Use this Lemon Sauce on your favorite desserts. It’s easy to make and goes great with cakes, pancakes, ice cream, and so much more.
Lemon Sauce
One of the things I miss the most about living in Phoenix is the citrus season. I loved having access to all kinds of freshly-picked lemons, limes, and oranges from my neighbors, who were more than happy to share their abundance!
I’m a huge fan of lemon-flavored dishes and treats, and this recipe is one of our favorites. This sauce recipe is so versatile and can be used in so many ways. Plus, it can easily be enjoyed all year long.
This recipe has the perfect amount of sweetness combined with the tartness of the lemon. You’ll love drizzling it over all of your favorite desserts.
How to use Lemon Sauce
Use this sauce with your favorite desserts! A classic way to enjoy this sauce is over Gingerbread Cake. It’s also great over vanilla ice cream or fresh fruit and berries. Try it over bread pudding, too! Here are a few of my other favorite ideas:
How to make Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
- granulated sugar – regular cane or beet sugar work best since they melt well.
- cornstarch – used as a thickener.
- water
- grated lemon peel – freshly grated is preferred.
- lemon juice – fresh squeezed is preferred.
- butter – both salted or unsalted work fine. I usually use salted.
Instructions
- Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Gradually, stir in the water. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Serve warm or cool. Cover and refrigerate any remaining sauce.
Lemon Sauce FAQs
While they may sound similar at first glance, there are a few key differences.
* Lemon Sauce is thin and pourable – almost like a syrup. It’s great poured over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, bread pudding, pound cake, gingerbread, and many other desserts.
* Lemon Curd is thicker and typically has to be spread. Curds also contain eggs. Typically, this is used as a filling in desserts like bars, cakes, and pies.
While technically you can, I would not. Freezing and thawing often affect the texture. Since this recipe is easy to whip up, I prefer to make a fresh batch.
MICROWAVE: Microwave the sauce in a microwave-safe container on 100% power for 45-seconds, stirring twice. Add additional time in 10-second increments until heated through, if needed.
STOVETOP: Place the sauce in a heat-resistant bowl in a pan of simmering water that comes partially up the side of the bowl. Heat, occasionally stirring, until hot.
Recipe Tips
- This sauce will thicken as it cools down.
- Refrigerate this sauce in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Reheat and serve warm.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Lemon Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Gradually, stir in the water. Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Serve warm or cool. Cover and refrigerate any remaining sauce.
Notes
- This sauce will thicken as it cools down.
- Refrigerate this sauce in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Reheat and serve warm.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on December 23, 2012. Updated on January 5, 2022.
Pinned ! I left a comment with your ginger bread recipe, but my computer had gone all funny again – let me know if it has gone through, please 🙂
I bet this would be so good drizzled over some cream cheese frosting! I’m so glad you shared it with us on Whimsy Wednesday. We ALWAYS love seeing you here!
Take care and can’t wait to see what you’ve got going on next time,
Kelly at Smart! School {House}
http://www.facebook.com/SmartSchoolHouse?ref=tn_tnmn
Ever tried this with meyer lemons? It is very good.
Loving this lemon sauce Jamie! I love anything lemony and this will be great with some pound cake 🙂
Michelle
ooooo … just found this! I pinned it so I could refer back to it. I'm not a baker (have intolerance to gluten) but I love to make sauces. Looks yummy!