Name: Easy lemon possets recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: Serves: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 300ml double cream; 4tbsp lemon curd; Zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp juice

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 1 August 2023

in Recipes

If you need a dessert that you can enjoy straight away in as little as five minutes, this easy lemon posset recipe is perfect.

Lemon posset is a classic British dessert and they are relatively easy to make. However, a traditional recipe requires a minimum of a few hours setting time which can be frustrating if you need something you can serve right away. This recipe uses just three ingredients and takes only five minutes to make before you can tuck in.

Ingredients

300ml double cream
4tbsp lemon curd
Zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp juice

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Method

In a large bowl whip the cream to soft peaks.
Fold in the lemon curd, zest and juice. Spoon into four glasses or serving bowls and decorate with extra lime zest, biscuits, lemon slices or wafers, if you like. Serve immediately.

Watch how to make easy lemon posset

Top tips for making our easy lemon posset

This is a great recipe to make with kids and can also be adapted if you don’t like lemon curd. Read our tips below for some tasty ideas and what to do if your cream splits.

What can I use instead of lemon curd?

For this recipe you could use some honey which would go nicely with the flavour from the lemon juice and zest. Alternatively you could swap for another curd such as orange, mango or passionfruit. For something more indulgent you could use some chocolate spread or to keep it fruity try swirling a little jam through the cream.

What happens when whipped cream splits?

When whisking the cream, it’s important not to go beyond soft peaks as when you fold the remaining ingredients in, the cream might split. When it splits it will have a grainy appearance and if taken too far, the liquid will start to separate out. If you notice the mixture turning a little too stiff you can bring it back by adding a tablespoon or two more cream or even a splash of whole milk.

How to make easy lemon posset with kids

You can let your children pour the cream into a large bowl and have a go at whipping it by hand. You can finish it with a manual whisk or use an electric one.

The lemon zester will likely be too sharp for little hands to use. Instead you could grate the zest into a small bowl and then let your children sprinkle it over the cream and mix with a spatula.

You can also let your little ones spoon their own portion into a bowl or cup but you may want to supervise their portion control!

Finally, you can let children decorate their posset with a selection of ingredients.In our video we used chocolate wafers but additional zest, raspberries or sliced lemon are other nice options.

For this recipe you need to softly whip the double cream. While this can be done by hand it’s much quicker to use an electric hand mixer such as this one by Cuisinart.

If you’re feeling inspired and want more lemon bakes, you have to try our lemon pudding. Our lemon creams are another great option for dinner parties as they can be prepped ahead or our lemon tart is a little fancier. Alternatively, for something quick and easy you can enjoy with a cup of tea, you can’t beat our lemon drizzle cake. It’s one of the most popular recipes on the site.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.