This easy lemon fudge recipe is so amazingly good. It's tart and sweet and incredibly creamy. Plus it's super easy to make in the microwave using just 2 ingredients.
Do you love lusciously creamy lemon meringue pie? Yes! Well this lemon fudge, bursting with lemon and creamy vanilla flavor, will definitely be one of your favorite recipes here at How To Make Easy Fudge. It is so good and so easy to make.
No need to peel, zest, or even squeeze a lemon to make this easy lemon fudge. You simply melt white chocolate chips and some store-bought lemon curd together in the microwave. You will be so impressed with how amazing this fudge tastes. I am sure!
I am not a huge fan of lemons because they are just too sour for me but I do love lemon-flavored desserts like this Lemon Lush and this lemon fudge. The sweet fudge had me going back again and again to grab another piece.
The lemon flavor is really intense in this homemade candy but the undertones of vanilla cream from the white chocolate make it so beautifully balanced.
It's uniquely refreshing and has a pretty pastel yellow color so it would make a lovely dessert to serve at a spring or summer party.
It would also make a wonderful gift along with some pretty pastel Orange Creamsicle Fudge or Strawberry Fudge.
What makes this lemon fudge easy to make?
- It's made with just 2 ingredients: white chocolate chips and lemon curd.
- You melt, mix, and pour. That's it!
What is lemon curd?
- Lemon curd is a creamy smooth, intensely flavored, somewhat tart, somewhat sweet, cross between lemon jelly and lemon custard.
- Lemon curd is made using egg yolks, butter, sugar, and real lemon juice.
- You can make homemade lemon curd on the stove or in the microwave or you can just buy jars of it at the grocery store.
How to make easy lemon fudge.
- Stir lemon curd into white chocolate.
- Melt in the microwave.
- Heat at 70% power for 90 seconds then let the bowl rest in the microwave for about 3 minutes before stirring.
- If all the white chocolate doesn't melt, let it rest for a few more minutes then stir again.
- If needed, heat for 15 seconds at 70% power and repeat the process above.
- Pour into a lined pan.
That's it! This lemon fudge is seriously so easy to make and it has such a lovely flavor. No one will ever guess it took you less than 10 minutes to make it.
Can I use store-bought lemon curd for this lemon fudge recipe?
- Yes.
- I use jars of lemon curd because I am all about making easy fudge recipes and there's not much easier than simply melting two ingredients together to make this microwave lemon fudge.
- Would I say it's worth the effort to make it homemade? Yes, if you are making a pie or tart, but no if you want to make this easy fudge.
- When developing this recipe I tried it both ways: with homemade lemon curd and with a jar of lemon curd. The flavor differences in the fudge were barely detectable. I shared this fudge with over a dozen friends and family and they loved both versions.
- I used Dickinson's Lemon curd in a jar because I can easily find it at Kroger and other grocery stores and it is quite thick which works really well for this recipe.
- You will need about 1 ½ jars (10 ounces each) to make this recipe.
- If you do make homemade lemon curd which will be much thinner than what I used or you buy a jar that contains really thin lemon curd you might want to add an additional 3 ounces of white chocolate (½ cup of chips) to the recipe in order to get this homemade lemon fudge to set up properly.
What type of white chocolate to use?
- I developed this recipe using Nestle Premier White Chips which made a wonderfully flavored fudge.
- Nestle white "chocolate" chips are actually considered a confectionery coating because they are made using vegetable oil (palm kernel oil) instead of cocoa butter which is used to make pure white chocolate.
- You can use pure white chocolate chips to make this fudge but know that the lemon flavor will not be quite as intense because the flavor of the cocoa butter will mute the lemon flavor slightly.
- You can also use other types of white confectionery coating like White Candy Melts, White Almond Bark, Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers, or Peter's IceCaps (one of my personal favorites).
NOTE:
- White chocolate is a bit softer than white confectionery coating so you’ll need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
- If using white confectionery coating chips (no cocoa butter listed in the ingredients) use 24 ounces, if using pure white chocolate (with cocoa butter listed in the ingredients) then use 28 ounces.
Can I use real lemons or lemon extract to flavor my fudge?
- I really love that this fudge is essentially flavored with real lemons being lemon curd is made with real lemons. If you want to use fresh lemons to make this lemon fudge, then you will need to make lemon curd first.
- You could make lemon fudge by adding the lemon extract to our vanilla fudge recipe if you can't find lemon curd, but that fudge won't have the same flavor.
You can find the Nestle White Chips or Peter's IceCaps and the lemon curd in a single jar or multi-pack on amazon (commission earned for sales).
Video
Watch this video tutorial to see how quick and easy it is to make homemade lemon fudge.
Recipe
Enjoy this refreshingly sweet and slightly tart Lemon Fudge for dessert on a warm spring or summer day.
- 24-28 ounces (680 - 794 grams) white chocolate chips* (see note below)
- 1 ⅓ cups (416 grams) lemon curd
Line an 8-inch square pan with non-stick tin foil or parchment paper or regular tin foil- sprayed lightly with baking spray.
Pour the white chocolate chips and the lemon curd into a microwave-safe mixing bowl.
Heat at 70% power for 90 seconds.
Let rest in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Remove and stir until melted.
If needed, heat for another 15 seconds at 70% power. Let rest, allowing the residual heat in the fudge to melt any remaining chips, then stir until melted.
Pour the fudge into the lined baking pan.
Cover with a piece of tin foil or plastic wrap.
Chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours until firm.
Remove the fudge from the pan and peel off the tin foil or parchment paper.
Cut into 36 squares.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe was originally published on August 15, 2018.
I know you will enjoy making and eating this sweet and tart lemon fudge. If you have any other questions about making fudge, be sure to check out our Easy Fudge Recipe FAQ. There you will get tips and tricks for choosing the right pans, lining pans, making and storing fudge, and more.
If you like this fruit-flavored fudge you might also like these other easy fudge recipes...
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Fudge Recipe
Orange Creamsicle Fudge Recipe
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Nikki
I never thought to put lemon curd in a fudge recipe, but this turned out SO great! Perfect amount of lemon Thank you!
Beth
I'm so glad you enjoyed this lemon fudge!!!
Debra
Hi Beth,
Just made this fudge and waiting patiently for it to set 🙂
Tell me please, can this recipe be made the same way with a replacement of limes for lemons, curd as well?
Beth
Hi Debra, yes you can use lime curd instead of lemon. Here's a recipe - https://howtomakeeasyfudge.com/key-lime-fudge/
Kennedy
Yumm! Such a great summer recipe!
Beth
This fudge is so refreshing and is perfect for summer.
Leigh
This recipe sounds great and so easy. Lemon Curd is a little pricey where I live but I think it would be worth it to make these. I was just wondering:
Would it work to grate some lemon rinds into the mixture just before the final stir (after it's been cooked) to add some lemony "chunks" to the final product?
I made some dark chocolate and raisin fudge in a similar way and the added texture is quite interesting.
Beth
Thanks Leigh! This fudge is really good and can be made using homemade lemon curd if you can't find reasonably prices jars of it in the store. Adding some lemon rind would be really nice. It would enhance the lemon flavor and add little flecks of color to the fudge which would look nice. I hope you enjoy this fudge!
Aly Chiman
I can't believe how good this fudge is made with just 2 ingredients. I brought home some lemon curd from a trip we took to Ireland and I used it to make this fudge. Everyone loved it!!! I'll be making this again and again and again. Thanks for such an easy recipe.
Beth
We are so glad you like this easy fudge recipe. Using good lemon curd will definitely give you outstanding flavor. Enjoy making this again!
Jill Washington
My family loved this fudge so much that I'm making it for Easter. I'm cutting it into little eggs then adding beaks, eyes, and feet to make it look like little chicks. I saw some similar treats on your Hungry Happenings site and thought it would be fun to decorate this lemon fudge. Have a happy Easter!
Beth
That is a brilliant idea! I might just have to use that next Easter to make some chicks to share with everyone. I'd love to see a picture of your fudge. 🙂
Tanya Fields
I was excited to try this recipe and it did not disappoint! The lemon flavor is amazing and it is so easy to make. It was a little soft, but I'm guessing that's because it's summer and it's warm in my house. Next time I might add a bit more white chocolate if I make it in the warm months.
Beth
Adding a bit more white chocolate in warmer month's is not a bad idea! It will definitely make a firmer fudge. I'm really happy that you found the fudge easy to make and really yummy!
Adriana
wow, thanks for the recipe! can this be made without a microwave?
Beth
Yes, you can melt the white chocolate and lemon curd in a pan set over low heat on the stove. Remove it from the heat once about 75% of the white chocolate melts. Stir it then let it rest for a few minutes and stir again. You can return it to the heat if needed, but the chips should all melt after sitting for a few minutes. Enjoy!
K
Can I add meringue pieces to this?
Beth
That would be delicious!
Vicky Clarke
Love the sound of your recipes, but always struggle with the measurements here in the UK ne er quite turns out right.
Lois
HI. I made the lemon fudge and after five hours of it sitting in the fridge it is still soft. It has the consistency of a thick icing that you would use to ice a cake. I even added extra white chocolate because I wanted a former fudge. Any idea what I might have done wrong and is there anyway to fix it?
Beth
Hi Lois, I am so sorry the fudge did not firm up for you. My guess would be that the lemon curd was thinner than what I used. You can fix it. Slowly remelt the fudge using short 10 second bursts of power in the microwave then once it is soft blend in more melted white chocolate. If the fudge gets too hot and it becomes greasy then you'll want to spread it out on a marble or granite countertop or on a metal cookie sheet. Then scoop it up, then spread it out, then scoop it up. Continue to do this until the grease is worked back into the fudge. The fudge will be really thick at this point so you'll need to press it into the pan.
Lois
Thank you so much for the suggestion. I will give it a try and let you know how it turns out. The flavour is amazing so I would would Iike to salvage it 👍🏻
Davina
How many grams of lemon curd and choc chips?
Beth
You'll use 24-28 ounces (680 - 794 grams) white chocolate chips and 1 1/3 cups (416 grams) lemon curd.
TT
Will this set at room temperature? I am hoping to use this as a fudgy frosting for cupcakes, and I don't want to have to refrigerate the cake.
Beth
Yes, you can allow the fudge to firm up at room temperature.
Kimberly S.
So delicious! I made a batch of the fudge and scooped it into 2 Oz cups to sell at our bake sale this year and it was a hit. I’ve made several batches since but added about a 1/3 cup of crushed lemonheads and dotted the top with whole lemonheads. The pop and crunch of the lemonhead candy made it even more addictive.
Beth
I am so glad you enjoyed this lemon fudge recipe and that your cups were a hit at the bake sale. I love the idea of adding lemon heads to this fudge. I'm sure it tastes and looks great.
Roberta Roberts
This was so simple to make My Great Nephew asked for lemon fudge and I had never heard of it It tastes delicious He turns 9 today so I sure hope he loves it Thank you