This luscious Lemon Sugar is the perfect addition to cocktails, cookies, cakes and so much more. Infuse sugar with the tart flavors of lemon for a lovely, simple and elegant garnish.
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About this Lemon Sugar recipe
Whether you’re baking some cupcakes and cookies, or making a lemon drop martini, this easy lemon sugar is the perfect addition. The light citrus flavor paired with sugary sweetness is oh so tasty!
Fruity sugar always adds a little something special to your cocktails and baked goods. I mean, strawberry sugar on the rim of a strawberry margarita is just to die for. And this citrus sugar on a lemon cocktail, like limoncello, is absolutely delicious.
The best thing about lemon sugar is how easy it is to make! It just takes two ingredients and a couple minutes of prep time to throw it together. Who knew that something so simple would elevate your desserts and cocktails so much?!
Grab those bright and citrusy lemons and make sure you have plenty of sugar on hand. Because once you make one batch of this lemon sugar, you won’t be able to stop. It’s just too tasty!
More garnish recipes: Lavender Sugar • Cinnamon Sugar • Margarita Salt
Why you’ll love this recipe
What’s not to love about a simple, homemade recipe like this one:
- Homemade lemon sugar makes for a very sweet (and a bit tart) gift! I love to tie a pretty ribbon around a fresh jar of lemon sugar and add a recipe to a gift tag that uses the sugar.
- The fresh lemon flavor of this sugar elevates any cocktail or sweet treat. It’s truly the perfect finishing touch.
- Anyone can make this! As long as you know how to zest a lemon, then you’re set to make the best lemon sugar ever.
Tools & equipment
You only need a few basic kitchen tools to make lemon sugar. As long as you’ve got a zester, a measuring cup, a bowl and a spoon then you’re good to go. You’ll also need an airtight container to store the lemon sugar.
If you don’t want the rest of the lemon to go waste, then make sure you’ve got a juicer to make fresh lemon juice!
Ingredients
Yes, you really only need two ingredients to make this amazing lemon sugar! It’s super simple and so very flavorful:
- lemon zest: Use any kind of fresh lemon you want! You can actually use this exact same method with different citrus fruits. It’s great for grapefruit or oranges, and I use the same method with limes for my margarita sugar.
- granulated white sugar: Both coarse and fine sugar will work in this recipe. Chose whichever you like best, or just whatever you have on hand!
Instructions
Make lemon sugar in just a few basic steps. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Using a microplane zester, finely zest the lemon peel. Avoid the bitter white pith and try to just get the yellow zest on the outer edges.
Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a medium mixing bowl *. Then use your fingers to rub the sugar granules into the lemon zest until fully combined and no clumps of lemon zest remain.
Store the mixture in a food-safe, airtight container. Use within 12 months if stored in a cool, dry place.
Tips & tricks
Check out these tips so that your lemon sugar is extra tasty:
- Make sure to only get the yellow part of the lemon peel when zesting. The white pith is really bitter and could effect the flavor of your lemon sugar.
- Give your lemon sugar a taste test once you mix it up. If it needs more of that citrusy bite, add extra zest. You can also add more sugar if it has too much citrus flavor.
- It is really important to store your lemon sugar in an airtight container so that it lasts! Keep it in a cool, dry place if you don’t plan to use it quickly.
How to use Lemon Sugar
There are endless uses for lemon sugar! Personally, it is one of my favorite garnishes on the rim of my cocktail glasses for certain drinks, but it’s also great in baking.
Drinks: It’s traditionally used on a lemon drop martini, but you could jazz up your homemade lemonade or lemon champagne punch with it too.
It’d be so tasty on an Italian margarita or lemon mojito too. Really, use it as a garnish on any lemon beverage! If you’ve never added sugar to a glass, then check out my post on how to rim a glass.
Dessert garnish: Don’t forget the baked goods. From sprinkling the citrusy sugar on top of champagne cupcakes and lemon drop cookies to coating chewy sugar cookies and donuts in this bright mixture, it’s a tasty addition to many different recipes.
Baking: You can also use it in in lieu of sugar in all kinds of recipes. Try it in thin pancakes, puffy madeleines or decadent iced lemon pound cake for an even stronger lemon flavor.
FAQ
When properly stored in an airtight container, lemon sugar will last for about 12 months. Store in a cool, dry place and ensure that no moisture gets into the storage container.
Absolutely! When mixed with something like sugar, it adds a wonderful citrus flavor to many different recipes. It’s perfectly safe to eat lemon zest.
More lemon recipes
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Lemon Sugar
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from about 1 lemon
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
instructions
- Finely zest the lemon. Avoid the bitter white pith and try to just get the yellow zest on the outer edges.
- Add sugar and lemon zest to a medium bowl. Use your fingers to rub the sugar granules into the lemon zest until fully combined and no clumps of lemon zest remain.
- Store in an food-safe, airtight container.
- To jar more for later: Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line a baking sheet * with parchment paper *. Spread the sugar mixture evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet *. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until zest has dried. Let cool. If done, the zest should crumble when you rub it between your fingers. Use within 12 months if stored in a cool, dry place.
- To rim a glass: Place lemon sugar on a plate. Rub a lime wedge around the edge of the glass. Roll the rim of the glasses in the sugar to coat the rim.
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Claire says
I love making flavoured sugars, but shouldn’t we dry the lemon zest. I feel, that fresh zest would eventually get moldy.
What do you think,
Thank you,
Susannah says
Hi Claire, you’re exactly right — fresh zest can cause mold over time. I’ve tested it both ways and definitely recommend drying the zest first, especially for long-term storage. I made a mistake when uploading the recipe and left that important tip out, but I’ve added it back in now. You don’t have to dry it out if you are using it right away, however. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment!