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After you make this Lemon Pudding with REAL fresh lemon zest and juice, I can guarantee that you will never buy a box of store-bought lemon pudding again!
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Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Key Flavor: Lemon
Skill Level: Easy
- No unnecessary ingredients: I love making my own pudding from scratch at home. With all the junk that goes into an instant or quick-process pudding, it really makes a difference in the taste.
- Simple to make: Making pudding from scratch is actually so easy and really not that much work. Just heat your lemon pudding on the stovetop for a few mins and pop in the fridge to set and chill.
- Great for using up lemons: If you have a couple of lemons sitting on your counter and have been trying to figure out what to do with them… make lemon pudding!
- Make ahead dessert: You can make this stovetop lemon pudding ahead of time, then when it’s time for dessert, just pull it out of the fridge, add a dollop of whipped cream and a garnish if you like, and enjoy.
Ingredients to Make Lemon Pudding
- Lemons: You’ll use both the zest and the juice. I like to use organic lemons when using the zest.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens your lemon pudding and enhances the lemon flavor.
- Milk: I like to use whole milk for the creamiest lemon pudding, but 2% fat milk will work, too.
- Heavy cream: For the richest, creamiest pudding.
- 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!
- Cornstarch: To thicken the pudding.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Make it a more vibrant yellow: To deepen the yellow color naturally, you can add a pinch of turmeric. A little goes a long way, and a small pinch won’t affect the taste. You can always stir in a couple of drops of yellow food coloring after you’ve removed it from the heat, too.
- Substitute Meyer lemons: When Meyer lemons are season, they’re a great substitute for the standard lemons in this lemon pudding! Meyer lemons have a slight orange taste and are a little sweeter and not quite as acidic as standard lemons.
- Top with berries: Blueberries, raspberries, or fresh diced strawberries are amazing with this lemon pudding!
- Dairy-free lemon pudding: For a lemon pudding without any dairy, substitute full-fat oat milk for the milk and heavy cream.
How to Make Lemon Pudding
Homemade lemon pudding comes together really quickly on the stovetop. Just cook your ingredients together, strain, and chill.
Tips for Making the Best Lemon Pudding Dessert
- Use non-reactive pan and cooking equipment. 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 and make it taste bitter. Safe pans to use include enameled cast iron, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, and Pyrex.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic wrap touches the top of the pudding; this will help 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover lemon pudding in the refrigerator. You’ll want to make sure it’s in airtight jars, or use plastic wrap covering them tightly so it doesn’t develop a film.
Lemon pudding will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Sometimes a few lumps can’t be avoided 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, lump-free lemon pudding.
If, after simmering over medium heat for 10 minutes, your pudding still hasn’t thickened, you can add more cornstarch. Create a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then drizzle that into your pudding while whisking it. Continue simmering, stirring, until thickened. Also keep in mind that the pudding will thicken more as it chills.
This lemon pudding is a delicious way to get your lemon fix this spring and summer! It’s creamy, sweet, a little tart, and the perfect finish to your meal. Just a short list of ingredients, a few minutes cooking, and some time chilling in the fridge is all you need to make amazing homemade lemon pudding!
More Pudding Recipes
- 3-Ingredient Chia Pudding
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Almond Milk Rice Pudding
- Vegan Pudding
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Semolina Pudding
- Yogurt Chia Pudding
- Lebanese Rice Pudding
- Matcha Chia Pudding
- Banana Pudding Parfaits
If you try this feel good Lemon Pudding recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This lemon pudding recipe was originally published as a vegan recipe on April 25, 2019. It has recently been updated to a traditional lemon pudding using eggs and dairy and also includes new photography and step-by-step images to help make the recipe. If you love the vegan version of this lemon pudding I included it at the bottom of the recipe card in the Notes section and the vegan lemon pudding video is still attached to this post!
Lemon Pudding
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
Original Vegan Lemon Pudding Recipe:
¼ cup lemon juice2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
5.6 ounces coconut cream
½ cup coconut milk
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup plus more to taste
Pinch turmeric optional for coloring
Coconut whipped cream Instructions
- Add the lemon juice and cornstarch to a small saucepan and whisk to combine and remove any clumps. Add the canned coconut cream, coconut milk, lemon zest and maple syrup and whisk again until well combined.
- Turn the heat on medium, add turmeric and bring mixture to a low bubble (not a boil), continuing to whisk, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, let rest for 15 minutes, then whisk once more and transfer to a glass bowl or jar and cover. Refrigerate for a few hours to chill and set. Serve with whipped coconut cream and fresh mint, if desired.
- Instead of coconut milk, you can use any other plant-based milk or regular milk.
- I tested this recipe with cornstarch and arrowroot starch. Feel free to try it with other thickening flours and let me know how the result is!
- You can replace maple syrup with any other natural sweetener of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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%.
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!