Lemon Gelo, the grandma’s recipe for the Sicilian lemon gelo, perfect in every season and made in no time without gelatin sheets, using only corn starch.
Just like the Cinnamon Gelo, the Orange Gelo, the Watermelon Gelo, and even the Sicilian Biancomangiare and almond milk biancomangiare (homemade Sicilian almond milk), Sicilian lemon gelo is one of the most famous traditional desserts from Sicilian cuisine and grandma’s recipes. It’s a delightful, elegant spoon dessert that lets you serve an inexpensive, indulgent, and above all quick dessert. When late-summer heat becomes relentless, lemon gelo is ideal to refresh your snacks or family dinners, and it can also replace a sorbet in a fish-based menu or be the light, fresh dessert to serve after a special dinner. Lemon gelo is a very light pudding, thickened only with corn starch, suitable for everyone, even for vegans and people with celiac disease. It requires only a few simple ingredients, but the lemons must be organic and preferably very fresh: just picked, they release the best of their essential oils. I added a bit of ginger to my version for extra freshness; it pairs wonderfully with this citrus and enhances its aroma, but you can omit it if you prefer. To enjoy a good lemon gelo, just go to the kitchen and make our little delight — are you ready? Follow me, and before we start cooking I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also take a look at these lemon desserts:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very affordable
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6-8 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5 Lemons (organic)
- 4 1/4 cups Water
- 11 1/4 tbsp Cornstarch (maizena)
- 1 1/4 cups Sugar
- 1/3 cup Lemon juice (taken from the total lemons)
- 1 packet Vanillin
- 1 oz Ginger (fresh, optional (about 1 oz / 30 g))
- to taste Fresh mint
Tools
- Pot
- Bowls
- Molds
Preparation
Thoroughly wash the lemons (strictly organic and fresh if possible) under running water, peel them and take only the yellow part of the zest — the white part is extremely bitter. Put the peels in a pot, cover with 4 1/4 cups of water and bring to a boil; then let it cool slightly to obtain a fragrant lemon water. Turn off the heat and squeeze the juice from some of the peeled lemons. In a pot, gather the sugar, cornstarch and vanillin, loosen them with a small portion of the lemon-scented water and whisk to prevent lumps, then add the rest of the lemon water and mix until combined.
Place the pot on the stove and, if you like the taste of ginger, add a few peeled pieces of ginger along with some of the lemon zest used earlier. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, stirring continuously with a whisk, then add the lemon juice, stir to combine, wait until the mixture thickens and remove from the heat.
Prepare the cups or molds where you will set the gelo by wetting them under running water — this will make unmolding easier.
Remove any pieces of ginger and the peels from the mixture and fill the molds.
Let them cool slightly, then place in the coldest part of your refrigerator until fully set.
Once your gelos are cold, gently loosen the edges of the puddings from the cups and invert onto a dessert plate; garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Recently I remade the lemon gelo in a single mold and served it like a cake. To boost its aroma I added lemon zest at the end of cooking and just before pouring the mixture into the silicone mold. In this version I omitted the sugar.
The lemon gelo is ready — all that’s left is to enjoy it…
To keep the lemon gelo for up to two days, do not unmold it: cover with plastic wrap and place it in the coldest part of your fridge until ready to serve.
Storage and notes
Lemon gelo keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying or stored in an airtight container.
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