Lemon Posset (The Easiest Dessert Ever!)
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Have you ever heard of Lemon Posset? If not, run, don’t walk to the nearest grocery store pick up some cream…and some lemons!
“This recipe is absolutely delicious! It is my go to dessert year round due to the rich flavor, creamy texture, and easy prep.”
That’s it, seriously…well, and a bit of sugar. I kid you not, lemon posset is one of the most delicious, easiest and creamiest desserts you’ll ever make! Add some fresh berries and it’s perfect for a dinner party. Even though you make think this is a new “Tiktok dessert”, It’s been on my website for nearly 12 years. (This post was originally published on July 31st, 2013)
Back in 2013, I was researching pub food for a catering company. Not traditional pub food, like Cottage Pie or sausage rolls, but fancier gastro pub food. I stumbled across the website of a gastropub just outside of London and was a bit taken back by the menu. Scanning down to the puddings, (desserts) out popped….Posset! “What IS this posset?” Turns out this classic British dessert has been around for centuries!
What is posset?
Possets were originally used for medicinal purposes, as the The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a, “hot drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or other alcoholic liquor and typically flavored with spices, drunk as a delicacy or as a remedy for colds.”
While the Folger Shakespeare Library describes it as having eggs and being similar to our modern day eggnog. We do know that posset has been around for hundreds of years and that Shakespeare refers to possets in several of his plays, including this line from The Merry Wives of Windsor…
“yet be cheerful knight: thou shalt eat a posset to-night at my house; Where I will desire thee to laugh at my wife.”
After researching several posset recipes online, my head was swimming in disbelief!
What is posset made from?
While old versions of posset used ale or wine to instead of citrus, most modern possets use citrus juice; lemon, sugar and cream. Could a dessert with just THREE ingredients really be THAT good? Yep, that’s it. I was still a bit skeptical…no cornstarch…no flour…no eggs?
Although this recipe is made with Eureka lemons, you can easily make a Meyer lemon posset. If you’re using Meyer lemons, which tend to be sweeter, you can reduce the sugar slightly if you wish.
How does a posset set?
Well, that’s where the citrus comes in! After boiling the sugar and the cream together, you add the lemon juice and zest. The lemon juice causes a reaction with the cream resulting in it setting up. The result is smooth and creamy texture very similar to a panna cotta. While it was traditionally sipped as a warm drink, now it is refrigerated to set up. Allow 1 hour of chilling time minimum for best results. Several hours is even better.
What’s the difference between panna cotta and posset?
Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italian. The difference between panna cotta and posset is that panna cotta uses gelatin, and posset relies on the acid in citrus to help it set. Here’s a recipe for Vanilla Panna Cotta.
Can a posset be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! This is a great make-ahead dessert. In fact, while it’s a quick dessert to make, it does require at least an hour or two in the fridge to set. It can even be made the day or night before you are going to serve it.
How long does lemon posset last?
Posset lasts about 3 days in the refrigerator, although it never lasts that long around here, as the portions are small, and the recipe only makes 6 servings. This is a rich dessert. So you can also make the portions a bit smaller and serve 8, especially if you add a bit of fruit on top of each serving.
Ingredients for posset
The best part about this lemon posset recipe are the simple ingredients!
- 16 ounces heavy whipping cream or double cream
- 2/3 cup sugar (4 2/3 ounces)
- 6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and lemon zest from about one large lemon or two medium lemons
How do You Make Posset?
First zest one or two lemons. You should get about 3 teaspoons. Next, juice the lemon. You should get about 6 Tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Combine cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and continue stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Watch the heat and lower if needed, to avoid the cream boiling over.
- Remove cream mixture from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and zest and let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool. (This is especially important if you are going to be transferring the posset into crystal glasses.)
- Strain through a Fine-Mesh Strainer or sieve and pour into pretty Crystal Gasses, small containers, ramekins or even hollowed-out lemon halves .
- Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill to set, 1 hour or overnight.
- Allow to set completely before garnishing. For an elegant presentation add a bit of grated, lemon rind, fresh berries, or mint just before serving.
Can you make posset with any citrus fruit?
Orange Posset is delicious, and I have two varieties; orange posset.
Lavender, Honey and Orange Posset for a delicious floral spin on the original recipe.
Love lime? Try Lime Posset with graham cracker crumbs.
Can you make sugar free posset?
Absolutely! For a sugar free posset which is also low carb and keto friendly, I just substitute erythritol for the sugar. There is virtually no taste difference! Here’s my low-carb posset recipe.
What Can You Serve With Posset?
Lemon Posset is the perfect backdrop for just about anything! Top each serving with a sliver of lemon, fresh berries, a spring of fresh mint, or perhaps shortbread cookies!
Looking for more easy dessert recipes?
Strawberry Fool is another traditional British dessert.
Creme Anglaise with Fresh Berries
Lemon Posset
Ingredients
- 16 ounces heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar (4.7 ounces)
- 6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and zest about one large lemon or 2 medium
Instructions
- First zest one or two lemons. You should get about 2 teaspoons. Next, juice the lemon. You should get about 6 Tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Bring cream and sugar to boil over a medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, and boil about 8 minutes, stirring constantly, adjusting heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and zest and let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool.
- Stir mixture again. Pour mixture through a sieve to remove zest, and divide among six ramekins or glasses.
- Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill until set, a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
- Allow to set completely before garnishing. Garnish with fresh berries or mint.
Video
Notes
- Mixture can be strained through a sieve if desired to remove zest.
- Meyer lemons can be used when they are in season.
- This recipe can easily be doubled.
Gave this a try last night and I am so glad I did! Easy, quick and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth, indeed!
thanks so much!
The perfect balance of creamy and tangy – I’m hooked!
excellent!
This lemon posset dessert is so zesty and sweet, the perfect summertime treat!
definitely great for summer!
Thank you so much for such a GREAT recipe, everyone loved it over here ❤️ making it again!
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Great website, thanks for the great recipes… I’ll use them again in the future THANK YOU !!! Greetings from Germany
thank you! Guten tag!
I love this recipe, it’s so soft and velvety and light and delicious ! I’m happy to report that my friend who doesn’t like to bake much made it successfully and loved it too !
here’s the metric version (not criticising the use of US standard, but it’s just so that we’re all satisfied):
450ml heavy cream
150g sugar
75ml fresh lemon juice and zest about one large lemon
Thanks so much! I’ve contacted the recipe card tech to see about adding a metric converter to my site!
Made this last night. My wife took a ramekin to school, and the other teachers loved it. I have given out your recipe.
I used 2/3 cup of sugar, but it didn’t set up as stiff as I’d like.
How would you get it stiffer?
Did you boil it the full three minutes? I find that if I cut corners and don’t boil it for the three minutes, it tends to be a little runnier. It should be thick like pudding. You’ll see it thicken as it cooks.
Well for me, i put the sugar and heavy whipping cream then just turned off the stove. Then i would just add the lemon and heat up until it looks somewhat thicker! thats what helped me.
Lovely flavor but mine curdled a bit so the texture is off. Any suggestions as to how that happened?
So was it grainy? It should be smooth as silk.I’ve never needed to strain it, but that could help.
Almost like puréed cottage cheese. Strangely, it smoothed out as it warmed in my mouth. Gotta try it again because it was delicious anyway! I don’t think stealing would have helped. Tiny curdles.
hmm. should be as smooth as silk. If there are tiny curdles, straining it before placing it in the serving dishes.
Did you use milk rather than heavy cream?
I saw on another site for a lemon posset recipe that a “posset made with milk rather than cream would become grainy when the acid is added to it, but because of the extra fat in cream, when it comes into contact with acid, it develops a smooth, thick consistency.”
thanks for that tip! I hadn’t even thought of that. But I’ve never had that issue.
I now make this on a regular basis and have graduated to experimenting with flavors. For my latest batch, I steeped some Cardamom pods in the cream and used Meyer Lemons. I just love love love this recipe and it is just so easy that I have yet to fail with it. (I don’t normally do deserts, so the lack of failure is HUGE).
this was sweet, tangy and fresh. i reduced the sugar like you suggested and it came out perfectly balanced! i’m not big on sweet stuff so this was just what i needed. it’s a hit with my family too! lovely and easy recipe, thanks so much!
So glad! Thanks for your comment!
Excellent! For a nice little treat at literally anytime of the day -0- would go as well at brunch as it will as a dessert after a meal. I served mine in the hollowed out lemon cups.
I’ve been seeing people do that lately! Great presentation!
Used this for a dinner party for my Parkinson’s PT. It was a Hit!
This is truly an elegant dessert. I have served it at dinner parties and it is always a huge hit!
I serve it on a small china plate with a paper doily. Garnish it with berries and mint and sometimes with edible flowers, such as orchids and small pansie blossoms.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
awww! Thanks so much! I’d love it if you could click the 5 stars for a review! I appreciate it.
Easy to make, tried it with limes and like it at least as much as the lemon version. Added the tiniest pinch of salt to offset the sugar. Great recipe!
I’m planning on making this for an international Thanksgiving!
Sounds delicious! I love it
This is my go-to recipe! Beautiful balance between sweet and tart and the consistency is smooth every time! I love adding a splash of limoncello and brandy at the the end while I stir in the lemon juice! Pure perfection. Thank you for sharing such an easy and delicious dessert!
aww thanks!
This dessert is delicious
thanks!
Delicious! My tasters said the only things I needed to change was to make more!! I used Meyer lemons and only 1/2 cup sugar for one batch. It was still pretty sweet but absolutely scrumptious. I grated dark chocolate on top for presentation. Beautiful, so tasty, and easy(ier) than pie! Thank you for the recipe!
Love the idea for the grated chocolate! Thanks!
I serve this posset in lovely old chins cups decorated with raspberies dusted with icing (confectionary) sugar with a sprig of mint.
Serve on matching saucer with a teaspoon. LOVELY !
I love this idea! That would be so lovely for a bridal shower or tea!
Really glad I found your recipe again, my youngest has been hounding me for weeks to make it. I made this a few months back and the kids loved it. I even put it in the lemon halves, which was a fun thing for them. This is such a refreshing dessert.
I’ve seen the lemon half thing on IG. I’ve just never gotten around to it! Thank you!
Cynthia’s Lemon Posset recipe is amazing! Not only is it simple to make, it is delicious and luxurious! I took this to a dinner party, and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe – I referred them to What A Girl Eats where they will find many, many recipes they will love!
I’m really sorry to say that the zest pretty much ruined it for me and my guests. Also,, unfortunately, 1 hour Is not enough to set up. I had one extra that didn’t set up until next evening. Just some honest feedback.
I think it needs straining and longer time in refrigerator, otherwise delicious.
sorry to hear you didn’t like it was with the zest. I’ll make a note in the recipe card to strain it if others do not like zest. One hour is the minimum for chilling. It shouldn’t take 24 hours though.
Made this for multiple friends and they all loved it! I served in lemon halves and topped it with diced strawberries that had been sat in sugar to draw out the syrup. What a lovely combo! almost like eating strawberry lemonade. ☺️
Oh my! I need to do the lemon half, because it’s all over social media! But the strawberries sound so fantastic! Thanks!
Tasted this at a party I attended this past weekend & it was smooth and deliciously lemon-y! My question is: when you cover it with plastic wrap, do you put the plastic directly onto the posset, or just cover the ramekin? You know how pudding forms a skin? I wouldn’t want that to happen with this…Thanks for any info!
actually it won’t form a skin. I usually just wrap the plate or sheet pan covering all the containers.