My vegan lemon posset is silky and intensely citrusy, served in hollowed lemon halves that make it the prettiest dessert. The filling is built on blended silken tofu and coconut cream, which means no heavy cream, no eggs, and no gelatin!

Halved lemons filled with a creamy dessert and topped with lemon zest, arranged closely together on a light surface. — The tofu has almost no flavor of its own in the finished posset. If you’re skeptical, taste the filling before chilling. The lemon and coconut are what you’ll notice, not the tofu.

A traditional lemon posset relies on heavy cream for its signature richness and structure. Replacing that without losing the texture is the challenge, and most vegan posset recipes solve it with coconut cream alone, which works but produces a noticeably coconut-forward result.

Silken tofu blended with coconut cream is the combination that actually gets you there: the tofu provides the neutral, creamy body and the protein structure that holds the filling firm, while the coconut cream adds the fat and richness that makes it feel indulgent rather than lean.

Your new back pocket dessert

As a sensory scientist, desserts built on texture and contrast are some of the most interesting recipes to develop. This vegan lemon posset hits every note I was aiming for:

Intensely lemony flavor from both infused zest and fresh juice
Make ahead friendly: fills and chills up to a day in advance
Optional brûlée finish adds a caramelized crunch that contrasts beautifully with the cold, creamy filling

Halved lemons filled with creamy lemon dessert, garnished with lemon zest, with a spoon scooping from one half on a plate. — These vegan lemon possets are dairy-free, gluten-free, and served in lemon shells for a no-fuss dessert that looks far more impressive than the effort involved.

The testing

Lemon juice amount: Three tablespoons of lemon juice produced a brighter filling but caused the tofu base to curdle slightly and the texture turned noticeably thinner. Two tablespoons nailed the thick, creamy structure. The flavor gap was closed by increasing the lemon zest instead, which boosts citrus intensity without adding liquid or acidity.

Silken tofu over firm: Firm tofu produces a slightly gritty texture that doesn’t fully smooth out even in a high-powered blender. Silken tofu blends completely smooth and has a neutral flavor that disappears behind the lemon and coconut.

Why Tofu?

Traditional lemon posset sets because of a reaction between the acid in the lemon juice and the proteins in heavy cream. The acid causes the cream proteins to tighten and cross-link, which is what turns a liquid mixture into a spoonable custard without any gelatin or eggs.

Silken tofu works for the same reason. It’s high in protein, has a neutral flavor, and blends completely smooth. When chilled, those proteins firm up and hold the filling in place in the same way cream proteins do in the traditional version!

A top-down view of labeled ingredients on a green surface for Vegan Lemon Posset: lemons, coconut cream, salt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, sugar, and silken tofu.

Key ingredients

Silken tofu: The structural base of the filling. It provides protein and a neutral, creamy body that sets firm when chilled without the need for gelatin or eggs.
Coconut cream: The fat component that makes the posset feel rich and indulgent. Use the thick, solid white part from the top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk doesn’t have enough fat to produce the right texture.
Lemon zest: Infused into the warm coconut cream before blending to extract the aromatic oils from the peel.
Lemon juice: Two tablespoons from the scooped lemon pulp provides brightness and acidity without thinning the filling or causing the tofu to curdle.

Halved lemons filled with creamy dessert, topped with lemon zest, arranged on a plate with a spoon in one half and a wooden cutting board in the background. — The texture is somewhere between a panna cotta and a lemon curd!

Pair it with…

These work beautifully as the finish to a dinner party dessert course alongside other elegant no-bake options. Serve them next to avocado chocolate mousse pie for a dessert spread that covers both chocolate and citrus, or alongside banana nice cream for a lighter, fruit-forward finish to a summer meal.

Close-up of creamy Vegan Lemon Posset served in hollowed-out lemon halves, garnished with lemon zest, with a spoon scooping some out—this vegan dessert gets its silky texture from silken tofu.

rate pin print remove ads

Vegan Lemon Posset with Silken Tofu

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 15

Chill Time: 2

Total: 2 15

Servings: servings

This vegan lemon posset is silky, intensely citrusy and served in hollowed lemon halves for a stunning presentation. Made with silken tofu and coconut cream (no heavy cream or eggs)!

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup coconut cream*, 120 mL, from a can of full-fat coconut milk
▢ 1 Tbsp packed lemon zest**, from an additional lemon
▢ 6 small lemons***, halved
▢ 2 Tbsp lemon juice, from the scooped out lemon pulp, 30 mL
▢ 8 oz silken tofu, 230 g
▢ ½ cup sugar, 100 g
▢ ½ tsp vanilla extract
▢ ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Infuse the coconut cream: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup coconut cream* and 1 Tbsp packed lemon zest**. Cook over medium/low heat until gently bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Prep the lemons: Slice 6 small lemons*** in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the pulp and membranes, reserving the lemon shells for serving.
From the scooped out lemon pulp, measure 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
The rest of the pulp can be used for lemon juice in a different recipe.
Blend the filling: In a blender or food processor, combine the lemon juice, infused coconut cream, 8 oz silken tofu, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp salt. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
Tap the blender container or bowl on the counter several times to release any trapped air bubbles.
Fill the lemons: Divide the filling evenly among the prepared lemon halves, smoothing the tops.
Chill to set: Transfer the filled lemons to the refrigerator and chill until fully set, about 2 to 3 hours. It should have the consistency of thick pudding.
If refrigerating for longer than this, cover with plastic wrap to prevent the custard from absorbing funky fridge smells.
Optional brûlée finish: If desired, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the tops and use a kitchen torch to brûlée until caramelized. Serve chilled, right after brûléeing.

Notes

*The coconut cream is the solid white part that separates in your can of coconut milk. The watery liquid can be used in a different recipe (like a smoothie!).

**I like to use an additional lemon to get the zest so that the halved shells are all pretty for serving. If you want to save on ingredients, you can zest one of the lemons before halving and scooping out the pulp.

***or 3 large lemons

Storage: The filled lemon halves keep in the fridge for up to two days. Cover loosely with plastic wrap after the first two to three hours once the filling has fully set, to prevent the custard from absorbing any fridge smells.