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Higher-Protein Lemon Posset Recipe
If you’ve been following the blog for any period of time, you’ve likely noticed that there’s a pattern with cottage cheese here. I use it in everything from my cottage cheese waffles to cottage cheese egg bites and cottage cheese brownies. It’s honestly such an easy way to add protein to pretty much anything, and no one ever notices it’s there!
So when I first discovered the classic British lemon posset, which is a dreamy dessert made with just cream, sugar, and lemon juice, I immediately knew I wanted to make a higher-protein version with, you guessed it, cottage cheese! It blends completely smooth into the cream mixture, adds an incredible velvety texture, and boosts the protein without changing the flavor one bit. Plus, it always looks impressive and is secretly SO easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 7 Simple Ingredients – This lemon posset recipe comes together with 7 simple ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand.
- Creamy Texture – Chilled in the fridge, the posset turns out silky smooth with a thick, creamy consistency that practically melts in your mouth. It’s kind of like a cross between a coffee panna cotta and mousse, only with a lemon flavor. It’s seriously addicting!
- Lemon Flavor – Every bite is bursting with bright, citrusy lemon flavor but is well-balanced with decadent cream and a touch of sweetness.
- Perfect for Gatherings – As written, this recipe makes enough for 6 servings, all of which are individually portioned, making them great for entertaining. Plus, you can easily double or even triple the recipe for a larger crowd!
RELATED: Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- Cottage Cheese – Whole milk cottage cheese works best for a decadent flavor and creamy consistency.
- Lemon – I use both lemon juice and lemon zest to infuse the filling with lots of citrusy flavor. Just be careful not to include any of the white pith when zesting your lemon. It can be a little bitter!
- Vanilla
- Heavy Whipping Cream – This is the base of the posset and is what gives it a luxurious texture. Make sure to use heavy whipping cream and not a lighter alternative. It’s key to getting the filling to set up properly!
- Cane Sugar – Sweetens the posset without overpowering the bright lemon flavor. Both organic and non-organic cane sugar work great here!
- Salt – Just a pinch helps enhance the rest of the flavors.
- Fresh Berries – These are optional, but I love to serve my lemon posset dessert topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries for an extra pop of color.
How to Make This Lemon Posset Recipe
This dessert looks super fancy and complicated to make, but it’s surprisingly SO easy. All you need is a blender, a medium pot, and serving glasses or small jars. Here’s how to make a high-protein Lemon Posset Recipe:
- Blend the filling – Pulse the cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed!
- Heat – Whisk the heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium pot, and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is steamy, stirring occasionally. It shouldn’t be boiling!
- Combine – Remove the pot from the heat. Then, working in three additions, whisk in the blended cottage cheese mixture.
- Chill – Pour the lemon cream mixture into glasses or small jars, and transfer them to the fridge to set.
- Serve – Garnish your lemon possets with fresh berries and extra lemon zest, and enjoy cold!
TIP: I love serving lemon posset in these cute affogato bowls!
How to Make Lemon Possets in Lemon Halves
For cute lemon posset, set your possets in lemon peels! It’s an easy way to elevate the dessert and makes for a picture-worthy presentation that’s great for special occasions like wedding showers, baby showers, and Easter.
- Slice the lemons – Slice 6 lemons in half lengthwise. Then, carefully slice around the outer edge of the lemon between the pulp and the peel, and scoop the pulp into a bowl.
- Zest and squeeze – Zest the bottom of each lemon half to create a flat spot. This makes them easier to arrange on a platter! Then, use a citrus press to squeeze the lemon juice from the pulp, and run it through a fine mesh strainer to use in the filling.
- Make the filling – Follow the instructions to prepare the cream filling as usual.
- Set the possets – Pour the filling into the prepared lemon halves, and chill them in the fridge.
Tip: Save the extra lemon juice and lemon zest to add to a whipped lemonade recipe, vegan lemon blueberry cake, smoothies, or warm lemon tea!
Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese completely. Make sure the cottage cheese is completely smooth before moving on with the recipe. Otherwise, it will make your possets clumpy.
- Heat the cream gently. Warm the cream until it is steamy but not boiling. Overheating can cause separation and prevent the custard from setting smoothly.
- Whisk quickly! When adding the blended cottage cheese mixture to the hot cream, make sure to whisk it into the mixture quickly and in three separate additions. This prevents the mixture from curdling and helps everything emulsify together nicely, so your posset isn’t clumpy.
- Avoid overfilling. I found that jars or glasses with less filling set up the nicest! If you’re filling a larger glass or jar, plan to refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours to make sure it sets all the way through.
- Don’t rush the chilling. If you can, I recommend leaving your possets in the fridge overnight. This ensures the filling sets completely, creating a thick, mousse-like consistency.
RELATED: Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Variations
Berry swirl. Spoon a small layer of raspberry or blueberry jam into the bottom of each jar before pouring in the posset mixture. Then, use a knife to gently swirl the ingredients for a beautiful marbled effect and extra fruity flavor.
Strawberries & cream. Top the possets with sliced fresh strawberries and a small dollop of whipped cream before serving.
Lemon vanilla bean. Replace the vanilla extract with the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean for a deeper vanilla flavor.
Coconut lemon. Substitute 1/2 cup of the heavy cream with full-fat canned coconut milk for a subtle tropical twist.
Orange citrus posset. Swap half of the lemon juice for fresh orange juice, and use orange zest in place of lemon zest for a sweeter citrus variation.
Graham cracker crust. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers or shortbread cookies into the bottom of each jar to create a cheesecake-inspired lemon posset recipe.
How to Store
For the best results, omit any toppings, and store leftover possets covered with a lid or plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days, and enjoy them cold. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, because the creamy filling tends to separate once thawed!
Wholesome Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Lemon Sweet Tea Popsicles
- Vegan Berry Lemon Curd Tart
- Southern Sweet Tea Lemon Cake
- Lemon Ice Cream
- Lemon Poppy Seed Healthy Baked Donuts
Cottage Cheese Recipes To Try
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Protein Soufflé Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cookie Dough Cottage Cheese Bites
- Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake
Looking for more? Find 35+ cottage cheese recipes!
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Lemon Posset
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Medium Pot
- 6 Affogato Bowls or Small Glasses
Ingredients
- 1 cup 4% cottage cheese (I use Daisy brand!)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from approx. 2 lemons, plus extra for garnish)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from approx. 4 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Raspberries & blueberries as garnish (Approx. 1 cup of each)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Pause and scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside for later.
- To a medium pot, whisk the heavy cream, sugar and salt. Heat for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until steamy but not boiling, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and in 3 additions, quickly whisk in the blended cottage cheese mixture.
- Pour the lemon-cream mixture into 6 glasses (or small jars) and set in the fridge to chill for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Serve with raspberries, blueberries and extra lemon zest as garnish.
Directions for filling lemons:
- Slice 6 lemons in half, length wise.
- With the knife slice around the outer edge of the lemon between the flesh and skin. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp into a bowl, set aside.
- Zest bottom of each lemon half to make a flat spot, set lemon zest aside.
- Using a citrus press squeeze juice from the pulp that was set aside and run through a fine mesh strainer. Measure out 1/2 cup lemon juice and follow rest of directions.
Video
Notes
- If filling a jar/glass with a lot of filling, I’d recommend refrigerating for at least 6 hours. The longer it sets, the better!
Barbara says:
Can I use a sugar substitute in place of the sugar ?
JOL Team replied:
I haven’t tried it myself, but yes it should work just fine still. Enjoy!