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Home » sweet things » Quick and easy desserts » Easy magic lemon pudding (5 ingredients, no eggs)

Easy magic lemon pudding (5 ingredients, no eggs)

Posted Aug 19, 2017 | Updated Jun 25, 2020 by Helen | 208 Comments |

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5-ingredient lemon pudding (no eggs) with a spoon in it for Pinterest

An intensely flavoured self saucing lemon pudding that magically separates into two delicious layers – one cake, one sauce. Make it with only 5 main ingredients – no eggs needed!

A souffle dish of easy \'magic\' lemon pudding from above with a spoon in it on a marble background with lemons and a blue striped tea towel.

Amazing lemons!

It’s not uncommon here in Australia to see bags of lemons sitting on driveways with a sign in front: ‘Free lemons’. Which I love!

But if you’re going to take those lemons, you really need to think of something to make with them. And relatively fast before they turn into green powder in your fruit bowl.

I love how versatile lemons are. I have some favourite savoury recipes that include lemons, like this incredible and easy Greek lemon chicken and potatoes.

I also have other go-to lemon dessert recipes, like this lemon mascarpone cake, and these lemon bakewell bars.

How to make a self-saucing lemon pudding

You might have seen something like this magic lemon pudding called self-saucing lemon pudding, or even lemon delicious pudding (here in Australia!).

You mix together:

  • flour
  • sugar
  • lemon zest
  • milk
  • and butter

then you pour over lemon juice, sugar and water and bake. While in the oven, the dish ‘magically’ separates into a cake layer and a lemon sauce layer.

A portion of easy magic lemon pudding on a white plate with a spoon with lemons in the background.

Add ice cream and eat. Hopefully you’ve fooled guests into thinking you’ve slaved away over this magic lemon pudding, when really it only took you 5 minutes to throw together. Massive win.

In the past, I haven’t had much success making anything that has ‘magic’ in its name. A chocolate self-saucing pudding ended up with hardly any sauce and a magic apple cake  tasted divine but didn’t have the 3 clearly defined magic layers it was supposed to.

A souffle dish of easy \'magic\' lemon pudding from above on a marble background with lemons and a blue striped tea towel under the dish.

Love this recipe? Or hate it?

This recipe tends to divide a room. We have made it many times and love it, but it does receive mixed reviews.

Pro tip: The key to success is to leave the lemon pudding to cool slightly for ten to fifteen minutes after it comes out of the oven. The sauce might look a bit runny at first but if you let it stand it thickens up nicely.

This is what people say about this recipe:

Caro said: “ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is a lemon lovers dream! Tangy, warm, soft, not too sweet, I loved loved loved it.”

Juanita said: “Loved this! So easy and so yummy. We made it two days in a row!”

But CA Cook said: “I tried to make this and it was a disaster. The liquid stood on top of the cake and after 45 minutes there were still several inches of liquid. It didn’t taste lemony at all. The texture of the cake was really weird. I looked up other recipes for this kind of pudding and they call for eggs. Maybe this needs eggs.“

Nope. The recipe doesn’t ‘need’ eggs. I have tried to figure out why some people don’t like this recipe but can’t.

All I can suggest is to:

  1. make sure the oven is properly heated before putting the pudding in.
  2. Make sure you use self raising flour and not plain flour.
  3. Leave the pudding for 10 to 15 minutes before eating to let the sauce thicken and cool a little.
  4. Then eat it immediately. We find it tastes lovely the next day, but some of the sauce soaks into the pudding.

The only other advice I have is to try it for yourself… and make your own decision about whether you’re a quick and easy lemon pudding without eggs lover or hater!

A souffle dish of easy \'magic\' lemon pudding from above with a spoon in it on a marble background with lemons and a blue striped tea towel.

I hope you enjoy this. It perhaps won’t ever win any beauty contests, but we think it’s a delicious ‘got-to-have-dessert-right-now’ recipe!

This is the kind of baking dish I use for this pudding:

Update: The original magic lemon pudding recipe I adapted had very mixed reviews, and so does this one! If you give this a go and like it, would you consider popping back and leaving a review? Thank you!

Like this recipe? You’ll enjoy my chocolate self saucing pudding too!

I worked on the ‘little sister’ of my lemon pudding aka a 6-ingredient chocolate self saucing pudding, also with no eggs, for a long time before publishing it.

I wanted to get it ‘just right’. I hope you agree it was worth the wait! There are plenty of chocolate self saucing puddings out there already, but what sets this one apart is that:

  • it’s surprisingly low in sugar
  • it’s egg free, just like the lemon pudding, in case you can’t get any or you can’t eat eggs
  • it’s got plenty of sauce (mmmm… )
A close-up of a chocolate self saucing pudding with a decorative spoon in it

More really easy desserts

  • 5-minute chocolate banana ice cream (healthy nice cream!)
  • 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake (you’ve got to try this!)
  • Addictive peanut butter Cheerio bars
  • No bowl chocolate pecan bars (magic bars!)
  • 5-minute chocolate pots (only 4 ingredients!)

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!

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A souffle dish of easy 'magic' lemon pudding from above with a spoon in it on a marble background with lemons and a blue striped tea towel.

Easy lemon magic pudding (5 ingredients)

A quick and easy lemon pudding that separates impressively into 2 layers – a cake layer and a sauce layer. Magic!
4.4 from 125 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Cuisine English
Servings (click to change) 4 people
Author Helen

Equipment (affiliate links)

  • souffle dish

Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)

cups/ounces – grams/ml

for the cake batter

  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 lemon zest only (use the juice in the sauce)
  • ½ cup milk warmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted and mixed in with the warm milk)

for the sauce

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup water boiling
  • ½ cup lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)

to serve (optional)

  • icing / confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
  • vanilla ice cream
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 355F / 180C and grease a medium sized high-sided baking dish with butter.
  • Mix together the flour, sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
  • Pour the milk / butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
  • Empty the batter into the baking dish.
  • Mix the sauce ingredients together, then carefully pour over the batter in the baking dish. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sauce starting to bubble around the sides.
  • Take out of the oven, then leave for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly before serving.
  • Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream (if you like).

Notes

A note on the appearance!

Know before you make it that this dessert is DELICIOUS but it’s probably never going to win any beauty contests! It might be one to reserve for you and your family rather than serving it to guests you’re wanting to impress 😉
A note on the consistency
Some readers have reported this dessert to be ‘too runny’. There IS a lot of sauce, and when you first take it out of the oven it’s bubbling and runny looking.
Leave it for about 15 minutes however and it should thicken up nicely, leaving the equally as delicious cake on the top.

A note on the flour

The self raising flour in this recipe is crucial for it to work, so make sure you don’t use plain flour instead.
If you don’t have any self raising flour, simply add 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and half a teaspoon bicarb of soda/baking soda for every cup of flour.
It’s also worth noting that self rising flour in the USA is NOT the same as self raising flour in the UK or Australia. If you’re in the USA, I’d recommend using the above formula to make your own self raising flour. Good luck!

Really like this recipe?

Here’s my equally as delicious chocolate self saucing pudding! Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 1gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 225IUVitamin C: 26.2mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know if you liked it!

Comments

  1. Jeanette says

    27 Jun 21 at 1:21 am

    Hi, first time I have tried this recipe, we did enjoy it but possibly it takes 2d place to oe I always make, which does have eggs and the cae part if a bit fluffier and the sauce more like lemon curd. But that said. I will probably make your recipe again sometime as any lemon pudding is well received by my family. I’m a South African

    Reply
    • Helen says

      27 Jun 21 at 12:06 pm

      Hello Jeanette! I’m really glad you liked the pudding despite having some reservations! I consider it a compliment that you’ll make it again. I think it’s a good recipe for when you want something super quick and easy, rustic, and you don’t have or can’t eat eggs 😉

      Reply
  2. Cas says

    24 Jun 21 at 5:09 pm

    Thanks for this ‘magic’ lemon pudding recipe. Quick and easy with the right balance of lemon. Great with ice cream!!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      24 Jun 21 at 5:10 pm

      Hi Cas! I’m SO happy you enjoyed it. I LOVE how lemony it is too. Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Olivia says

    23 Jun 21 at 5:31 pm

    If you double the recipe how long should I cook it for? Did you use fan bake or normal thanks!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      23 Jun 21 at 5:52 pm

      Hi Olivia! I’ve made this successfully in both a normal and fan oven at the same temperature. I’ve never doubled the recipe before but another reader said that they did and it turned out great! Another reviewer said they doubled it and it need more cooking time (around 15 to 20 minutes longer). The top should be lightly golden and ‘set’ and the sauce should be bubbling all around. I’d check at the stated cooking time and again every 5 minutes after that. Don’t worry if it looks a big mess when it comes out of the oven. It settles and thickens and tastes amazing! I’d love to know how you get on!

      Reply
      • Olivia says

        23 Jun 21 at 6:15 pm

        Hey there I doubled the cake ingredients and doubled only the water in the sauce. I baked at 180 fan forced for 35 mins then turned the oven off and let it sit for 10-15 minutes then out of the oven for another 10 mins. Delicious!

      • Helen says

        24 Jun 21 at 5:09 pm

        Thank you so much for letting me know how you got on, Olivia – I was really curious! That’s so helpful to know. So happy it turned out well! Sounds like you nailed it!

  4. SM says

    18 Jun 21 at 10:15 pm

    2 stars
    What should be the consistency of the cake batter? I had to add nearly 1/2 cup more milk to make it the usual pouring ribbon consistency.

    The cake became soggy/doughy and didn’t cook well either…

    I used whole wheat flour with added baking powder and baking soda, not sure if that made the difference… 🙁

    Reply
    • Helen says

      19 Jun 21 at 4:37 pm

      Hi! Sorry it didn’t turn out well for you! The batter should be like normal muffin or cake batter, so not too thick or thin. I would definitely give it another go with white flour and the amounts of leavening stated in the recipe. It generally gets really good reviews. Oh and do let me know how you get on if you do try it again 😉

      Reply
  5. Suzie says

    09 Jun 21 at 10:27 am

    5 stars
    Delicious, easy and cheap. Thank you sooooo much.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      11 Jun 21 at 3:34 pm

      Great summary, Suzie. Thank you! So glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Alison Goullet says

    08 Jun 21 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    I was really not sure about this recipe but with only 5 ingredients and so easy I just had to give it a go. It is wonderful! So tasty with a real zingy lemony hit, the sauce compliments the sweet dense sponge, and so easy. Will definitely be on full rotation in my family.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      11 Jun 21 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Alison. I’m so happy you enjoyed this. I love that it has so few ingredients too. Thank you so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  7. Hoy says

    06 Jun 21 at 2:38 pm

    I came across the recipe an hour and a half ago n made it straight away, it’s the easiest n yummiest pudding EVER! U can’t ever tell it’s egg free! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      07 Jun 21 at 10:16 am

      So happy to read this – thank you so much for letting me know what you thought. This is the greatest ever dessert to make on a whim if you happen to have some lemons lying around (and no eggs!!). I also have a chocolate version, in case you’re also tempted to try that. Have a great week!

      Reply
  8. Kyla says

    03 Jun 21 at 3:05 pm

    5 stars
    I needed a quick easy dessert and came across this recipe, I doubled the mixture and it came out great! It definitely doesn’t look that great but it makes up for it in taste. I will add this to my recipe book, a new family fave !

    Reply
    • Helen says

      03 Jun 21 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Kyla, and thanks so much for the great feedback! You’re right, it’s not the best looking dessert on the block, but it’s supposed to be a quick and easy ’emergency’ family dessert when you have a craving for something lemony, warming and delicious. So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  9. Claire says

    25 May 21 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    This is a keeper. I made this with SR Gluten free flour. Because I find GF flour tends to soak up moisture more than regular wheat flours, the end result was a beautiful cakey pudding with very little syrup (but not dry). The balance of tartness and sweetness was perfect for our tastes. With very hungry teenage boys, I doubled the recipe and it was just perfect. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      26 May 21 at 10:02 am

      Hi Claire! It’s very helpful to hear how this turned out with GF flour, so thank you so much for the feedback. It’s also good to know a larger version still worked out well. So happy you enjoyed it! Now we have a lemon tree I think we’ll be making this more often too!

      Reply
  10. Clare says

    23 May 21 at 6:29 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight as I wanted an easy dessert following a roast chicken. We also have a lemon tree full of lemons so it needed to be a lemon dessert. . Gotta say it was an absolute hit and everyone loved it. The only change I made was using a little less of the sauce as I felt it needed less once I started pouring it over the batter.
    Perfection. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      26 May 21 at 10:05 am

      Hello Clare! Thank you so much for the great feedback! Isn’t it wonderful having a lemon tree? We have one too now and I’m loving it. I see a lot more of this pudding in my future. I do find if there are any leftovers it’s good to have a bit more sauce because some of it soaks into the pudding in the fridge. But perhaps you didn’t have any… 😉

      Reply
  11. Promila Gupta says

    28 Apr 21 at 9:40 am

    Can we substitute butter with refined or clarified butter?

    Reply
    • Helen says

      28 Apr 21 at 9:51 am

      Hi Promila! I haven’t tried this substitution I’m afraid but I have a feeling it would work, as long as you use the same amount. Good luck!

      Reply
  12. Mark and Qitqat says

    21 Mar 21 at 7:32 am

    First, let me thank you for this wonderful (and easy) recipe. Tonight I was wanting something lemony to follow our Nachos for dinner. I didn’t want to make a big mess with the mixer and all the tools that go into making a layer cake. This filled all of my requirements (one measuring cup, one spatula, one mixing bowl and a 9×9 cake pan), and tasted amazing.

    Second, I have a question. Have you ever tried this with lime instead of lemon? I think that would knock my socks off. (Not a surprise since I am usually barefoot.). If so, are there adjustments to the recipe?

    Lastly, I adjusted the recipe, and added 1/2 cup of sugar to the sauce. I don’t care for confectioners sugar but didn’t want to loose the sweetness. It came out tasting great, but the sauce was still a bit juicier than I expected after letting it rest 20 minutes. Also, since I used a big pan, it was rather thin. Would ramicans work better? Do you have any suggestions to make the recipe less juicy?

    Again, great recipe and I would appreciate any advice.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      21 Mar 21 at 1:47 pm

      Hello, and thank you so much for the helpful feedback! I love your idea of trying it with lime. I think it would work although you’d need more limes so it could get expensive if you don’t have a tree! (some people do here in Perth Australia!) I think that possibly your sauce was on the runny side because of the added sugar. That would melt down to more liquid. So I’d stick to just 1/4 cup next time and see if that makes a difference. Ramekins could work but I’m afraid I’ve never tried it. The very best option is a classic souffle size dish, or even a Pyrex bowl that isn’t too wide would work. It’s really good to know that despite the slight variations in the recipe you still enjoyed the taste! 🙂

      Reply
  13. anne duggins says

    22 Feb 21 at 3:39 am

    Lusciously lemony! Made this today and it was fabulous. I was apprehensive when it went into the oven…..the batter is very loose and seeing all that liquid sitting on top just looked wrong but it worked!… definitely advise leaving it out for 10 mins or so before serving because the sauce thickens and settles nicely. There is still ALOT of sauce but that’s what makes it! – if you like lemons! 😂 It’s not the prettiest of deserts but was delicious!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      22 Feb 21 at 9:47 am

      Thanks for this Anne. This is exactly how I would sum it up myself. Not the prettiest but saucy, lemony and delicious! 🙂 Have you tried the chocolate one?

      Reply
  14. Amelie says

    06 Feb 21 at 5:12 am

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipie.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      06 Feb 21 at 3:04 pm

      Hi Amelie! So glad you liked it, and thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  15. Kim says

    31 Jan 21 at 4:11 am

    5 stars
    Fantastic, so easy to make and best of all not too sweet but with a great lemon taste. Lovely crispy topping. It does look a mess when it comes out of the oven, but like you say if you leave it it thickens up beautifully.

    Will definitely make again.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      31 Jan 21 at 1:31 pm

      So glad you liked it enough to consider making it again. Thanks so much for the feedback! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Dominic says

    26 Jan 21 at 4:11 am

    4 stars
    This was a very delicious recipe although the sauce was still very wet at the end of almost 30 minutes cooling. This did not however impact the taste and is one of the best lemon recipes I’ve made which, believe me, is a lot! 😂
    Congratulations

    Reply
    • Helen says

      26 Jan 21 at 1:55 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it so much, Dominic, and thanks very much for leaving a review 🙂

      Reply
  17. Cindy says

    16 Jan 21 at 10:45 pm

    Can Splenda be used instead of sugar?

    Reply
    • Helen says

      17 Jan 21 at 5:03 pm

      Hello Cindy! Hmmm… I have to be honest, I don’t know. I’m not sure if the sugar adds to the texture of the sauce. But you could certainly give it a try. I’d love to know how you get on if you do try it!

      Reply
  18. Katherine says

    26 Dec 20 at 1:16 pm

    Just wondering what would happen if I substituted all the water for lemon juice? Would the chemistry of it still work?

    Reply
    • Helen says

      29 Dec 20 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Katherine! Hmmm… to be honest I think that would be far too ‘lemony’. You’ll see that the sauce has just the right balance between tart and sweet. I hope you do give it a go!

      Reply
  19. Richard Boon says

    13 Dec 20 at 5:52 pm

    I am somewhat of a novice in the kitchen. I found the recipe clear and easy to use and the result was delicious. I have made a few of the egg-based alternatives and they are also nice, just different. I left a little of the sauce out (maybe 10%) because of the comments about the pudding not ‘setting’. I could have added it all. Mine set beautifully and if anything was a little short on the sauce. Next time I will use the lot.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      15 Dec 20 at 10:06 am

      Hi Richard! It’s really helpful to hear that the recipe was easy to follow and turned out well. Obviously that’s what I always aim for! Definitely give it another go with the regular amount of sauce. Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  20. Brian says

    17 Nov 20 at 3:25 am

    5 stars
    As others have commented, the syrup is runny, (perhaps I should have left it a little more than 15 minutes) but it is a fantastic, quick pudding for vegans and lovers of lemon. Better still, vegan lemon lovers. I will eat the other half cold tomorrow by which time the syrup will have definitely ‘set’. When I was a ‘veggie’ I used to make an upside down lemon pudding that required eggs, this is easily as good, probably better.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      17 Nov 20 at 10:05 am

      Hi Brian! I really appreciate the feedback – thank you! I think the sauce turned out exactly as it’s supposed to for you. Yes, just leave it a few minutes longer for a slightly thicker sauce. I like that this dessert is easily made vegan. so glad you enjoyed it, and very encouraging that you liked it as much as your old upside down cake!

      Reply
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