Lemon Pudding
Updated Mar 22, 2026
This Lemon Pudding, made with fresh lemon zest and juice, is easy to make on the stove. It heats in 10 minutes and then chills in the fridge!
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Lemon Pudding is soo easy to make from scratch!
Lemon pudding is one of those desserts I forget about for a while and then get back into because it’s so simple and good. It has that sharp lemon flavor, but it’s still soft and creamy, so it does not feel too heavy after dinner.
What I like about homemade lemon pudding ,is that it tastes a lot more like actual lemon than the boxed kind. You’re using the zest and juice, so it has a stronger lemon flavor without needing much else. It takes a little standing at the stove, but the ingredient list is short and the whole thing is pretty straightforward.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Lemon Pudding Ingredients
- Lemons: You’ll use both the zest and the juice for this pudding! Because you’re using zest from the outside skin, make sure you’re washing your lemons thoroughly. Zest the lemons before juicing, and try to avoid the white pith, as it can make the pudding taste bitter. Fresh lemon juice is the better choice here. Bottled juice will not taste the same. I like to use a microplane for zesting. For help, read my tips on how to zest a lemon!
- Sugar: I always use white granulated sugar for this recipe; you’ll be massaging the sugar and the zest together with your hands! I don’t recommend substituting it.
- Milk and heavy cream: Using both gives the pudding a softer texture than using all cream and a richer texture than using all milk. I would not swap in low-fat milk here because the pudding will not set up the same way.
- Egg yolks: Look for high-quality, organic eggs for yolks with the deepest color. The deeper the color of your yolks, the more golden your pudding will be! And when you separate the whites from the yolks, hold onto those whites in a separate container for a breakfast recipe, like my egg white bites.
- Cornstarch: This is what thickens the pudding, so make sure it gets whisked in well before heating. If it is not fully mixed in, you can end up with little lumps.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt helps to balance out the flavors in this lemon pudding.
How to Make Lemon Pudding
Lemon Pudding Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lemons zested
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 egg yolks
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium non-reactive saucepan, combine zest and sugar. Use your fingers to massage the together until fragrant and moist. Add remaining ingredients and use a silicone whisk to combine. Let the lemon mixture rest about 5 minutes to infuse the liquid with the lemon.
- Heat the pudding mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl and pour the pudding to strain any solids.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill completely before serving, about 2-3 hours.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Use non-reactive cooking equipment. I always avoid cooking acidic foods like this stovetop lemon pudding in reactive cookware like aluminum, copper, iron, or non-stainless steel. The acid in the lemon can cause the metals to release into your pudding, giving it a bitter taste. Instead, look for enameled cast iron, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and Pyrex.
- Be careful with your plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic wrap touches the top of the pudding! This stage is important, as it will prevent a film from forming on top of the pudding.
- Buy extra whipping cream. That way, you’ll have enough to whisk up some whipped cream for topping your pudding.
Serving Ideas
- Add toppings. This lemon pudding is so tasty with some fresh homemade whipped cream on top, but you can also try fresh fruit, or even whipped cream cheese.
FAQs
Sometimes a few lumps are unavoidable when making pudding with eggs and/or cornstarch. This is why it’s important to strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve, which will remove any lumps for a silky-smooth lemon pudding.
After simmering over medium heat for 10 minutes, if your pudding still hasn’t thickened, you can add more cornstarch. Create a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then drizzle that into your pudding while whisking it. Continue simmering and stirring until thickened. Also keep in mind that the pudding will thicken more as it chills.
Comments
So I made a number of mistakes here.
1) I forgot to rub the zest into the sugar but the taste didn’t suffer for it.
2) I had no heavy cream so I made my own with melted butter and whole mik. Butter separated before going on the stove but quickly melted after the mixture was heated a few minutes.
3) A tiny bit of egg white from one egg fell into my yolks.
Maybe it was the butter that resulted in my mixture taking 30 mins of simmering instead of 10. Either way, it did not achieve the texture in your image. However, I’m happy to report that after some overnight chilling in the fridge, it at least achieved a texture slightly thicker than custard! 😀
Hi Cynthia! While whole milk and butter can be used as a substitute for cream, but you need heavy cream for this recipe to help the pudding thicken up to the ideal consistency. It’s possible that the egg white contributed to the texture slightly as well. I’m glad you liked the recipe and hope you get to try it again with heavy cream! Thanks!!
Sorry I didn’t clarify: I had found on another site that you could make your own heavy cream by mixing the whole milk with the butter, though perhaps it would have been better to use a blender. One more question though: isn’t pudding supposed to be able to last about a week? Just wondering whether this one can actually last past 3 days.
No worries, Cynthia! Whole milk and butter are a great substitute for heavy cream in certain recipes, but for this recipe it likely contributed to the less-than-ideal texture of your pudding. For optimal flavor and texture, I find it’s best to eat this pudding within 3-5 days. Hope that helps!
I want to try the vegan version, but I am wondering how many servings it yields as the liquid ingredients are much less than the non vegan recipe.
It will make 3-4 servings!
I followed recipe to a T. It was perfection. The acidity was perfectly balanced with the sweetness, silky smooth texture, lemony goodness. I used it for my family’s ambrosia recipe but I was happy to have leftovers to eat plain.
Aww, yay!! So happy you loved it! Thank you so much, Christine!
Is this pudding firm enough to use in a pie and will it hold its shape when cutting?
Hi Cet, good question. It’s firm and not runny but still soft, so I don’t think it would hold up in a pie.
I wish that cooks would stop recommending the use plastic wrap. Plastic contains chemicals that can be transferred to your food, especially when it makes contract with hot food, like this pudding. Also, plastic is derived from oil and is bad for the planet. Plastic wrap can’t be recycled or reused. What’s wrong with a little skin on your pudding?
You can also store the lemon pudding in airtight jars.
Yes, I have to agree. Trying to cut down on my plastic as well. Also, another thing which is not good for our bodies is aluminum touching food – OK to use to tent dish afterwards, but not to use in cooking/baking where food comes in direct contact with it.
Thank you for saying that because I feel the same way! Plastic contains dioxin which is cancer causing. I agree with you 100%.
Since I just found this, thought you might find it helpful: you can also use parchment paper. One guy even has a video you can find on shaping it into a circle for a better fit in a round container.
Hello I was wondering if you don’t have maple syrup, can you use honey?
Thanks
Yes, you can replace maple syrup with any other natural sweetener of your choice!
Hello!
Thank you for the recipe! I’m always on the hunt for a good vegan dessert since my son is allergic to eggs. The flavor of this turned out fantastic, but the consistency was…strange at best. It turned out silky smooth but extremely stringy/stretchy…almost like silly putty! I used arrowroot powder. Any ideas what I did wrong?? Did I cook it too long? I would love to try it again but I’m nervous!
You’re so welcome! This makes me so happy to hear. It’s likely the mixture was cooked too long/ on too high of a heat or too much thickening agent was added.
Will almond Milk work?
Can i use organic sugar..how much?
Yes! Instead of coconut milk, you can use any other plant-based milk like almond milk. I have not tried sugar in place of maple syrup in this recipe, but let me know what you think if you do!
Loves this recipe love the fresh citrus of this recipe perfect for summer new go to!!!🍋😄
Thank you! I love that!
This is probably a dum question but could I try this with limes???
It should work, but I haven’t tried it yet!
Hi Yumna I woks wondering if this recipe could also be used with limes???
It should work, but I haven’t tried it yet! Let me know if you give it a go!