This Lemon Custard Cups recipe features a creamy, silky-smooth custard with bright, yet delicate, fresh lemon flavor. It’s the loveliest spring and summer dessert!
I’m kinda obsessed with custards. I love their creamy, delicate texture and wide range of flavors, and these Lemon Custard Cups are a delightful little treat that I can’t get enough of. If you, like me, find extreme enjoyment in a custard dessert, be sure to also check out my Caramel Custard Pots with Salted Caramel Sauce!
Why I ❤️ Lemon Custard Cups
These little cups of lemony bliss are basically just a better form of lemon pudding. Here’s why I love this recipe.
- Rich without being heavy. These lemon custards are a few small spoonfuls of heaven, just the perfect way to end a meal on a sweet note without overdoing it.
- Lemony without being in-your-face about it. The lemon flavor in this dessert is delicate, almost soothing, and on an entirely different level than my favorite pizzazzy Lemon Bars.
- Perfect for a special occasion. The small custard cup size makes them great for a dessert buffet, providing an extra special treat for a spring or summer brunch celebrating a bride-to-be, a new baby, or the much deserving mom on Mother’s Day.
“I made this for dinner tonight, it came together so quick and everyone loved it! Including Mr. Picky 4 year old that won’t eat anything besides hash browns and chicken nuggets. Thanks for a great recipe!”
Cindy
What You’ll Need
You only need 5 ingredients to make this lemon custard recipe! Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Milk – Whole milk is key for nailing that rich, creamy texture.
- Lemon zest – Use a fine grater or microplane; you will strain out the zest, so it’s not absolutely critical for it to be finely grated, but you will be able to extract more flavor that way.
- Lemon oil or lemon extract – By lemon oil, I mean culinary lemon oil (not lemon essential oil, etc.).
- Eggs – By definition, a custard is made with eggs. It’s the protein in the eggs that thicken the custard when it’s cooked.
- Sugar – Everyday white (or granulated) sugar.
How to Make Lemon Custard Cups
Making custard is all about technique. Follow these steps and you can’t go wrong!
- Infuse the milk. Bring the milk and lemon zest just to a boil over medium heat. Take the saucepan off the heat, cover, and let the milk sit for 30 minutes to infuse the lemon flavor into the milk.
- Prepare. Set the oven rack just below the center and preheat your oven to 325º F. Line a roasting pan with paper towels and place the custard cups inside, line a strainer with a cheesecloth and set it over a spouted bowl, and bring water to a boil in a kettle, then reduce the heat to keep it warm.
- Strain the milk. Pour the milk through the strainer and press the lemon zest with a spatula before discarding. Stir in the lemon oil or extract, adding more to taste.
- Make the custard. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the lemony milk, then slowly whisk in the rest. Skim any foam off the top.
- Bake. Divide the custard into the cups and set the pan in the oven. Pour water from the kettle into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custards are only lightly jiggly in the centers.
- Cool and serve. Cool the custard cups on a wire rack, then once they’re room temperature, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Let them sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
Tips for Perfect LemoN Custards
If you’ve never made custard before, here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind before starting the recipe.
- Don’t try to swap in lemon juice. It’s simply not concentrated enough to use for this recipe; you’d have to add so much of it to get a lemony flavor that your custards would end up watery.
- Temper the eggs slowly. If you dump all the hot milk into the eggs at once, you’ll scramble the eggs and ruin the texture of the custards.
- Place the pan in the oven, THEN add the water. It’s far easier to add the hot water when the pan is in the oven than try to carry a pan full of hot water and place it in the oven without spilling any or splashing into the custard cups.
Garnish and Topping Ideas
I like to add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top of each lemon custard cup. If you have beautiful berries, add a few to the top of each cup, too. A sprig of fresh mint would also be fresh and pretty. Or try dusting the tops with powdered sugar, which would look pretty with the berries.
How to Store
Store your lemon custard cups in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
More Recipes for Lemon Lovers
Lemon Custard Cups
Yield: 8 servings
Lemon Custard Cups are the perfect light and lemony dessert! I like to serve them with a little dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Print
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (you'll need about 2 large lemons), without any white pith
- ⅛ teaspoon pure lemon oil or pure lemon extract, or as much as needed to achieve a delicate lemon flavor – lemon oil will have a more concentrated flavor than an extract
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add milk and lemon zest to a saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat, and place a cover over the top. Set a timer for 30 minutes, to let milk take on some lemon flavor.
- While you're waiting, do some prep work. Place oven rack right below the center position in the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a tall-sided roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels and place eight 4-ounce custard cups in the pan. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a heatproof bowl with a spout. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil. When the water boils, turn the heat down to keep it warm.
- When the 30-minute timer goes off, pour the steaming milk mixture through the strainer lined with cheesecloth, into the heatproof bowl. Press on the lemon zest with a spatula, to release as much lemon flavor from the zest as possible. Discard cheesecloth with lemon zest. Stir lemon oil into lemon-infused milk. Taste test the milk and add more lemon oil if needed, as different oils and extracts will have varying amounts of lemon flavor. The goal is to have only a delicate lemon flavor.
- In a 1-quart heatproof measuring cup or bowl with a spout, whisk eggs and sugar until well blended. Still whisking, very slowly drizzle in about ¼ cup of the steaming milk, little by little, to temper (warm) the eggs – so they don’t curdle. Whisking continuously, very slowly pour in the remaining steaming milk.
- With a large spoon, skim off any foam from the top of the custard mixture. Then divide the custard mixture amongst the prepared cups. Place the roasting pan in the oven and then pour enough hot water from the teakettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups.
- Bake the custards for 45-55 minutes, or until they jiggle only in the center when you tap the cups lightly. Bake time will depend on actual size and shape of cups. Take care to not overbake, as this can create a thickened skin over the top of the custards. Custard will firm up as it cools.
- Transfer the custards to a rack and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Take custards out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve with small dollops of sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
Notes
adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 118kcal Carbohydrates: 14g Protein: 4g Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 80mg Sodium: 52mg Sugar: 13g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2012, then updated in 2025.
I made this for dinner tonight, it came together so quick and everyone loved it! Including Mr. Picky 4 year old that won’t eat anything besides hash browns and chicken nuggets. Thanks for a great recipe!
Those custard cups look amazing. What a perfect spring or summer dessert!
What a great spring or summer dessert. These look delish!
Me too, girl! Don’t really love eggs, but crazy about custard!! This looks amazing. :)
Thank you so much, Sommer – have a great weekend! :)
These look amazing! I’m a lemon freak, so these are right up my alley :)
Awesome! Can you use lemon juice instead of extract?
I would stick to the pure extract or oil, Emy.
I love citrusy desserts and your cups look amazing Brenda! Happy Mother’s day!
you had me at lemon! Have a beautiful Mother’s Day Weekend Brenda!
Mouthwatering perfection! Perfect Summer dessert. Thanks so much for linking up!
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe of this mini lemon custard cups with us. I want to try this recipe at my kitchen and have it with good taste.
What a beautiful creation along with all the others. You’re on a roll if I do say so myself. Each one of the desserts posted below and this are simply stunning and picture perfect. Now to decide which one to tackle first. Which has been your favorite
Thank you so much, Vicki – have a great weekend!! :)
This lemon custard sounds dreamy!!
Okay I really need to get a kitchen torch.
(This one doesn’t need a torch!)
I’m usually not into citrusy foods, but for some reason, this spring, I’m in love with citrus!
These look great, and cute to boot :)
I’ve been on a serious citrus kick since January and these look amazing!
Lemon desserts are some of my favorites and the custard sounds dreamy, Brenda. These are gorgeous!
These look absolutely lovely. Awesome idea!