Lemon Posset Recipe (3 Ingredients)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My refreshing Lemon Posset Recipe (3 Ingredients) is a no-bake, creamy, lemony dessert that’s ready in a flash!  This cooling treat is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—everyone will be asking for the recipe! 

• Spring and summer go-to: My great make-ahead dessert is sweet, tangy, light, and silky.
• 10-minute prep: Just combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Clean-up is quick, too!
• Easy and elegant: Simple ingredients are transformed into a restaurant-worthy treat.
• Make ahead: In this hands-off recipe, the puddings can chill and set in the fridge for up to three days.
• All-ages favorite: Lemon Posset is one of those rare desserts that everyone loves.

My Lemon Posset Recipe is a delightful treat that seems to come together by magic! Lemon juice, cream, and sugar blend together to form a perfectly thick, deliciously lemony pudding. I’m so excited to share this classic British dessert with you—it’s a great make-ahead option you can make without heating up the kitchen, and it will make summer entertaining deliciously easy and fun.

My top tip for you is to keep a close eye on the cream mixture while it’s on the stove. It only takes a few minutes for the cream and sugar to heat to a simmer, and after that, it can easily boil or burn.  For more cooling lemon desserts, you’ll love my Lemon Blueberry Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream, and Fresh and Sweet Lemon Semifreddo.

Bold Bakers Love This!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 4/12/2026, to include new step-by-step photography, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, make-ahead and storage instructions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• What is Lemon Posset?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Lemon Posset
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Chilled Dessert Recipes

What is Lemon Posset Recipe (3 Ingredients)?

Lemon Posset is a traditional dessert made by heating cream and sugar, and then adding lemon juice to create a custard-like texture. It’s beloved for its ease, rich but refreshing texture, and pure citrus flavor. Recipes for posset go back to medieval England, when it was served as a hot drink to treat colds and other minor illnesses. Serve posset at spring and summer dinners and parties, or for a great make-ahead weekday treat.

Tools You Need

• Medium saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Small glass serving bowls

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Heavy Cream

• Heavy cream gives the posset its rich, velvety texture.
• Importantly, it’s crucial to use heavy cream, with a fat content of at least 36%, in this recipe so it thickens when combined with the acidity of the lemon juice.
• Substitute: To make vegan lemon posset, you can use the same amount of full-fat coconut cream (not coconut milk) plus 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with tablespoons of water, stirred while the mixture is simmering.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens this lemon dessert.
• Importantly, the sugar helps stabilize the mixture. As it’s heated and dissolves into the cream, it helps keep the mixture smooth and keeps the posset from being grainy or curdled.

Fresh lemon juice

• Fresh lemon gives the posset its bright, sweet taste.
• Importantly, the acidity of lemon juice sets the cream.
• Use fresh lemon juice here. It has better flavor and enough acidity to give the posset a smooth, stable set.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest adds concentrated citrus flavor. Zest contains lemon oil, which gives pure, intense flavor and aroma.
• Use finely-grated lemon zest.
• Lemon zest is optional in this recipe. However, if you’re using fresh lemon juice, take a minute to zest the lemons, as it will add depth to the flavor.

Fresh berries

• Fresh berries (optional) add a juicy fruit flavor and vibrant color.

How to Make Lemon Posset Recipe (3 Ingredients)

1. Heat the cream and sugar: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and sugar to a simmer while stirring constantly.
2. Simmer the mixture: Let the mixture gently simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat if need be so that the mixture doesn’t burn or boil over.
3. Add lemon juice: Remove from the heat and let sit for 1 minute, then stir in the lemon juice and zest. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes without stirring.

4. Spoon into bowls: Give the posset a gentle stir, then divide among 5 small serving bowls.
5. Let set: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until cold and set.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Posset’s texture is somewhere between a mousse and a pudding; There are no thickening agents added to posset. Rather, it uses the citrus of the lemons to set itself! For this recipe, don’t make any adjustments. It is a delicate balance of heat, fat, sugar, and acid.
• Use full-fat heavy cream only: Using lower-fat dairy could result in a split mixture.
• Combining cream and lemon juice gives posset the ability to set. The acid in lemon juice causes the cream’s proteins (caseins) to coagulate, creating a custard-like texture.
• Add a floral twist with lavender. Stir a teaspoon or two of lavender buds into the cream and sugar while it’s heating. Strain out just before pouring into the serving bowls.
• Sieve to remove lemon zest. It’s not necessary, but do it if you want a perfectly smooth and silky posset.
• If you like, serve the posset in scooped-out lemon halves. It makes a pretty, natural presentation.
• Garnish if you desire. Besides berries, other favorite toppings include a drizzle of honey, candied lemon peel, mint leaves or edible flowers, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Serve with cookies: Shortbread is a perfect accompaniment to posset.
• Make mini lemon pies: press my Graham Cracker Crust into the bottom of 5 serving bowls or ramekins. Top with the posset and chill.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

• Cover loosely and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• After the posset has cooled a bit, you can press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the posset to make sure a skin doesn’t form.

How to store leftovers

• Cover leftover posset loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days.

FAQs

Can I make this Lemon Posset vegan?

• Yes, you can make this Lemon Posset vegan.
  • Use the same amount of full-fat coconut cream (not coconut milk) plus 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with tablespoons of water, stirred while the mixture is simmering.

Can I make the posset in one large dish instead of small dishes?

• Yes, you can make the posset in one large dish.
• For a family-style presentation, pour the posset into an 8-inch (20-cm) shallow baking dish, and chill until fully set before serving.

Can I make this with dessert, using orange or lime instead of lemon?

• Yes! You can also make this with lime or orange instead of lemon (or a combination of both).
• Note that since orange has less acidity than lemon, the set will be softer.

More Chilled Dessert Recipes

• Limoncello Tiramisu
• Traditional English Trifle (Sherry Trifle)
• Frozen Lemon and Lime Soufflé
• Eton Mess
• Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Raspberry Jam

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 4/12/2026, to include new step-by-step photography, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, make-ahead and storage instructions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

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