Sheet Pan
Lime Posset With Graham Cracker Streusel
Popular on Food52
84 Reviews
Anne M.
May 25, 2023
Emma, i have made this 3 times now and the first time everything worked out perfectly. But the next two times parts of the streusel floated into the custard. It still tasted great and got rave reviews. On the third attempt I tried packing down the streusel but still had floaters. Any advice? I am planning on making this this weekend for a Memorial Day bash. Thanks.
cindy
July 13, 2020
wondering if you could sub gingersnaps for the graham crackers? I would imagine you would cut down the sugar?
Emma L.
July 13, 2020
Yes, you can swap in gingersnaps! But I wouldn't drop the sugar by more than a teaspoon or two.
cindy
July 17, 2020
This was unbelievable. I did sub gingersnaps for the graham crackers and cut down on the sugar abit. It was unbelievable. Definitely a keeper for special nights!!!
Thank you Nancy and Emma for answering my questions. I did end up doubling the recipe and set it up overnight. Worked like a charm.
Thank you Nancy and Emma for answering my questions. I did end up doubling the recipe and set it up overnight. Worked like a charm.
Ann
May 26, 2020
This is unbelievably good with minimal effort. I’m sure the streusel is delicious, but I’m not a huge graham cracker fan—and then there is the small matter of what to do with the rest of the box—so I simply make the posset itself. Absolute perfection.
livtocook
December 21, 2019
I have made this several times! It’s amazing! I’m planning to use the posset and streusel to make a trifle for Christmas. I’ve made a blackberry sauce for layering as well. Question? I’m not planning to assemble the trifle until Christmas Day. Do you think I can make the posset and streusel a few days in advance?
lemons
December 21, 2019
I am sure the streusel will hold in an airtight container. But since the posset needs to set, or gel, I think I'd wait until that day to make it. Not sure what the effect of spooning it out of the container in which it waited into the trifle bowl would be - nor how long this will hold. I've done overnight quite happily, but that was a little over 24 hours. Not sure about how the chemistry would work after a longer time.
livtocook
December 21, 2019
I read through the replies below. I decided to make the posset in advance and keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. I also decided to prep and freeze the streusel today. I’ll bake it the day before Christmas. Planning to make a light vanilla sponge cake to layer as well and then top with a layer of whipped cream.
Nicole K.
July 8, 2019
Tried this recipe just a couple of nights ago. It's delicious! Completely guilty about the basic but high-calorie ingredients, but it was worth it!
We don't have graham crackers where we live, so I substituted that with digestive cookies and followed the recipe as is. The sugar-to-lime balance is perfect. No tweaking necessary.
The magic happened when the lime juice was added to the mix. All of a sudden, the texture became super creamy and custardy. This is one edible science experiment that I'll definitely repeat again.
We don't have graham crackers where we live, so I substituted that with digestive cookies and followed the recipe as is. The sugar-to-lime balance is perfect. No tweaking necessary.
The magic happened when the lime juice was added to the mix. All of a sudden, the texture became super creamy and custardy. This is one edible science experiment that I'll definitely repeat again.
carswell
June 21, 2019
I made this the other night and it is fantastic. The result is soooo much more than the sum of its parts and so simple to make too.
I didn’t do the graham cracker thing but used a bunch of amaretti crumbs I had left over from making a cheesecake for a gluten free friend. The added crunch is nice but the rich creamy texture of the pudding (for lack of a better word) is lovely on its own.
I didn’t do the graham cracker thing but used a bunch of amaretti crumbs I had left over from making a cheesecake for a gluten free friend. The added crunch is nice but the rich creamy texture of the pudding (for lack of a better word) is lovely on its own.
lemons
June 16, 2019
I have made the lemon version very successfully using Splenda, since a friend of mine is diabetic and avoids any sugar at all. Read the packets and figure out how much Splenda is needed, since some varieties are more condensed than others, of course.
Ceren
May 26, 2019
Made this dessert for friends who were over for dinner and it was a hit.
I am in Australia and we don’t have Graham biscuits so I used Arnott’s Grande. It did the trick perfectly.
I didn’t understand the idea behind freezing then baking - do let me know Emma I am curious! I did freeze and bake however but once baked the biscuits all spread out flat. But as it cooled down I separated/it kind of crumbled so it worked out just fine at the end.
Used regular limes, lactose free cream.
Next time I will try taking out the sugar from the biscuit base as it was just a bit too sweet.
Amazing dessert and I would definitely make it again. Also will try with other citrus!
Thanks Emma
I am in Australia and we don’t have Graham biscuits so I used Arnott’s Grande. It did the trick perfectly.
I didn’t understand the idea behind freezing then baking - do let me know Emma I am curious! I did freeze and bake however but once baked the biscuits all spread out flat. But as it cooled down I separated/it kind of crumbled so it worked out just fine at the end.
Used regular limes, lactose free cream.
Next time I will try taking out the sugar from the biscuit base as it was just a bit too sweet.
Amazing dessert and I would definitely make it again. Also will try with other citrus!
Thanks Emma
Emma L.
May 28, 2019
Hi Ceren! So glad to hear that substituting another biscuit worked well. I found that freezing the mixture before baking yielded a better texture (and this was the general method I was taught with all streusel-y recipes).
Ceren
May 28, 2019
Thanks for the explanation Emma. The texture turned out great at the end so I will keep freezing first then baking!
Re: substituting the biscuits. I googled Graham biscuits in Australia and got recommended the Arnott’s Grande or Marie biscuits as a substitute- worked a treat! 😊
Re: substituting the biscuits. I googled Graham biscuits in Australia and got recommended the Arnott’s Grande or Marie biscuits as a substitute- worked a treat! 😊
Debra D.
May 5, 2019
Just wanted to see if this would work with almond or cashew milk or coconut milk. Have a dairy allergy.
Emma L.
May 5, 2019
Hi Debra! This recipe hinges on the way acid reacts with dairy, reworking the protein structure, sort of similar to ricotta. I haven't tried it with a non-dairy option myself, but I unfortunately don't think it would work with those substitutes.
Dina L.
January 18, 2019
I made this with Persian limes... I live in bush Alaska so we take what we can get 😂 it came out perfect.
Heidi
January 12, 2019
"Like, much larger than you think you need..." Like this is great advice, I like always choose too small of a pot and like it always boils over. Like, OMG!
Marsha L.
January 2, 2019
So simple and so delicious, with or without streusel. I used key limes for the juice; regular limes for the peel. I accidentally put in 6 tablespoons of lime juice and it turned out fine. Because our guests are gluten free, I made the streusel with gluten free graham crackers. The streusel did not bake up hard or clumpy -- it spread flat on the silicon mat. I simply baked it longer to try to dry it out more (perhaps 40 minutes), let it cool and then crumbled it. I didn't put any of this crumble in the bottom of the serving dishes as I was concerned that it might go mushy. Instead, I sprinkled it generously on top before serving. It provided the same flavor and a little bit of crunch that the regular graham cracker streusel would have done. I served it with Dorie Greenspan's 3-ingredient Almond Crackle Cookies, also found on this website. I thought it was a great dessert event!
Ceren
May 26, 2019
Hi Marsha, I was worried about the base going mushy as well but it did not.
The base was cool, and so was the pudding when I poured it over - just as the recipe said and it was still crunchy when we ate several hours later.
The base was cool, and so was the pudding when I poured it over - just as the recipe said and it was still crunchy when we ate several hours later.
rmanna
December 19, 2018
Hi, do you think I could substitute this for lime curd in a coconut layer cake? Would itremain firm? thanks, Robin
Emma L.
December 19, 2018
Hi Robin—that's a fun idea! But since I haven't tried it myself, I can't say for sure whether it would work. Your best bet would be creating a retaining wall with icing, to help keep the curd/posset secure (more on that here: https://food52.com/blog/22107-how-to-fill-layer-cakes-with-jam-and-jelly). If you decide to give it a try, please let me know how it goes.
placidplaid
July 29, 2018
I think the sugar should be cut in half. It's way too sweet! I will try it again that way although I wonder if the amount of sugar is crucial to it being able to set properly.
Emma L.
July 29, 2018
Hi, thanks for your feedback! The sugar does play a crucial role in how the posset sets up. When America's Test Kitchen explored possets, they wrote: "The less sugar in the mix, the thinner and looser the dessert was. That’s because dissolved sugar binds water molecules, increasing viscosity, and therefore gives the gel structure as well as a velvety mouthfeel." So if you'd like to reduce the sugar, dropping to 1/2 cup would probably be a safer place to start. Hope this helps!
Ceren
May 26, 2019
Thanks for that Emma, how about cutting the sugar down with the biscuit base? The biscuits already have sugar. Would taking out sugar from the biscuit base work? I
Thought it was the base that was too sweet
Thought it was the base that was too sweet
Emma L.
May 28, 2019
Hi Ceren! You could try lowering the sugar in the crumble, but I wouldn't cut it out completely, since it helps the the crumbs hold together.
Nancy H.
July 11, 2018
question re substituting lemon for lime - ? use the same measures ? or would I need more fresh lemon juice than lime juice? Have seen other comments that you can substitute, but thought i would double check before starting! thank you!
Emma L.
July 11, 2018
Hi Nancy! Yes, you can definitely substitute in lemon juice. Use the same measurement—5 tablespoons.
Ann
June 11, 2018
So simple to make and outrageously delicious. Get these ingredients today and treat yourself and a few lucky others to an unforgettably luscious dessert. It is very very rich, so even a small portion may be enough, depending on how filling the rest of the meal is. Or maybe serve a larger portion....and make this the meal!!!!
Nancy
June 6, 2018
This is truly wonderful! My husband made it and it turned out perfectly. We made it with organic limes. We are making it again tonight to take to friends. Will try another citrus next time. Couldn't be any better! Thank you Emma :)
Alicia
June 4, 2018
I made this without the streusel because I ran out of time and it was fabulous. Now I need to try with other citrus juices. I'm imagining grapefruit and salivating. Great recipe - husband and guests were wowed. I served the dishes with organic strawberries macerated with a little sugar and a couple of splashes of homemade limoncello. YUM!
jeff
June 4, 2018
Thanks for the speedy reply. I'm stumped. I need to make it again and see if anything was amiss. I used organic/whole whipping cream, sugar, and limes from the garden (live in Hawaii so citrus is everywhere). Brought to boil, 5 minutes, had to whisk when almost boiled over a few times (you are right!) although you don't say whether to touch it once boiling, and then added lime juice and salt off heat. Not sure as there is not much room for error, but wanted to ask. I have some fresh Haden mango picked today, and thought I'd layer with whipping cream, mango and posset topped with the streusel for more of a parfait. Why not?
jeff
June 3, 2018
Thanks Emma; much appreciated. One more follow up. This pertains to perhaps any special "handling or trick" related to the final stage of completing and setting the posset. I followed your instructions exactly but after the night in the fridge it is still fairly viscous. I decided to keep all in a larger bowl to cool instead of individual vessels. I watched your video and it appears much firmer when spooned out for enjoying. Any thoughts? Great flavor but the consistency just doesn't seem right.
Emma L.
June 3, 2018
Hm! Overnight should be plenty of time for the posset to set—and it should be as thick as Greek yogurt. If you followed the instructions exactly, I'm pretty puzzled. I've tested this multiple times, as has our test kitchen, and we haven't run into that issue. The only difference would be the larger bowl versus individual vessels, though I'd be surprised if this made such a difference.
Dina L.
January 18, 2019
Your citrus may not be as acidic as needed, others recommend either using more than 5 Tbsp and reducing or adding more lime juice. I added more lime juice and had no problems. Cheers!!
Gingerjenny
June 3, 2018
Silly question. Would 7 graham crackers be 7 whole or 7 once the cracker is divided into the 4 pieces?
Emma L.
June 3, 2018
Not a silly question! 7 whole. As I noted to Jeff below, I just added the weight (108 grams) to provide some further clarification.
jeff
June 3, 2018
Is it possible to add actual weight/measurements for all ingredients (e.g. # of grams/weight of graham crackers, etc.)? I had to guess after much reading on graham cracker weight average, volume, but had difficulty with the proper combo of graham to butter for streusel. It would not "harden", and this was after 30 minutes in oven.
Emma L.
June 3, 2018
Hi Jeff—7 graham crackers equal 108 grams (give or take, depending on the brand you use). I just added that measurement to the ingredient list. Hope that helps!
Carol
June 2, 2018
Hi Emma,
This recipe sounds great. How long should I freeze the streusel?Also, can I make this a pan or Pryex glass pan/pie plate? If so, what size pan? If not, how many ounces should the glass be?
This recipe sounds great. How long should I freeze the streusel?Also, can I make this a pan or Pryex glass pan/pie plate? If so, what size pan? If not, how many ounces should the glass be?
Emma L.
June 3, 2018
Hi Carol—I'd freeze the streusel for at least 30 minutes. But this is also a nice place to break up the recipe. Say, you could make the streusel in the morning, then bake it in the afternoon. Or make the streusel one day, then bake it another. And sorry, I'm not sure I'm following re: the glass pan/pie plate Q. If you're wondering whether you can pour the posset mixture into a pie plate to set...you can, but I wouldn't recommend it. Because this sets like a spoonable pudding, not a sliceable pie, portioning would be tough. If you don't have ramekins, you can use drinking glasses or even mugs or little bowls. Anything individually sized really. Let me know if that helps!
Cassie
May 31, 2018
This sounds wonderful and I intend make it, only with key lime juice. I have to disagree with you on this issue. There really is a difference in taste - Persian limes are great, but not equal.
arfinannie
May 31, 2018
I'm trying to go low-carb, so I plan to skip the streusel and just make the posset, but was wondering about substituting Truvia or another low/no cal sweetener for the sugar. Will it still set properly?
Emma L.
May 31, 2018
I'm not familiar with Truvia or other low- or no-cal sweeteners, sorry! The recipe more depends on the cream/citrus combo, so I'm cautiously optimistic. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
lemons
December 21, 2019
I've made the lemon version with Splenda, and it was fine. Stirred it in before the lemon juice, made sure it dissolved, and proceeded from there.
Eva L.
May 30, 2018
Could you possibly use low or non fat half and half?
Emma L.
May 30, 2018
I haven't tried that, but I don't think so. The way the posset sets up depends on a couple factors: the way acid affects dairy, and cream's high fat content. If you used low- or non-fat half and half instead, I imagine that the texture would turn out grainy, not silky.
Eva L.
May 31, 2018
Thanks Emma! Gonna go ahead and make it your way! I’m super excited to taste it!!
SCalabretta
May 29, 2018
This was absolutely delicious, very simple to make and very rich. I had the same issue with the streusel melting into one big cookie but just crumbled it after it cooled to get the same effect.
patty@bryce
May 23, 2018
Fell in love with Posset after Diana Henry's rosemary version in Simple. Love the lime idea.
Robin S.
May 28, 2018
The comment button didn't work for me so I'm replying here to say that I made this recipe today. The creme part came out perfect. The "crumble" melted & spread out flat. I kept cooking it @325 for another 20 minutes until it seemed to be enough. There was zero firmness about the result until it cooled into one large cookie. It's butter, I thought, why wouldn't it completely melt down. Maybe adding oats would help but following the recipe, it did mot behave as described. But it worked out as I simply crumbled the strudel into chunks and placed on top begore serving. I didn't put any crumb on the bottom, fearing it would get soggy. Lovely taste and texture, though. A real good combo.
Emma L.
May 28, 2018
Hi Robin, sorry to hear about the streusel troubles. Though "one large cookie" still sounds delicious—and works just as well in this recipe. A couple thoughts on what might have gone wrong: If the streusel isn't completely firm from the freezer, it will spread more in the oven. (You can even do this step days in advance to break up the tasks.) And if it melted, then also took awhile to bake, perhaps the oven is at a lower temperature than indicated.
Rebekah
May 23, 2018
Would this work with coconut cream instead of dairy cream?
Emma L.
May 23, 2018
I haven't tried that but I don't think so. This hinges on the way acid reacts with dairy, reworking the protein structure, sort of similar to ricotta. If it's not about an allergy/dietary concern, maybe swapping out some of the cream for coconut cream or milk would be more promising.
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