Name: Lemon Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 205 min
Ingredients: Zest of 2 lemons; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 cup milk; 1 cup heavy cream; ½ cup fresh lemon juice; 3 egg yolks; Pinch salt

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When the weather starts getting warmer, bright, fresh, and lemony desserts are always a must! If you’re looking for a no-bake, no-oven, no-hassle recipe, this lemon pudding is definitely worth a try. It’s creamy, smooth, and so fresh. All you need is some juicy lemons and a handful of simple ingredients to make a dessert that’s perfect for a sunny afternoon brunch or a refreshing after-dinner treat!

Small dish of lemon pudding topped with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and lemon zest.

This is one of those desserts that you can whip up the day before you have guests and it stays good in the fridge for up to a week. And the wonderful thing about it is that its bursting with lemony flavor, a comforting texture and a sweet taste.

Ingredients to Make Lemon Pudding

Ingredients for recipe in individual bowls: lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, and salt.

Lemons: Juice and zest.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is just enough to sweeten and enhance the lemon flavor.
Milks: You’ll use half regular milk and half heavy cream.
Egg yolks
Cornstarch: To thicken the pudding

How do you make lemon pudding

Sugar and lemon zest in a bowl with fingers massaging them together — **Step 1:** Combine zest and sugar in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Use your fingers to massage the mixture until fragrant and moist.

Flour, milks eggs, juice, and salt added to infused sugar. — **Step 2:** After the sugar and zest are fully combined, add in the egg yolks, lemon juice, both milks, cornstarch, and salt.

After mixing ingredients together. — **Step 3:** Use a silicone whisk to combine completely. Then, rest the mixture to infuse the lemon flavor.

Pudding after cooking with some on the back of a spoon to show thickness. — **Step 4:** Heat the pudding mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken.

Pouring cooked pudding through a fine mesh sieve. — **Step 5:** Place a fine mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl and pour the pudding through it to strain out any solids.

Pudding after straining in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed onto surface before refrigerating. — **Step 6:** Press a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming on top. Chill before serving.

Tips for making lemon pudding

Use the right thickening agent. A few tablespoons of cornstarch is the perfect thickener for a creamy, lemony pudding.
Use non-reactive pan and cooking equipment. Avoid cooking acidic foods in reactive cookware like aluminum, copper, iron, or non-stainless steel. These materials may release metal atoms into your food and spoil the taste.
Cover with plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic wrap touches the pudding to avoid a film forming on the top. After the pudding has completely cooled, you should be able to store it without the plastic, and just an airtight lid will work.

Homemade lemon pudding topped with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and lemon zest.

This lemon pudding is such an easy way to get your lemon fix this summer! It’s a creamy, slightly tart and naturally sweetened dessert that you can whip up easily. You can eat it on its own, make a parfait, or even use it as topping for pancakes and waffles. It’s one of those desserts that looks good and feels good for your body.

Spoon lifting up a bite of lemon pudding from a small dish to show smooth and creamy texture.

For more pudding recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Lemon Pudding recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my 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!

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Review

Lemon Pudding

This Lemon Pudding dessert is such an easy treat to make with only a few ingredients. It's quick to whip up and has a fresh bright flavor for summer!

5 from 31 votes

Author Yumna Jawad

Servings servings

Course Dessert

Calories 366

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 3 25

Video

Ingredients

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

Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set

Notes

Storage: 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. It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

*The recipe video is for the vegan lemon pudding recipe below and can still be helpful to make other pudding recipes.

Original Vegan Lemon Pudding Recipe:

¼ cup lemon juice
2 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.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

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.

* Please note the nutrition label does not include any toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 176mg, Sodium: 38mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 937IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 110mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American

Course: Dessert

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