Lemon Syrup for Pancakes and Desserts

This sweet lemon syrup is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for a bright, tangy flavor that pairs with all your favorite treats. It's a no-egg recipe that works as an easy lemon butter sauce for pancakes, cake, gingerbread, bread pudding, cookies, ice cream, and cheesecake. You'll love how simple it is to add a homemade touch to your baking ideas. Pin this lemon sauce for pancakes and desserts now so you'll always have a quick topping ready.

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Why is this the best lemon syrup recipe for pancakes and desserts

This sweet and creamy lemon syrup is delicious! Everyone loves desserts and a little extra sweetness on top. The combination of sweet and tangy makes this recipe a big hit with kids and adults alike.

The ingredients for this easy recipe are readily available, common, and inexpensive. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and a quick trip to the grocery store will provide the remaining one or two.

This is a simple recipe. Lemon syrup has only 6 ingredients (butter, sugar, lemon, heavy cream, salt, and baking soda), and it makes the best syrup recipe!

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This is an easy recipe. There are just a couple of easy steps: melt the butter, add everything else to the pan, and cook on a low boil. That's really all there is to it. You can easily have this lemon syrup prepped and ready to enjoy under 15 minutes.

This dessert lemon sauce makes just the right amount. One batch of this syrup makes it perfect for most families. If poured into a jar with a tight lid, homemade syrup can be stored for a couple of weeks, so it helps that this recipe doesn't make a ton of extra. Nothing will go to waste!

What you'll need to make this recipe for lemon syrup

Equipment

• Microplane grater - This helps to shave off the thin, bright yellow outer peel without getting the white pith underneath. You can use a peeler if you don't have a microplane grater, but you will have to be very careful to avoid the pith and only collect the zest.
• Citrus juicer - This tool helps get the most juice. However, you also can roll the lemon on the counter, cut it in half, and then squeeze it by holding your hand over the lemon (to catch the seeds).
• Small saucepan - You need enough space for the ingredients to evenly heat but not so much that they're spread out in too thin. A one-quart saucepan is perfect.

Ingredients
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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Butter  - It doesn't matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted, you may want to go just a smidge lighter on the salt in the recipe, but there is so little salt in salted butter that you probably won't notice a difference. You're going to melt this in the first step of the recipe, so it doesn't matter what temperature it starts out.
• Sugar - You will need to sweeten the sauce, and my first choice is white granulated sugar because it has no flavor other than sweet. You could use honey, maple syrup, or a low calorie sweetener, but all of those will change the flavor of your lemon syrup.
• Heavy cream - This is the bulk of the liquid in the lemon sauce. It gives the sauce a creamy consistency.
• Lemon zest - This is the bright yellow part of the lemon peel, without the white pith. Use a microplane grater to scrape off just the yellow part.
• Lemon juice - After you scrape the zest off the lemon peel, you can squeeze the lemon and collect the juice. This is what gives the lemon sauce most of its flavor.
• Salt - You need a little salt to balance out the sweetness of the sugar and the tartness of the lemon juice.
• Baking soda - This helps prevent the sauce from being bitter. Baking soda is alkaline, so it balances out the acidity in the lemon juice and helps to make the sauce a pleasant blend of flavors. It also prevents the cream from curdling.

How to make the best lemon syrup recipe

1. Add butter to a small pot and heat over medium-low heat until just soft, but not completely melted.
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2. Add white granulated sugar, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt to the pan and whisk in. 
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3. Bring the mixture to a low boil until the sugar is just dissolved. Continue to whisk frequently.
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4. Add baking soda while stirring continually. Cook another minute.
5. Remove pan from heat.
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6. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Allow the sauce to cool slightly before using it as a topping for pancakes or dessert.
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Why add baking soda to the lemon sauce?

Baking soda can help counteract the acidity in the lemon and make it taste a little smoother, but be careful not to add too much.  The baking soda can also thicken the sauce, creating a lighter texture. 

Cook's Tips

Use only fresh-squeezed lemon juice from fresh lemons. (Frozen lemon juice that you squeezed yourself if a pretty good second choice.) Bottled lemon juice does not taste the same.

Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature unless specified as cold or frozen.  

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Don't skip the zest!  Lemon zest is the BEST way to get lemon flavor in a dish, sometimes even better than the juice of a lemon, so don't skip the lemon zest in your sauce. Feel free to use more if you want to.

Take your sauce off the heat as soon as it starts to thicken. If you overcook it, the sauce may break (or separate) and become runny. 

Substitutions & variations

You can use any citrus fruit interchangeably with lemons. Lime, grapefruit, or orange sauce would all be delicious.

Lemon syrup recipe is great for both sweet and savory dishes, so it's very versatile. 

For sweet applications, use it to top pancakes, pound cake, angel food cake, ice cream, and berry desserts. 

For savory applications, use it to top fish dishes, chicken, roasted vegetables, and even rice dishes.

You can even add a small teaspoon to your hot tea (or iced tea), and it will give you the right amount of sweetness. Or freeze some in ice cube trays and add to lemonade to provide it with an extra lemon kick.

Storing leftovers

Store your sauce in an airtight glass bottle or container, such as a mason jar, in the fridge. 

Your sauce may separate when it sits or especially when it's stored in the refrigerator. Just shake it up again before serving. You can also heat it a little to reincorporate the butter, but be careful not to overcook it. 

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You can freeze your sauce in a plastic freezer bag, with most of the air expelled, in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Do not freeze in a glass jar, as liquids expand when frozen and could break the glass.

Try these delicious lemon recipes:

• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Sparkling Pink Lemonade with Berries
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Garlic Aioli
• Lemon Zucchini Noodles with Garlic & Parmesan
• Buttered Lemon Shrimp with Old Bay
• Lemon Chicken in the Instant Pot
• Creamy Lemon Salad Dressing
• Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce

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