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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: A simple, refreshing, sweet, and lemony gelatin that is lightly set, perfect for an afternoon snack or an unexpected (and welcomed) end to a heavy meal.
My homemade lemon gelée is an unbelievably refreshing adult take on artificially flavored Jell-Os. The tartness of the freshly squeezed lemon gives the dish a delightful zip that is toned down with the natural sugars of honey. I provide a guideline below, but you should trust your own tastebuds on this one! Experiment with the amount of lemon and honey to get it to your preferred ratio of tart versus sweet.
Even non-Jello fans love this light dessert. The gelatin powder is lightly set, giving the gelee a wonderful mouthfeel that is anything but rubbery.
I replace storebought ice pops with this gelee after a big BBQ, and I’m just as happy eating it on my own on a hot day for my afternoon snack.
What Is Gelée?
Gelée, a French term, is a lightly set, loosely stable gelatin dessert. It isn’t as firm as American Jell-O, and I love to flavor mine with fresh lemon juice. Other fruit juices work as well. The gelatin even lends itself to herbs like lavender and ginger.
What Type Of Gelatin Should I Use?
Gelatin comes in two main forms, either powdered or sheets. While you can use both types for this recipe, I tend to opt for powdered gelatin simply because it’s easier for me to find in the grocery store. Gelatin is located in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Most likely, you will be able to find Knox brand gelatin.
If you’d like to learn more about working with Gelatin, read my guide on How To Work with Gelatin.
What Does “Blooming” Gelatin Mean?
If you are using gelatin in a recipe, you will want to bloom it first in order to achieve a nice, smooth texture. This means sprinkling the gelatine onto a liquid and letting it sit for about five minutes. As the gelatin absorbs the liquid, the powdered gelatin granules become larger — that’s what we’re referring to when we mention “blooming.”
Tools You’ll Need To Make Lemon Gelée
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Small saucepan
- Glasses, bowls, or teacups for gelee to set in.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Lemon Gelée
- Make sure you strain the lemon juice to remove any pulp for the smoothest texture.
- Before you pour the gelee into the glasses, taste the mixture, and feel free to adjust the recipe with a little more lemon or honey if you prefer gelee sweeter or more tart.
- For an unexpected twist, you can infuse your mixture with other flavors like lavender, ginger, or lemongrass. Add a tablespoon of chopped herbs or a few slices of ginger to the water and lemon mixture before you bloom the gelatin.
- Once you have warmed everything up and stirred in the honey, strain the mixture before dividing it into glasses.
- This gelatin is lightly set, as it gives the best mouthfeel, but if you would like to make a large single mold, increase the gelatin to 4 teaspoons so that it will be firm enough to hold its shape. Warm the outside of the mold with a warmed towel to loosen the gelatin from the sides when you are ready to invert.
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Light & Refreshing Lemon Gelée Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz/360 ml) filtered water
- ½ cup (4 oz/120 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (strained)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons gelatin powder
- ¼ cup (2½ oz/71 g) honey
Instructions
- Place 4-6 small glasses, bowls, or teacups on a tray and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water and lemon juice.
- Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom.
- After five minutes, place the saucepan over low heat and warm until the gelatin dissolves.
- Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Taste and add more honey if desired.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared glasses and refrigerate, uncovered until set, about 4-6 hours.
- Store set gelee covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Hi Gemma,
I am vegetarian. could you please advise what to use instead of gelatin and the portion?
Thank you.
Sounds so Delish! I will be making this this summer as a light desert.
Hi Gemma,
I love your recipes and have tried quite a few of thing. This one however seems to have defeated me. Having followed the recipe exactly, the gelee didn’t set at all and resembles chilled lemonade in consistency. I am wondering if there is anyway to correct it?
This recipe was easy to follow and tasted amazing. My gelatin didn’t bloom, but I completed the recipe anyway and it still worked out. In fact, I couldn’t wait until it was completely set and tried it while it was soft.
I love lemon and I like gelatin, but is this one of those recipes that cannot be made sugar-free for diabetics?
Hi Gemma.I,m not keen on using gelatine. Can I use seawed based agar agar instead. Thanks.
I am not a big fan of honey. Could I use agave in place of honey? in the same amounts?