This lemon curd is thick, creamy and delicious — everything lemon curd should be, vegan or otherwise. Serve it plain or topped with fruit. It’s excellent spread on scones or spooned over pancakes, waffles or french toast. Try it as topping for (vegan or non-vegan) yoghurt or ice cream or as a filling for pastries such as layer cakes, doughnuts or pies. For sweet and tangy start to the day, go wild and dollop some on your morning oatmeal!

Ingredients

1 can (414 ml) coconut cream

½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup

¾ cup (180 ml) lemon juice

3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon zest

¼ cup (60 ml) arrowroot starch

2 tsp (10 ml) natural vanilla essence

2 pinches salt

Yield: approx. 2 ½ cups (375 ml)

Notes

As a guideline, I used 4 average-sized lemons, which gave me just the right amount of juice and more zest than I needed. I definitely recommend investing in a microplane zester; it really takes the pain out of zesting.

After storage, a film may form across the top of the curd — just stir the curd to break that up. The curd is at its best when consumed within 4–5 days of preparation, but will keep if refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Method

Place coconut cream and lemon zest in a small pot, and whisk together. Separately, mix lemon juice and arrowroot together until you have a smooth suspension without any visible powder Add lemon juice mixture to the coconut cream mixture. Add maple syrup and vanilla essence. Whisk until well combined. Bring the mixture to a low simmer over a medium heat, whisking constantly. Once bubbles form, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue whisking. Occasionally scrape the bottom of the pot with a spoon or spatula to ensure the curd isn’t sticking. When the curd is thick and wobbly, forming soft peaks when you spoon some over the top of the mixture, remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10–15 min. Whisk a final time, transfer the curd to a glass jar or plastic container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4–5 hours, or until chilled and set.

Enjoy, with or without spoon!