Magic little Lemon Self-Saucing Puddings made with no eggs! The batter magically transforms into a tangy, lemony, custardy sauce, topped with fluffy, golden sponge cake. Super easy, ready in minutes, and can be made in an air fryer or oven!
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"I can't believe this works but it does. Quite incredible. I've never had a dessert like this before but I definitely will be making them again and again!" - Clara ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
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Lemon lovers prepare yourselves. I've got lots of vegan lemon recipes, but today let's just talk about what happens when you whip up these super easy, individual Self-Saucing Lemon Puddings...
Magic. That's what happens.
Bake your lemon surprise pudding and when you break into the golden, fluffy sponge you will find custardy, lemon sauce hiding underneath! We're talking the very best combo of sweet sponge and mouth-puckeringly tart, sauce, all in quick cooking, individual, ramekin format.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make Self-Saucing Lemon Puddings:
And some important ingredient notes:
- Lemon - This needs to be a fresh lemon because you need the lemon rind/zest and juice. Believe it or not the zest is where most of the lemon flavour comes from.
- Flour - I have only tested this recipe with all purpose flour. Plain flour will work in the UK though.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This is my preference in these puddings because the deep olive oil flavour works so well with lemon. Any other liquid oil such as canola, vegetable, avocado, or sunflower oil will work but don't use vegan butter. It doesn't work well in this recipe.
- Cornstarch - (Known as cornflour in the UK). I haven't tried it but I think arrowroot would work just as well.
- Plant milk - Any will do such as almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or oat milk. Try to make sure it's unflavoured and unsweetened though.
A totally optional ingredient, if you want the sauce to be nice and yellow is a small pinch of turmeric. Add it to the sugary lemon water that you pour over the top of the puddings. I used it in the puddings I photographed so they looked prettier ;O)
SUCCESS TIP - A lot of science is going on in this magic lemon sponge pudding recipe, so for it to work well it is important that you make no changes (other than the substitutes I've mentioned above).
How To Make Self-Saucing Lemon Puddings
This easy lemon dessert is so easy! Here's how it's done:
- Mix up the easy batter.
- Mix up some lemon juice, hot water and sugar.
- Spoon the batter into ramekins then pour over the lemony water.
- Bake in an oven or air fryer (yes you can make an air fryer self saucing pudding!) until risen, fluffy and golden.
Serving Suggestions
Let the puddings rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven/air fryer. This gives the sauce a chance to thicken. Leave them too long though and the sauce will absorb into the sponge and disappear so they aren't a pudding for making ahead or reheating.
To serve all they really need to shine is a little dust of powdered sugar, but who am I to stop you from adding a dollop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream?! That cold ice cream with the super hot, saucy pudding is a winning combo! Cocowhip or vegan whipped cream also work well.
Recipe
Lemon Self-Saucing Puddings
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the batter
- ½ cup (64 grams) all purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) white or cane sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- zest from 1 lemon , grated finely
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , or any other liquid oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) plant milk (unsweetened & unflavoured)
For the liquid
- 2¼ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon , grated finely
- 3 tablespoons white or cane sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water
- OPTIONAL a small pinch turmeric , only if you want the sauce to be a brighter yellower
INSTRUCTIONS
- If cooking in an oven preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the batter. In a small mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the lemon zest, olive oil, and plant milk. Mix to form a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between 2 x 6oz (177ml) ramekins. If you will be baking them in an oven sit them on a baking tray. No need if using an air fryer.
- Mix the liquid. Stir the cornstarch and lemon juice together in a small bowl, working out any lumps. Add the sugar and zest, then pour in the freshly boiled water. Mix well.
- Pour the liquid gently over the top of the cake batter until it's about ⅛ an inch below the rim of the ramekin. It will look all wrong and might curdle a bit but don’t worry. Magic will happen!
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 28 to 30 minutes, or at 325°F in an air fryer for about 18 to 19 minutes, until visibly risen, puffy, and starting to turn golden brown.
- Important. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before digging in! The sauce needs a little time to thicken. Be careful, though, as it will still be REALLY hot!
NOTES
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Ruthanne White says
This is wonderful! The true lemon quality perfect.... not too sweet. I appreciate the cornflower in the sauce that adds to it's richness. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a deep dish instead of the individual ones. Heavenly!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it, Ruthanne, and thank you for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Bob says
It tastes so good. I will make more .
Awesome!!!
Trudy says
Too sour !!! Need to cut the lemon juice by maybe half.
Cindy says
This was fabulous! I substituted apple sauce for the oil (1:1) and it came out great. Will definitely make again and for company too!
Sally says
If you’re looking for a unique, easy to make, and delicious dessert, this is for you!
I made it for me and my husband , but I’ll soon be doubling the recipe and having more folks enjoy it. A first for me: using my air fryer to make a dessert!
Denise says
Sry. Really want to like this but the current amount for lemon juice is Way over the top for me. I’m still experimenting with adding more sugar (1 Tbs) and cutting back on the lemon juice but have yet to find the right lemon strength for me. Ill update this when I find the right ratio that works for me.
Diana says
Is there any reason I can't make this in one pan instead of individual ramekins? I'm lazy, what can I say? Oh, and I don't have ramekins. Thanks very much.
Melanie McDonald says
No reason, except that the recipe hasn't been tested that way so you'll need to work out the timings and the correct dish size etc. Because you need to get that just right with these puddings so the sponge cooks and the sauce doesn't dry up, it will take some testing to get it just right.
Annie Reeves says
Hi, I want to try this but with limes! What do you think?
Melanie McDonald says
It will work with any citrus!
Cheryl says
Well - now that was amazingly delicious! Another fabulous recipe from Mel (thank you so much). It was super easy and the perfect dessert for two....it looked like sunshine in a bowl with the perfect balance of sweet with tart - SO good :-) PS: Watch the baking in the oven and saw "the science" of it right before my eyes, my granddaughter is going to love watching this bake when I make for her for the first time.
K Grant says
Followed this recipe to a T. Didnt rise, didnt brown, just didnt want to get up and live its best life at all. Very disappointing.
Clara says
I can't believe this works but it does. Quite incredible. I've never had a dessert like this before but I definitely will be making them again and again!
Brenda Herrick says
This is the best dessert ever!!
Full of flavor and just a perfect lemon tang . A must try simple recipe !!!
Dee M says
I allergic to lemons am will definitely try with lime, but wondering if u have any idea how much juice and zest to use? Thanks!!
Melanie McDonald says
It will definitely work well with lime. Probably orange too. The amount of juice to use is given in mls/cups in the recipe. For the zest I'd say 2 limes is probably about equivalent to the zest of a medium lemon.
Dee M says
Thanks for your reply! I'm anxious to try this!
Monica says
I made this in the air fryer with arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, Anita’s gluten free-flour (Gluten-free oat flour*, brown rice flour*, potato starch*, tapioca flour*, arrowroot powder*) I made a half portion for just myself and put waaay too much lemon 🍋 zest in each part where it’s requested because I am over zest-leous when it comes to all things lemon. I loved how it magically formed. I will definitely make this again.
Melanie McDonald says
"Over zest-leous" 🤣 I love that it worked ok with gluten-free flour. Thanks for letting us know, Monica. Your comment will be really help for GF people.
Dee M says
I was hoping this would work with gf flour, and am really happy that you commented! Love your Zest-leousness😂
Dellani says
Hi
Is it possible to use normal cows milk instead of plant milk?
Melanie McDonald says
This is a vegan website so I'm never going to recommend using cow's milk ;O)