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This elegant, rich and creamy Honey Lemon “Custard” For One requires only a few simple ingredients and is an easy recipe for an egg-free, no-bake dessert also known as a posset.
This easy honey lemon custard is a scaled down version of a recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine (2012) that I have been making for my family for many years.
This dessert is actually called a posset. Traditionally, custards are made with eggs but this honey lemon custard doesn’t call for using any eggs. Our custard is made with simple ingredients like cream, lemon juice, and sugar. We add in a touch of honey, a bit of nutmeg, and vanilla for added flavor.
It is an almost magical dessert because the custard thickens without the use of tempermental egg yolks, gelatin, flour or cornstarch.
Here’s how it works: When acid (lemon juice) is added to cream, it causes the cream to thicken. Simple.
Since my family loves this dessert, I decided to scale down the ingredient amounts and create a single serving version of our favorite honey lemon custard.
Why This Recipe Works
- This dessert is so easy to make. The custard thickens almost immediately and you might not be able to resist grabbing a spoon and diving right in.
- Honey lemon custard is smooth, pure in taste, zesty, and beautifully sweet. I would recommend chilling the custard for a few hours or even overnight before digging in.
- This simple dessert is the perfect size if you’re cooking for one. If you like this honey lemon custard, you might also like to try this Lime Posset recipe.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heavy cream: Use heavy cream (double cream) or heavy whipping cream in this this recipe. Lower fat milks will not work.
- Honey and sugar: For sweetness.
- Ground nutmeg, lemon peel, and vanilla extract: For added flavor.
- Lemon juice: The acid that causes the cream to thicken.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
- To make a honey lemon custard for one, heat the cream, sugar, nutmeg, and honey in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. After allowing the mixture to simmer for 8-12 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and a touch of vanilla. You will notice that the mixture has thickened slightly and reduced. During this process something magical occurs. The sweetened liquid mysteriously turns into a soft, creamy, delicate custard. What actually happens is that the acid from the lemon juice reacts with the cream and that is how the custard thickens.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you can’t. They don’t have enough fat to react with the acid to thicken this dessert.
No. Sugar does more than sweeten this dessert. It also helps to create a lovely silky texture and balances the tart flavor from the lemon.
For this honey lemon custard, I use a 1-quart saucepan and an 10-ounce ramekin which measures 4-inches in diameter and is 2-inches tall. If you happen to have smaller ramekins, use those and divide the honey lemon mixture between them.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
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If you follow the directions in the recipe, your custard (posset) should set up perfectly. If if doesn’t, the mixture probably didn’t simmer long enough. You will notice as the cream and sugar simmer, the mixture slowly thickens and reduces slightly. After pouring the posset into a dessert dish, refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
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Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this custard recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Cream: Icebox Cake, Alfredo Sauce, Strawberry Shortcake, Grapefruit Posset
- Honey: Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet, Roasted Carrots, Healing Turmeric Tea
- Lemon juice: Lemon Bars, Lemon Curd, Lemon Chicken
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla Ice Cream, Vanilla Cupcakes, Vanilla Pudding
Expert Tips
- You can use another type of citrus in this recipe. Orange, grapefruit, or lime would work the same way.
- You can make this custard ahead of time. In fact, it should be refrigerated for 3 hours to set before eating. The custard will keep well for 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Even though a posset requires just a few simple ingredients and is very easy to make, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. The cream and sugar needs to simmer vigorously but be extra careful that the mixture does not boil. At a vigorous and rapid simmer, you will see a lot of movement in the cream. You will notice wisps of steam and quite a few bubbles but the bubbles will be small. Make sure the posset simmers like I have described. You do not want the cream to come up to a rolling boil which will look like bigger bubbles and lots of activity in the pot.
If you’ve tried this honey lemon custard or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Recipe
Honey Lemon Custard For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 inch strip lemon peel
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat cream, honey, sugar, and nutmeg in a small saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring to a vigorous simmer, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Continue to simmer 8-12 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and add the lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir gently and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove lemon peel from the pan and pour into a ramekin. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours to let set or up to overnight.
Notes
- You can use another type of citrus in this recipe. Orange, grapefruit, or lime would work the same way.
- You can make this custard ahead of time. In fact, it should be refrigerated for 3 hours to set before eating. The custard will keep well for 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Even though a posset requires just a few simple ingredients and is very easy to make, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. The cream and sugar needs to simmer vigorously but be extra careful that the mixture does not boil. At a vigorous and rapid simmer, you will see a lot of movement in the cream. You will notice wisps of steam and quite a few bubbles but the bubbles will be small. Make sure the posset simmers like I have described. You do not want the cream to come up to a rolling boil which will look like bigger bubbles and lots of activity in the pot.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe sounds delicious! Can I triple the recipe to make 3 servings?
While I’ve only doubled the ingredients successfully, there’s no reason why tripling it shouldn’t work just fine. However, I must admit, I haven’t personally tested making three desserts with triple the ingredients. Give it a try and let your taste buds be the judge! If you’re experimenting with the measurements, keep an eye on the cooking time as it might vary.
Very yummy! When I make it again, because I definitely will, I’ll split it into 2 smaller dishes.
Would lactose free whole milk work in place of the heavy cream or do you need the higher butterfat for the posset to set up right?
No. You need the high fat found in heavy cream to make this recipe successfully.
So, I was a bit hasty in leaving my first review. Now it is fully set after a couple more hours. Sorry about that! I tried to find the other review to delete it but I’m not seeing it. ANYWAY, it’s delicious and I will definitely be making it again!
Hi Elise, I’m so glad the recipe worked well for you.
The flavor is great, but I had the same problem as others; it didn’t set (it has thickened a bit but it’s still very runny). I was thinking I might freeze it to make sort of a pseudo-ice cream. Would that work of would it get weird?
While the flavor is there it hasn’t set up and still as liquid as it was to begin with….
Hi Karen,
I’m so sorry to hear that. So many readers have made this recipe along with our other posset recipes with success and the recipe does work. I’d be happy to see if I can pinpoint what may have gone wrong. Were any substitutions made? Did you use heavy cream?
Joanie
I’m having the same issue. There were no substitutions but it’s been in the fridge for about 10 hours and still isn’t set.
Hi Melissa,
After reading your note, I decided to make this dessert again yesterday to try to see what might have gone wrong. The “custard” set up fine for me and I’m not sure why it didn’t for you. The acid from the lemon juice causes the cream to thicken. In fact, in the saucepan, you can begin to see the mixture thicken slightly. After being chilled in the refrigerator, it should thicken even more. You mention that you didn’t make any substitutions, so I’m really puzzled. I’d love to explore this further with you. If you’d like, please email me directly and we can try to figure it out.
Joanie
joanie@onedishkitchen.com