Lemon Pudding

Cold, bright and lemony summer desserts are always refreshing enough to combat the syrupy heat of the season. Fortunately, this lemon pudding ticks off every box. Real lemon juice and lemon zest bring their sunshiny hue and tart taste to a creamy pudding that’s best served straight out of the fridge. Just before digging in, dress up each serving with a cloud of whipped cream, lemon slices and fresh mint. I love making this recipe the night before or morning of, so the lemon puddings are ready to go whenever it’s time for dessert.

Ingredients for Lemon Pudding

• Sugar: We sweeten the lemon pudding dessert with granulated sugar. Avoid brown sugar as it can discolor the pudding.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an absolute must-have when it comes to thickening a lemon pudding recipe.
• Milk: We suggest 2% milk, but feel free to use whole milk if preferred. Avoid nondairy milk alternatives, as they may be too watery for the pudding.
• Eggs: For the lemon pudding, you’ll only need two egg yolks—no whites. Save the egg whites for copycat Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies or orange-pistachio divinities.
• Lemon juice and zest: Always zest the lemons before juicing them. It’s much easier to zest an intact lemon than a flimsy one. Also, when zesting the lemon, be sure you’re only getting the yellow skin and not the bitter white pith underneath.
• Butter: A few pats of butter make the lemon pudding glossy, silky and rich.
• Toppings: While optional, I love dressing up the lemon pudding desserts with fun garnishes like homemade whipped cream, fresh lemon slices and sprigs of mint for a pop of color.

Directions

Step 1: Heat the milk, sugar and cornstarch

In a small, heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until it’s thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low, and cook and stir the mixture for two minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Editor’s Tip: Be sure to follow the cooking times to activate the cornstarch. Inactivated cornstarch will make a loose pudding that may weep later on, and which won’t look very appetizing.

Step 2: Temper the egg yolks

Add the egg yolks to a large bowl, then whisk in a small amount of the hot milk mixture. Return the tempered eggs to the pan, whisking constantly.

Step 3: Add the butter, lemon juice and zest

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and cook and whisk for two minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, butter and lemon zest. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn’t form on the surface of the pudding.

Step 4: Chill the pudding

Transfer the lemon pudding to four dessert dishes. Press storage wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding so a skin doesn’t form. Refrigerate the lemon puddings until they’re cold, about two hours

Step 5: Garnish and serve

Just before serving, remove the storage wrap from the lemon puddings. If desired, garnish each lemon pudding with sweetened whipped cream, lemon slices and mint leaves just before serving.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Recipe Variations

• Use Meyer lemons: Meyer lemons are sweeter and more aromatic than standard lemons. Plus, their orange-yellow hue is so pretty that I always use them to make Meyer lemon bars instead of regular lemon bars. If you can get your hands on them, use Meyer lemon juice and zest in place of regular lemons!
• Add flavorings: Punch up the flavor with a 1/2 teaspoon of quality vanilla extract or a dash of orange blossom water.

How to Store Lemon Pudding

Store lemon pudding leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure they’re covered, as creamy desserts can absorb lingering fridge smells.

Can you make lemon pudding ahead of time?

Yes, you can absolutely make lemon pudding ahead of time for a party. The day before serving, follow the recipe fully as instructed. Press the storage wrap on the pudding servings and keep them in the refrigerator until just before serving. For the best texture, I wouldn’t make this more than one day in advance.

Lemon Pudding Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Why does my lemon pudding have bits of scrambled egg in the mixture?

Your lemon pudding will have bits of scrambled eggs in the mixture if you didn’t temper the eggs properly with the hot milk. You must pour a tiny amount of the hot milk into the bowl of eggs and immediately whisk them together, so the eggs don’t scramble. Doing this allows the eggs to warm up to the hot milk’s temperature so they can be added into the pot and not immediately turn into scrambled eggs. Never pour the egg yolks directly into the pot of hot milk, or they will scramble.

I like to pass the hot pudding through a fine mesh sieve to catch any scrambled eggs. Do this just before adding the butter, lemon juice and lemon zest to the pudding.

What do you serve with lemon pudding?

Serve lemon pudding with whipped cream, lemon slices, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or mint leaves. Macerated berries or jams are also very nice with lemon pudding. Drizzle honey on top of each serving if you prefer the lemon pudding a little sweeter. For drink pairings, serve lemon pudding with floral teas, herbal teas or an Earl Grey tea. For wine pairings with dessert, try a Sauternes, riesling or ice wine.

What’s the difference between lemon pudding and lemon posset?

While lemon pudding and lemon posset look very similar, they’re actually quite different! Lemon posset is a British dessert that’s only made from heavy cream, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. It doesn’t contain any of the traditional thickeners, like eggs or cornstarch, because the lemon juice’s acid reacts with the heavy cream to thicken the texture.
Lemon pudding is made with milk, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter, plus cornstarch and egg yolks to thicken it and give it a pudding consistency.