Junket is a comforting vintage recipe with a funny name and a luxuriously silky texture. Learn how to make this easy milk based dessert today!
If you’re a fan of light not too sweet desserts, if you love simple clean flavors, and if a soft creamy texture is your jam, then I’ve got the dessert for you! Junket is a nostalgic old fashioned recipe that makes a fun and refreshing base for a fruity spring-forward dessert.
what’s junket?
Junket (or set cream) is like panna cotta without the gelatin, custard without the eggs, or yogurt without the tang. My junket recipe has a thick creamy texture but sets with rennet instead of starch or eggs, giving it a super delicate, melt-in-your-mouth feel. Delish!
The name “junket” comes from the Old French word jonquette, referring to a type of soft cheese set with rennet, made in a small basket.
This old-school British dessert has been around for centuries, especially popular in Cornwall and Devon. It’s made with warm milk, rennet, a little sugar, and nutmeg. My simple junket recipe is a not too sweet (it’s actually nourishing!) dessert that’s been a farmhouse staple for generations.
related: Baked Custard and Strawberry Panna Cotta
a simple junket recipe ingredients
Junket is just another recipe in my exploration of dairy based recipes, which I love. It’s truly amazing how many different delicious results you can get from something so simple as milk or cream.
- Milk
- Choose the right milk: whole dairy milk works best for a smooth, creamy texture. Avoid ultra-pasteurized milk, as it may not set properly. This is because high-heat processing damages the proteins needed for the thickening process.
- Rennet
- Rennet is used to thicken junket. Rennet is an enzyme that curdles milk, used for making cheese. It can be animal or plant based, and I’m using plant based rennet.
- You can use Junket Tablets or Rennet Tablets or Liquid Rennet (available online or in larger grocery stores, look for them in the pudding section.) You can also find them online.
- Rennet or Junket tablets come in different sizes and strengths, so read the instructions for your particular tablets to determine how much to use for 2 cups of milk.
- Sugar
- Adds just a touch of sweetness. Interestingly too much sugar will interfere with the rennet’s thickening process, so junket is by nature a not too sweet dessert!
- Vanilla
- While traditional junket recipes are not flavored, I feel it needs it. Vanilla bean paste is my choice for best flavor, or use extract.
- Almond extract also works well.
- Some older recipes call for a splash of brandy!
- Nutmeg
- This is a traditional garnish.
how we make junket
The method for making junket is interesting, and so much easier than most milk based desserts. There’s no tempering eggs, no slaving over the hot stove waiting for the pot to thicken, no straining…in fact rennet thickens junket almost instantly, off the heat! Just remember, while junket is a simple recipe, it is specific, so follow carefully.
- Heat the milk, sugar and vanilla gently to about 105°F which is warm to the touch, but not hot. Remove from the heat.
- Dissolve the rennet tablet in a small amount of cold water, then add it to the milk.
- Stir the mixture very briefly, about 2 seconds (count one one thousand, two one thousand…) then immediately pour into your serving cups.
- Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 15 minutes, or until it sets like soft custard.
- Chill for an hour or two before serving with a sprinkle of nutmeg or the topping of your choice.
temperature matters
Probably the most important element in any junket recipe is getting the milk to the correct temperature: this is lukewarm body temperature, neither hot nor cool.
Tips for Maintaining the Right Temperature:
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the milk before adding rennet.
- If the milk gets too hot, just let it cool slightly before adding rennet.
- Once the rennet is stirred in and your dishes are filled do not move or disturb the mixture while it sets.
junket recipe tips & faqs
Is rennet a living organism (like yogurt?)
- Rennet is an enzyme, not a living organism. Rennet can be made from animal or vegetable sources, so check your labels. It’s a natural substance that helps break down the proteins in milk and either curdles it (like in cheese making) or sets it like a custard.
Can I make junket with plant based milk like almond milk or coconut milk?
- No, not really. Making junket with plant-based milks is tricky because traditional rennet relies on the proteins in dairy milk (casein) to thicken, and most plant-based milks don’t contain those same proteins.
How can I make lemon junket?
- Acidic ingredients (like citrus or fruit juice) can interfere with rennet’s ability to set milk. If you want a lemon flavored junket consider adding a teaspoon of lemon extract and a tiny bit of yellow food coloring. Garnish with a bit of zest.
- Consider topping with lemon curd.
Which alternative sweeteners will work best with junket?
- Maple Syrup ~ dissolves well, won’t interfere with rennet, and has a mild, natural sweetness.
- Honey ~ smooth and blends easily, but use a light variety to avoid overpowering flavors.
- Agave Syrup ~ neutral taste and works well without affecting the setting process.
- Your favorite granulated sugar substitute will also work.
Can I make this junket recipe with half and half?
- You can, but expect a softer set. Junket relies on milk proteins to thicken, so higher fat in milk reduces the protein concentration, making it less firm. Try combining whole milk with half and half.
How do I use liquid rennet?
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet = 1 junket tablet. Follow the directions on your package for the amount of milk you are using. Both tablets and liquid will get dissolved in water before adding to the milk.
Why didn’t my junket set?
- Your milk was likely too hot or too cold. 105°F is the sweet spot.
- Your milk was ultra-pasteurized: the high heat alters the structure of milk proteins, making it harder for them to clump together and set properly.
- You stirred in the rennet too vigorously, or didn’t let it set undisturbed.
- Your rennet may have expired, check the label.
serve up your junket!
Junket itself is famously plain and simple, that’s its charm. It sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from elaborate ultra sweet desserts in the same way that a plain shortbread cookie holds its own in a world of slicker alternatives. But never fear, there are always ways to jazz it up!
- In Cornwall and Devonshire England, where junket has been a favorite since the 13th century, it’s traditionally served with fruit and clotted cream ~ yum!
- Macerated fruit, like I’ve done here with strawberries ~ choose soft fruit that will release their juices when mixed with sugar and allowed to sit like pitted halved cherries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, peaches and nectarines.
- Fresh berries with or without whipped cream.
- Stewed fruit like rhubarb sauce.
- Caramelized bananas ~ lightly fry bananas in butter and brown sugar.
- Toasted nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios for crunch.
- Homemade granola or trail mix.
- Spiced maple syrup ~ maple syrup infused with cinnamon or cardamom.
the bottom line
Junket is a very old recipe, and like many older recipes it is, as I’ve said, quite simple ~ there are no bells and whistles. What you get from this recipe is a slightly sweet vanilla scented ‘set milk’ (some might call it bland if not for that dose of good vanilla.) I would say of all the puddings, panna cottas, custards, etc. on my site this would be the lightest of all. It’s most like panna cotta or a homemade yogurt in texture: very delicate and wobbly.
Junket makes a very pretty presentation with all sorts of colorful fruit toppings, so it’s perfect for spring entertaining ~ and it’s a good bet that nobody at your table has had it before!
If you love this idea but want a bit more ooomph, try my Kentucky Bourbon Vanilla Bean Pudding or check out the list below.
more milk based desserts to try next
- Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding
- Classic Crème Brûlée
- Perfect Chocolate Pudding
- Baked Custard
- Lemon Frozen Custard
- Chocolate Pot de Crème
- Milk Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- Strawberry Panna Cotta
Junket Recipe
Equipment
- instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk, (do not use ultra-pasteurized milk)
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablet rennet, (or 1 junket tablet, or 1/8 teaspoon liquid rennet*)
- freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients ready to go. Have your serving cups ready as well, and close to the stove.
- Combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan and gently heat the mixture to lukewarm, or 100-105F, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Use an instant read thermometer to gauge the correct temperature. Note: if the milk is too hot or too cold the junket may not set properly.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of cold water with a tablet of rennet (crush it with your fingers before adding to the water.) If using liquid rennet you will also combine it with the water. Stir the rennet into the milk mixture, give the pan one or two gentle stirs and then immediately fill your serving cups. Note: stir only briefly because too much stirring will disturb the quick setting process.
- Let the cups rest without moving or touching, for 15 minutes. Rennet needs time at a warm temperature to finish thickening the milk before refrigeration. Then transfer your cups to the refrigerator to chill.
Nostalgia from the late 30s and early 40s when my mother made this recipe. We 5 kids didn’t get upset when we had to stay in bed after we had our tonsils out. Mother made junket for us! We even had our own cow! Tastes just like mother used to make. Thank you for the wonderful memory. Sent to my granddaughter way over in Indiana for her little girls.
Such a sweet comment, thanks Eleanor.
What a ‘flash back’. I haven’t had this since I was a child (now 76). I tried making it once, but not very successful from what I can remember! Perhaps I will have another go now that I can see where I might have gone wrong. Yes, a very old British recipe.
I do hope you give it another go, I tried to cover all the tricky parts!
I am excited to try this! My mother made us junket as kids (so a LONG time ago) but she used an instant mix. We loved it then but a couple of years ago I actually found the same mix my mom made and made it and of course, don’t you know! It wasn’t very good, chemically tasting and too sweet (amazing how your tastes change over time and a similar experience with other beloved foods from my childhood I haven’t had in many years). Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome Donna, and I know what you mean about how commercial products change over time, it’s a shame.
Lemon juice or white vinegar can be I believe lemon juice or white vinegar can be substituted for the rennet if prepared carefully
Interesting! I guess it’s a little bit like the ricotta cheese making process, without the curds!