Lemon Dessert Sauce is the epitome of summer dessert topping. It is fresh and vibrant, and unlike curd, Lemon Dessert Sauce is thinner and pours easily over anything you think pairs well with lemon!
THIS IS NOT A LEMON CURD RECIPE!
Lemon curd is a thick preserve that can be used to make lemon meringue pies and classic lemon bars, among other things. The difference between lemon curd and Lemon Dessert Sauce is that curd is thick and spreadable, while the sauce can be poured and drizzled.
Lemon Dessert Sauce can be stored safely in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. But, in most cases, it won’t last that long! When you think about the many uses, I’m sure you’ll agree.
We like to spoon a heaping amount over some plain Greek yogurt, or onto some good vanilla ice cream. It’s perfect paired with a scone and a bit of clotted cream. Or, you can just eat it right out of the jar – I’m not kidding! Even though this sauce is not thick, it is rather pudding like and can be eaten just as you would a pudding.
USING LEMON DESSERT SAUCE
In essence, if you love lemon flavours as much as we do, you can put it on just about anything you can think of. Here’s a perfect example of how you can use the sauce. Try making a simple dessert by adding a few tablespoons of the sauce to a dessert dish. Add to that a small handful of fresh raspberries and fresh blueberries. Top with a few more tablespoons of the Lemon Dessert Sauce, and lastly, top with a dollop of whipped cream – simple and elegant!
If you already have desserts at home, you can jazz them up by adding some of the sauce to them. Take for example, my Blueberry Yogurt Cake, or my Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake. These two would benefit greatly from a good drizzling of the sauce. Make it fancy by adding a fresh sprig of mint leaves!
Oh, what about Mom’s No-Bake Cheesecake? Instead of adding that top layer of homemade jam, why not add a few tablespoons of this sauce instead? Lemon pairs so well with cream cheese, so that would be one dessert fit to serve the pickiest mother-in-law!
THIS RECIPE MAKES PLENTY!
Lemon Dessert Sauce is versatile and delicious, there’s really no doubt about that. It’s easy to make, and requires no special tools. The recipe will give you about two and a half cups, so there’s sure to be enough to go around. In the photos, you’ll see that I poured the sauce into 250 ml jars so that I had the option of opening one jar at at time, or giving them away as gifts. Because, you know, Dear Reader, people love to receive the gift of good food!
Now, here’s the recipe. Make yourself some Lemon Dessert Sauce today and elevate your dessert options greatly. Summer is fast, so there’s no time like the present, because this is one sauce that captures summer completely!
Lemon Dessert Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Before you juice the lemons, zest them first. Trying to zest lemons that have already been juiced is nearly impossible! You’ll need about 5-6 lemons (depending on the size) to get 3/4 cup of lemon juice.
- Whisk together the eggs, salt, sugar, and lemon juice until well mixed.
- Pour into a sauce pan and turn heat to medium.
- Add the butter and lemon zest. Continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a slight boil.
- The sauce will thicken. Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, it’s done.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a metal bowl. Pour the lemon sauce through the sieve to remove any lumps. You may need to push the sauce through the sieve which is easy to do with a rubber spatula.
- Next, pour the sauce into clean mason jars and refrigerate immediately. Allow the sauce to set for 2 hours before using.
- Sauce will keep in the fridge for two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Haley says
I love lemons so I have to give this sauce a try during the weekend.
Mickey says
Would this be thick enough to put in a cupcake or would that be more or curd? Could I just cook this down to be thicker?
Adele Aiken says
Your sauce looks wonderful. I have a jar of lemon curd on hand. What could I add to it to make it thin like your lemon sauce?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Adele. I would suggest thinning the lemon curd with fresh lemon juice. It might be a little more tart, but certainly will be thinner.
Anita Jackson says
Hi can you freeze this sauce if so for how long?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I would not recommend freezing it.
Hobolet says
Can l use coconut sugar or monk sugar, a healthier sugar?Thank you
Jennifer says
I stumbled across this today after a request by my husband and oldest son for a lemon topping for a cheesecake. It is amazing! Thank you!
Anne McIntosh says
can i process it
byronethomas@gmail.com says
No, Anne, this cannot be processed.
Scottie says
Your recipes are Amazing and Delicious and with that being said it sad that this particular Lemon Dessert Sauce can’t be processed because my brothers would love this dessert if I could make it and then mail a jar to them due to they don’t cook or bake 😪
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Scottie. I wish I could can it too, but it just will not work for this particular recipe.
Jan Wood says
I stumbled across your website and made this most delicious lemon sauce last week. I used it to compliment a New York baked Cheesecake and it was DELICIOUS. So much so, I am making it again this weekend. We eat lemons all year round. They are so versatile. Thank you for this beautiful recipe
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Jan. 🙂
Marlee says
Oh my! I’ve had this recipe saved for a long time, and decided today was the day. Was it ever worth the wait! Lovely bright flavor, perfect balance between tart and sweet. Absolutely delectable.
Barbara says
Just made this sauce and it’s delicious! The other lemon sauce recipes I’ve been finding seem heavy on the sugar and light on the lemon flavor as well as very thin. This is beautifully thick by comparison to those, vibrant in color thanks to the eggs, and a perfect balance of sweet and sour.
Madeleine says
So delicious and easy to make!
I was disappointed by all the cornstarch recipes out there but luckily I found this one. I did a little less sugar ~ 7/8th of a cup and opted for unsalted butter. It thickened up just fine. I think next time I might decrease the sugar a bit more. It’s perfectly sour and we love sour over sweet.
Thank you!
Ginny says
Just discovered your website last week, looking for a lemon sauce recipe to eat with Greek yogurt. I am so glad I gave this a try–it is absolutely perfect! My whole family loves it, and I have made it 3 times already. We’re into low carb/sugar, so I ‘ketofied’ it using allulose for sweetener–it works!! Everyone eats this sauce with reckless abandon over anything they think will work, especially since it’s healthy. (And yes, you’re right–straight out of the jar.) Thank you for posting this recipe–it is my go-to.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I’m so glad to hear that, Ginny. Thank you!