This creamy, dairy-free lemon custard is a delicious and yet simple dessert that is perfect with fresh berries.
Custards are typically milk-based sauces that are thickened with egg yolks and sometimes a starch, like corn starch. However, because this is a paleo lemon custard, full-fat coconut milk is used for the base and egg yolks are the only thickener.
Do not be intimidated by making this stove-top custard sauce! All you need is a water bath or double boiler to ensure even cooking, a willingness to gently whisk the sauce for about 10 minutes. Unlike other custard recipes, you do not have to first heat the milk before adding it to the eggs or strain the custard once it is cooked.
Lemon custard or lemon curd?
Traditionally, custards are milk-based and can either be cooked on the stove or in the oven (ie burnt cream). A citrus curd simply uses juice in place of milk.
When creating this recipe, I wanted to add the least amount of added sugar possible while still obtaining and creamy and sweet lemon sauce. Therefore, I needed to use something other than lemon juice as the base.
Simple Dairy-free Lemon Custard
Please do not be intimidated by the water bath needed to cook this delicious lemon custard! It really is a very simple method of cooking the sauce. It is so worth the *minimal* effort!
Adding a ring made out of aluminum foil to your pot of water is a simple way to stabilize your bowl while cooking the custard.
The custard will thicken after about 10 minutes of whisking the mixture over the simmering water. The custard will coat a spoon when dipped into the hot sauce.
Once the lemon custard has thickened, pour the sauce into a clean glass bowl or container. Be sure to NOT Scrape the sides of the bowl as your pour… you do not want any of the curdled custard in your smooth and creamy dairy-free lemon custard sauce!
Serving suggestions for Lemon Custard Sauce
This coconut-milk based lemon custard is delicious when served with fresh berries.
Paleo Lemon Custard Recipe
Dairy Free Lemon Custard
This light and lemony dairy-free custard is delicious served with fresh berries or as a filling for a fresh fruit tart.
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk *
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tsp lemon zest, from 4 lemons*
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsps maple syrup
Instructions
- Fill a medium size saucepan half full with water. Make a ring out of aluminum foil, as pictured, and place in water. Heat water until simmering gently
- Whisk together coconut milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and maple syrup in a medium size bowl
- Place bowl with coconut milk mixture onto aluminum foil ring in the simmering water
- Whisk mixture gently until the custard thickens. This will take approximately 10 minutes, custard will be approximately 160 degrees F
- Poor thickened custard into a clean bowl. Be careful to not scrape sides where custard may have curdled. This ensures that custard does not need to be poured through a sieve
- Cover custard with parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 2 hrs)
- Serve cold custard with your favorite fresh berries for a delicious dessert
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix
*Notes
- I try to use coconut milk that does not contain any stabilizers (ie gums or thickeners). The ingredients should simply read coconut milk and water. Trader Joe’s brand of coconut milk is a good option.
- When using the zest in recipes, I prefer to purchase organic citrus. Read more on pesticides and produce.
Other delicious paleo desserts you may enjoy:
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Rachel
Friday 24th of February 2023
This was delicious and worked perfectly for me! The perfect balance of sweet, creamy, and tart.
My one complaint is that the quantity produced was quite small to be considered 6 servings. I needed to feed 5 people and each serving was less than 1/3 cup, which didn't look like much. I think 4 servings would be more accurate.
Carol
Monday 29th of March 2021
Stirred 45 min did not thicken used pasture raised organic eggs not pasteurized used full fat coconut milk as indicted. Waste of egg yolks
June Brinkman
Wednesday 25th of March 2020
I am also allergic to coconut. I just made this with millet milk (from Isola Bio) and a little arrowroot powder. I did use 6 yolks as that is what I had left over from making merigues. It turned out really well! wondering if it would freeze well?
Meredith
Thursday 26th of March 2020
Hi June - thank you for sharing your recipe modifications! I am so happy the lemon custard worked well for you. In general, freezing custard is not possible. They tend to separate when they thaw. All the best, Meredith
Brandy
Tuesday 25th of June 2019
How long does it last if kept in fridge? I am making some Genovesi cookies and have to use dairy free products for the judging part. Want to make the custard a few days early but also want it to still be good. TIA
Meredith
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
Hi Brandy - I have kept this custard in the fridge up to three days after cooking it. Just make sure to have parchment paper or plastic wrap gently pressed on the top of it before packaging it up in an air tight container. This will prevent a crust or skin from forming on the top of the custard while it is stored. Enjoy!
Maria Pappano
Wednesday 21st of November 2018
Are you using only the thick cream from a can of full-fat refrigerated coconut milk? I would like to make this but I'm not sure about the type of coconut milk you're using. Thanks very much!
Meredith
Wednesday 21st of November 2018
Hi Maria - I use room temperature full fat coconut milk when making this custard, which makes a thin pourable pastry cream that has a sauce-like consistency. If you use the firm part of refrigerated coconut milk, your custard will no doubt be thicker. I hope you enjoy it! Meredith