, until smooth.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 2 hours.
Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a long filling tip. Poke a small hole in the side of each cooled doughnut and pipe in about 2 tablespoons, until the doughnut feels heavy.

Tips

Stir constantly and keep the heat low; the yolks curdle if the curd boils.
Vanilla swap: pure vanilla extract works 1:1 in place of the paste; you'll just lose the specks.
Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla bean lemon curd?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep and 12 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to chill. It makes about 1 1/2 cups; fills 10 to 12 doughnuts.

How should I store vanilla bean lemon curd?

Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

pure vanilla extract works 1:1 in place of the paste; you'll just lose the specks.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

125 Calories / serving

7.4g Fat

14.1g Carbs

1.1g Protein

13.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~1500 cal · 89g fat · 169g carbs · 13g protein · 163g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 125 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 24 min·1.4 mi·~2800 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 17 min·0.9 mi·~1700 steps
Moderate cycling 13 min·2.6 mi
Swimming laps 18 min
Jogging 12 min·1.0 mi·~1900 steps
Stair climbing 12 min·~1100 steps
Dancing 20 min
Bodyweight circuit training 13 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 29 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.

Made with VanillaGoods

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