This lemon ganache is bursting with bright citrus! It’s the perfect filling for macarons, cupcakes, and cakes.

And the best part is that it’s made with only 3 ingredients!! It doesn’t get much easier than that.

How to Make This Lemon Ganache

This lemon ganache filling needs about 4 hours to set, so I recommend making it before you make whatever dessert you plan to fill! It can also be made up to a week in advance.

After heating up the cream, pour it over the white chocolate and let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.

Zest the lemons into the white chocolate / cream mixture, then juice those lemons and add the fresh lemon juice to the mixture. 

If desired, add in a small drop of yellow gel food coloring. This ganache is naturally a light-yellow color, but I usually add in a bit of coloring to give it a brighter yellow color.

Then use an immersion blender or a spoon to stir the ganache and combine the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.

If you want to use this lemon ganache as a drizzle or add lemon drips to a cake, use it while it’s still slightly warm and fluid.

If you want to use this ganache as a filling, press a piece of plastic wrap flush against the ganache and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.

This helps prevent the ganache from forming a skin as it cools.

Chill for at least 4 hours, if not overnight. It should thicken as it cools down. If you want to accelerate the cooling process, stir the ganache in 15-minute intervals.

When you’re ready to use the ganache, place it in a piping bag fit with a large round piping tip. It should be thick enough to scoop into the piping bag and hold its shape.

If you make this ganache in advance and it’s too firm to scoop right out of the fridge, let the bowl sit at room temperature to thaw a bit until it softens to a pipe-able consistency. This usually takes me 30 minutes.

Lemon Ganache – Substitutions and Swaps

As I mentioned above, this recipe is made using just three ingredients!! Below are some ingredient substitutions and recommendations for this recipe.

Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.

To make dairy-free lemon ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.

White Chocolate – Use any type of good quality white chocolate. This includes white chocolate bars, couverture, or chunks.

You can also use white chocolate chips but be sure to use a good brand like 365, Ghirardelli, or Guittard. I like to use mini white chocolate chips that I get at Whole Foods.

Fresh Lemons – Fresh lemons are a must in this recipe. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice. If you’re really in a pinch, you can add 1 tbsp of lemon extract in place of the lemon juice and zest in this recipe. However, the flavor won’t be as bright!

Note: The lemon zest does give this ganache a bit of texture, but it’s worth it for the amount of flavor it adds to this ganache!! If you need to make silky-smooth lemon ganache, I’d recommend omitting the lemon zest and adding 2 tsp of lemon extract.

How Much Ganache Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 2 cups of ganache. This is enough to generously fill about 30 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to fill more macarons if needed, but it will need more time to set.

For reference, I usually pipe my macarons with a diameter of 1 3/4 inches, so they’re about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Ganache

• Make this lemon ganache before you make whatever dessert you plan to add it to. This will give it time to set.
• Measure the ingredients with a kitchen scale. You want to be precise with this recipe.
• Use good quality white chocolate. It will make the ganache taste better and give it the best texture.
• Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.
• If possible, use an immersion blender to make sure your ganache turns out silky smooth!
• If you notice bits of unmelted white chocolate in the ganache once it’s been stirred, heat the ganache in the microwave for another 15 seconds. Let it rest for 30 seconds, then give it another stir. Repeat this process as needed until all the white chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.
• To make dairy-free white chocolate lemon ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.

Can I Make Lemon Ganache in Advance?

Yes! This ganache can be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover ganache. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Macarons filled with this ganache should mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.

You can also refrigerate desserts filled with this ganache for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze desserts with this filling for up to a month in an airtight container.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this lemon ganache filling, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets on social media so that I can see your delicious creations!

Other Recipes You Might Like: