This creamy lemon dessert is sweet, tangy, light and refreshing. It’s easy to make, takes only a few minutes to prepare, and only needs 3 basic ingredients. It also has a beautiful presentation.
Lemon posset is the perfect summer dessert. It’s cool and refreshing, isn’t too sweet and is bursting with tangy lemon flavor.
Ingredients
- Lemons
- Heavy Cream
- Sugar
Lemons: This dessert is made with fresh lemon juice and zest. You can also serve the posset in hollowed out lemon shells for a nice presentation. But if you don’t have time to hollow out lemons, you can also serve the dessert in small bowls or ramekins. Or you can turn this dessert into a pie.
Heavy cream: The base of this creamy dessert is heavy cream. This recipe will not work with dairy-free heavy cream alternatives.
Sugar: The dessert is lightly sweetened with sugar.
What is Lemon Posset
Lemon posset is a British dessert. It’s a thickened cream dessert with a consistency similar to panna cotta, custard or pudding though it doesn’t use any gelatin or other thickening agents. Instead, it relies on the reaction of the dairy protein in the cream with the acid of the lemon juice to naturally thicken the dessert.
How to Make Lemon Posset
- Combine the sugar, heavy cream and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring to medium heat and let the sugar dissolve. Let the mixture come to a simmer for 30 seconds. Do not let it boil. After 30 seconds, remove the mixture from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes. Then add in the lemon juice. You should see the mixture thicken slightly. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer and pour the posset into your serving bowls or lemon bowls. Place them into the fridge to set.
Taste and Texture
This dessert is both sweet and tangy. It is not super sweet and the tart lemon flavor really comes through. The dessert has a silky, velvety creamy texture. It feels very light and delicate but it is just thick enough to hold its form.
More Lemon Recipes
3 Ingredient Lemon Posset
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tbsp (1.5 fl oz/44 ml) lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated white sugar
Instructions
- If serving the posset in lemon bowls, see notes section for how to make them and make sure to have them ready before making your posset. If you are just serving in ramekins or bowls, then you can move on to step 2.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, lemon zest and granulated sugar. Bring to medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar is fully dissolved. Stop stirring briefly to allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Be careful to only let it reach a simmer (just a few bubbles on the surface) and do not let it come to a boil. Let it simmer for 30 seconds, stirring a few times so that the milk does not curdle. This is very important, see notes for more details. Remove mixture off from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add in the lemon juice. Whisk until the lemon juice is evenly incorporated. The mixture should thicken slightly. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a large liquid measuring cup. Pour the filling into your bowls. Place into the fridge for several hours to set. (I put all the small bowls into a larger pan and covered the top of the pan with plastic wrap before putting them into the fridge.) I like to let the filling set overnight. Keep posset in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- This recipe does not work with dairy-free heavy cream substitutes because it relies on the reaction of the acid from the lemon juice with the dairy protein in the heavy cream.
- It is very important that you don't overcook the filling. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then let the mixture only come to a simmer. If the mixture cooks too long or comes to a boil, the filling will not thicken fully. Also make sure that you remove the cream from the heat before adding the lemon juice.
- This dessert is not super sweet. It is lightly sweet and more zesty and tart.
- How to Make Lemon Bowls: Cut 3 whole lemons in half widthwise (not lengthwise) then trim a small piece off the end of each lemon so that each half can sit upright and level. The lemon halves should look like round bowls. Use a paring knife to carve a perimeter around the lemon membranes. Then use your fingers or a spoon to remove the membranes completely from the lemon shell, keeping the lemon shell intact. You should have a total of 6 bowls. Depending on the size of your lemons, you should have enough filling to fill about 6 bowls. If you have leftover filling, you can always make more lemon bowls or pour the rest into a regular bowl or ramekin.
- You can double this recipe if you need to make more servings.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Looking forward to making these. Bottled lemon juice or fresh squeezed? Or no difference?
We used fresh lemon juice and the zest!
Thank you
Can you use a sugar substitute or does it affect how it sets?
Hi Anne! We have not tested this recipe with any other sugar so we are unsure what the results would be!