This easy lemon posset recipe is unbelievably simple and uses just three ingredients! These easy but elegant lemon pots make an impressive and delicious make-ahead dessert which can also be frozen.
Lemon posset
This lemon posset recipe makes the perfect pudding for summer. Creamy and silky smooth with a delicious citrus tang, rich but at the same time refreshing, lemon possets are stylish but quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect dinner party dessert for busy people, as they can be made ahead and frozen.
This lemon posset recipe really could not be simpler. I’ve been making it for years and I used to take a more traditional, cautious approach, heating the cream and sugar before adding the lemon juice. Now I’ve removed a step and just sling it all in the pan and cook! I find it’s every bit as good and reliable.
What is lemon posset?
While the name may conjures up images of Merrie England, the modern posset has come a long way from its medieval origins. Early versions involved milk curdled with alcohol to make a drink that may have been similar to egg nog.
Possets were often a restorative or a cure for some ailment. As late as the 1750s, possets were listed as cures for spots and skin blemishes, and the word was used to refer to the liquid run off from the curd. Fortunately, the modern posset is a lot more appetising, bearing more resemblance to a set custard or fruit fool.
In recent years, popular home economist and TV cook Mary Berry has championed the lemon posset as a pudding that’s as easy to make as it is good to eat. We couldn’t agree more. These little lemon pots are impossible to resist, so add them to your repertoire today!
How is a posset different from a syllabub?
A posset is set, while a syllabub is a softer mixture of wine and cream that is whipped together. Lemon juice is optional in a syllabub, but acidic fruit juice is essential in a posset to make it set.
Adding lemon juice to milk makes it curdle. With the higher fat content of cream, however, the mixture thickens and sets to make the perfect rich and delicious pud.
Ingredients for lemon posset
- Caster sugar – regular white sugar – I use golden caster for nearly everything else – but here you want white sugar.
Helen’s Pro Tip
If you don’t have caster sugar put granulated into a clean spice or coffee grinder and whizz it for a couple of seconds to grind it a little. Do NOT over do it. You do not want icing sugar here. It is best to undergrind that overgrind it.
- Double (heavy) cream – regular double cream – it doesn’t need to be the expensive extra thick. Please use proper cream from cows. Cream alternatives with buttermilk and vegetable oils are not the same thing and taste horrible.
- Lemon juice – To get more juice out, give the lemons a good roll, with medium pressure from the heel of your hand, before cutting.
How to make lemon posset
Step One – Gather all your ingredients. Then put everything in a large saucepan.
Step Two – Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for three minutes, stirring constantly.
Make sure you get into the corners of the saucepan. I use a silicone spatula for this, scraping the sides and bottom.
Step Three – Allow the pan to cool.
When it is cool enough to touch the sides, pour the mixture into individual serving glasses, espresso cups, small cocktail glasses or ramekin dishes.
This is a rich dish, so you don’t need very much per serving. Chill in the fridge for at least three hours.
Step Four – Garnish with some soft fruit, or a quarter slice of lemon and serve. For extra indulgence, pour a little cream on top and serve with a glass of sloe gin.
Tips and tricks for making lemon pots
- When zesting and juicing lemons, always zest before juicing.
- To extract as much juice as possible, roll the lemon on the kitchen worktop with a moderate pressure under the heel of your hand. If you want to, you can add the zest for extra flavour, but I think that it spoils the silky smoothness of the posset.
- When heating the mixture, watch the pan all the time. Like milk, boiling cream will erupt in the pan like a volcano and the second you take your eye off it, it will boil over. If you need to answer the phone or door, take the saucepan off the heat.
- If you want a thicker, creamier posset, then boil the cream first, to reduce it.
- Stir the mixture constantly when cooking as it can very easily catch and boil over. It will thicken first on the sides and bottom of the pan, so I like to use a silicon spatula to constantly scrape the sides and base.
- Once cooked, wait a little while before transferring to serving dishes. This reduces the risk of the boiling hot cream cracking them. I like to serve in pretty vintage glasses which can easily crack with a change in temperature.
- To avoid dribbles down the side of the serving glasses use a jug to pour the warm cream in, or a jam funnel.
- Any splashes of cream or smears can easily be cleaned up with a cotton bud dipped in vodka.
- For an extra lemony treat, spoon a little lemon curd into the bottom of each glass before filling with posset. Use my lemon curd with gin for adults!
Posset variations
- As well as lemon, try making orange, blood orange and lime possets, using the same method as for lemon.
- Alternatively, add some fruit compote or jam to the bottom of each glass or ramekin and then top with the posset. Try blackberry jam, plum jam, or another one of my jam recipes.
- Lime and elderflower possets are delicious. Adding a teaspoon of elderflower cordial per 300 ml of cream gives the dessert a floral note that’s perfect in summertime.
Freezing and storing
Fridge – Store lemon possets in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Freezer – Lemon posset also freeze very well. When you want to serve it, defrost overnight in the fridge. If there are a few cracks, simple pour a little cream over them to hide them.
FAQS
Yes! This is the perfect dessert if you need something without gluten. Serve with gluten free biscuits.
Yes! Unlike panna cotta, there is no gelatine here.
No, it won’t be runny. The reaction between the cream and the lemon juice causes it to set nicely, without any of that rubberiness that can spoil desserts that use other setting agents.
You won’t need much, as it is very rich. Lemon posset and raspberries is a good combination, or serve with shortbread or ginger biscuits.
More lemon recipes
- Other dessert recipes
Lemon Posset Recipe (3 ingredient lemon pots)
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups double (heavy) cream (300 ml)
- 1/3 cup caster sugar (75 g)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
Instructions
- Put the all the ingredients into into a large saucepan, bring to the boil. Simmer whilst stirring for 3 minutes. Its best to use a spatula, so you can keep scraping the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Allow to cool until you can comfortably touch the side of the pan.
- Pour the mixture into individual dishes (ramekins, wine glasses, espresso cups – it is very rich so a smaller serving is better). Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Serve with a slice of lemon and a little cream poured on top
Notes
- To extract as much juice as possible, roll the lemon on the kitchen worktop with a moderate pressure under the heel of your hand. If you want to, you can add the zest for extra flavour, but I think that it spoils the silky smoothness of the posset.
- When heating the mixture, watch the pan all the time. Like milk, boiling cream will erupt in the pan like a volcano and the second you take your eye off it, it will boil over. If you need to answer the phone or door, take the saucepan off the heat.
- If you want a thicker, creamier posset, then boil the cream first, to reduce it.
- Stir the mixture constantly when cooking as it can very easily catch and boil over. It will thicken first on the sides and bottom of the pan, so I like to use a silicon spatula to constantly scrape the sides and base.
- Once cooked, wait a little while before transferring to serving dishes. This reduces the risk of the boiling hot cream cracking them. I like to serve in pretty vintage glasses which can easily crack with a change in temperature.
- To avoid dribbles down the side of the serving glasses use a jug to pour the warm cream in, or a jam funnel.
- Any splashes of cream or smears can easily be cleaned up with a cotton bud dipped in vodka.
- For an extra lemony treat, spoon a little lemon curd into the bottom of each glass before filling with posset. Use my lemon curd with gin for adults!
Lemon Posset recipe originally published October 2007, updated with step by step photos, hints and tips July 2022.
abby
The posset looks delicious Helen – great photo!
Kavey
I adore lemon posset and it’s one of my favourite go-to desserts when I need to impress. It’s so easy and virtually foolproof. Love making it. Your new photos are waaaaaaaaaay better! :-D
Helen
I love posset, pavlova and wylabub, all those classics, but oh so easy to make puddings.
Lucy Parissi
I recently tried a lemon posset for first time ever and it was so delicious! Can’ t believe it requires so few ingredients. A perfect dessert to cleanse the palate of all heavy holiday food. Need to make!
Helen
I love a lemon posset. So incredibly easy to make.
Sabrina | The Tomato Tart
Perfect dessert and love the fruity flavor. Easy to prepare and make.
Helen
I do adore an easy pudding!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
My local Italian makes a lovely lemon posset, it’s such a fab dessert. Yours looks super simple and delicious too.
Helen
They are so easy to make, I never get bored of them.
Emily
Wow it doesn’t get any easier than this. These look so elegant and perfect for dinner parties, thanks so much for the recipe!
Helen
So incredibly easy to make, but so simple and efficient.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
These look luscious – and super-easy! A great recipe to have up your sleeve for a dessert-related emergency!
Helen
Yep – we cannot ever have a dessert related emergency!
Platter Talk
This looks so good! Great, light, dessert. Elegant, too.
Helen
Light and just enough to easily slip down.
Debi at Life Currents
Wow this looks great! And lemon desserts are my favorite. I always like how the tart lemon offsets some of the sweetness.
Helen
I love a lemon pudding, so refreshing.
Julie
Absolutely gorgeous recipe. I’ve made this a few times and each time it has been a winner. Love Lemon posset
Helen
Lemon is such a good choice for desserts.
Imogen
I adore delicious little desserts like this. Perfect for after dinner, and so refreshing.
Debs
I had never thought about the origins of posset, how interesting. Posset is a delicious pudding, and so easy to make.
Naomi
Now here is a pudding I should be able to make. Although I have had many a disaster with milk pans boiling over! Love how you have served them, very cute.
Tom H
Excellent idea for a dinner party. I like to make dessert simple and something I can prepare in advance.
Melanie
Nice looking puddings. I think my husband would probably eat more than one though.
Ingrid
I’m just trying this recipe for the first time and wondering if it’s meant to thicken in the pan while simmering. Mine hasn’t and is still runny. Or does it thicken in the glass when it gets cold? I’m a little worried, as I’ve done a double batch to take for dessert for a Xmas eve dinner.
Helen
Hi Ingrid, Sorry for the delay in response – it should thicken when you put the lemon juice in, but it will still be runny – I always worry they won’t set as the mixture always seems very runny, but in all the many many times I’ve made this it always sets after a spell in the fridge.
Kathleen
We have these often, so easy to make and really popular. Ideal for a summer pudding.
Sean Austin
These sounds delicious Helen. Lemon dessert is such a good end to a meal.
Donna G
I really love these little puddings. They are so easy to make and everyone always loves them.
Lisa Dodds
Such a good recipe, even my husband can make them! And we love lemon desserts.
Mary
This turned out great both times I’ve made it. Do u add lemon zest? And is there a way to keep the consistency constant? It seems to be a bit more l”iquidy” once U start to eat it. Mary
Helen
Hi Mary, I don’t add lemon zest as I love the silky smooth texture. It does get softer as it comes out of the fridge – much will depend on how long you cook the cream, how much lemon juice you use, how acidic the lemons are, and how thick the cream was to start with.