This Easy Lemon Pudding Recipe is creamy, sweet, and tangy with fresh lemon flavor in every spoonful. Made with simple ingredients and ready to chill, this homemade dessert costs just $2.27 for the recipe, or about $0.57 per serving.
My family enjoys this Easy Lemon Pudding when we want a change from other rich desserts. I love how the fresh lemon juice gives it a sweet and tangy flavor, and serving it in individual dishes makes dessert easy for everyone to enjoy.
For a cheesecake twist, try our homemade Cheesecake Pudding.
Why You’ll Love This Family Recipe!
- 15 minutes on the stove – Then the fridge does the rest.
- No heavy cream needed – Whole milk and two whole eggs, so there are no leftover egg whites.
- Bright and tangy – Fresh lemon juice, stirred in off the heat, keeps the flavor sharp.
- Make-ahead friendly – Chill it in serving cups the day before a party.
I’ve been making homemade pudding recipes for over 10 years, and this lemon version is one of the easiest. It’s just milk, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, butter, and fresh lemon juice cooked on the stovetop in about 15 minutes — no boxed mix needed.
You might also like to try Orange Pudding, Caramel Pudding and Pumpkin Pudding.
Ingredients
- Cornstarch. This thickens the pudding as it cooks, giving it a smooth, creamy consistency. Whisk it thoroughly with the sugar and salt before adding the milk to help prevent lumps. Learn The Best Substitutes for Cornstarch.
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice. It’s worth the extra minute to squeeze fresh lemons. We stir the juice in after the pudding is cooked and off the heat — adding acid to hot milk too early can make it curdle and can keep the cornstarch from thickening properly. You’ll need about 2 lemons for ⅓ cup. Zest them before you juice them if you want to use zest instead of extract.
- Lemon Extract. A little extract makes the lemon flavor stronger. No extract? Use about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest instead.
- Granulated Sugar. Sweetens the pudding and balances the tart lemon.
- Salt. Just a pinch makes the lemon taste brighter.
- Whole Milk. Gives the creamiest texture. For an even richer pudding, use 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk.
- Eggs. Help thicken the pudding and make it rich and silky.
- Butter. Stirred in at the end for a smooth, glossy finish.
Find the complete ingredient list at the bottom of the page.
How To Make Lemon Pudding
Step 1. First, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.
Step 2. Next, whisk in the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Make sure to stir the mixture constantly. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Step 3. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly. This warms the eggs gently so they don’t scramble. Then whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Bring back to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook and stir 2 more minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 4. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract. For the smoothest texture, pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Spoon into cups and chill.
How Thick Should It Be?
Warm pudding will look like a thick sauce that coats your spoon. It sets up much thicker as it chills. Homemade pudding is creamy and spoonable and a little softer than a store-bought pudding cup.
Press plastic wrap right onto the surface of the warm pudding before chilling. That keeps a rubbery skin from forming on top.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this lemon pudding with Homemade Whipped Cream and fresh berries for extra flavor. Blueberries and raspberries pair especially well with the tangy lemon. You can also garnish each serving with a thin lemon slice or a little lemon zest.
Lemon Pudding Fixes
- Won’t thicken on the stove: It hasn’t bubbled long enough. Cornstarch needs a full 1–2 minutes at a gentle boil. Return it to low heat and keep stirring.
- Lumpy: The cornstarch wasn’t fully whisked into the sugar before the milk went in. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer and it’ll be smooth.
- Little bits of cooked egg: The hot milk went into the eggs too fast. The strainer catches these too.
- Grainy: It cooked too long after thickening. Next time, take it off the heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon.
- Bitter or metallic taste: Lemon juice can react with aluminum or cast iron pans. Use stainless steel or enameled cookware.
- Still loose after chilling: It was a little undercooked. Don’t toss it — spoon it over pound cake or berries as a lemon sauce.
Reader Favorite Swaps
Our readers have made this lemon pudding their own. Here are a few swaps they loved:
- Lemon zest instead of extract for a fresher lemon flavor.
- Egg yolks instead of whole eggs for an extra-rich, custard-like pudding.
- Less sugar (⅓ cup) if you like it more tart than sweet.
- Vanilla extract if you don’t have lemon extract on hand.
FAQs
Keep it covered in the fridge up to 3–4 days. We don’t recommend freezing. It separates and turns watery when thawed.
Yes, but it will be a little less rich and creamy. Whole milk gives the best texture.
The cornstarch needed a little more cooking. Let the milk mixture bubble gently for the full 2 minutes in Step 2, and again for 2 minutes after adding the eggs. Fully cooked cornstarch tastes clean and feels smooth.
In a pinch, yes. Fresh juice tastes brighter, and two lemons cost very little.
It’s soft and spoonable, so it won’t slice cleanly. For pie, try our Lemon Icebox Pie.
More Easy Lemon Recipes
Tried this easy lemon pudding? Leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Don’t forget to give it a star rating.
Easy Lemon Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Extract
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in milk and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
- Place the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly beat them. Then stir in 1 cup of milk mixture from the sauce pan into the eggs and then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon extract.
- Transfer to serving dishes and chill.
- Then the pudding is ready to serve and enjoy!
Can this be made without whole milk?
I haven’t tested it without milk before so I’m not sure. Milk does give this pudding the best texture.
The pudding was tasty but it left a sort of film in the mouth, not on the pudding itself. wht would,cause this?
Jean – I’m so glad you enjoyed the Lemon Pudding. That filmy feeling is usually caused by starch thickeners or dairy fat/proteins coating the mouth, especially if the pudding is thick or very cold. Using less starch, lower-fat milk, or an egg-based custard can help prevent it next time. Hope this helps!
Fabulous recipe! I uses lemon zest in lieu of extract! Delicious!
Dawn – Wahoo! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
This recipe is delicious and easy to make! I made a couple modifications , I used egg yolks instead of the whole egg, I didn’t have lemon extract so I used vanilla extract . Next time I would use 1/3c sugar instead of 1/2 cup because I prefer it more tart than sweet . This recipe is a keeper !
Hey Pamela – Thanks for your feedback. I’m so happy you loved it!