Name: Lemon Zest Sprinkles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h 2 s
Total time: 3 h 5 min 2 s
Ingredients: 3-4 Lemon skins

If you’ve ever juiced a bunch of lemons and felt a twinge of guilt tossing out those beautiful yellow peels, this one’s for you. These lemon zest sprinkles are a vibrant, aromatic way to get even more out of your citrus and add a burst of flavour to your meals. As a home gardener and low-waste kitchen enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to use every part of what I grow or harvest. Lemon zest is one of my favourite zero-waste flavour boosters, and these dehydrated lemon sprinkles are a must-have in my pantry.

Not only does this recipe help reduce food waste, but it’s also a great way to preserve the bright taste of citrus for use all year round, especially when your lemon tree is loaded and you’re making juice in batches.

Sustainable, Simple, and Full of Flavour

✔️ Uses up leftover lemon skins after juicing

✔️ Easy to make with just one ingredient

✔️ Stores well and lasts for months

✔️ Adds fresh, zesty flavour to sweet and savoury dishes

✔️ A perfect DIY pantry staple for low-waste living

How to Use Lemon Zest Sprinkles

This citrusy powder is so versatile! Here are a few of my favourite ways to use it:

Sprinkle on roasted veggies or stir-fries
Add to ice cream, yoghurt, or chia pudding
Mix into salad dressings or marinades
Stir into sugar to make your own lemon sugar
Use in baking to add bright lemon flavour to cakes and muffins
Blend with sea salt to make citrus salt

It also makes a beautiful homemade gift when packaged in a recycled spice jar with a handwritten label!

What You’ll Need

3–4 lemon skins (or more if you’re batch prepping)
A dehydrator or oven
A spice grinder, food processor, or Nutribullet
Clean, dry jar for storage

Tip: Use organic lemons or those from your own garden to avoid wax and pesticides.

How to Make Lemon Zest Sprinkles

Step 1: Wash and Peel
After juicing your lemons, give the skins a quick rinse. Carefully peel or slice off the outer yellow part of the skin. Try to avoid too much of the bitter white pith.

Step 2: Dehydrate
Lay the peels on a tray in your dehydrator or on a baking tray in the oven. Dry at around 45°C (113°F) for 2–4 hours, or until the peels are crisp and snap easily.

Step 3: Blend
Once completely dry, add the peels to your spice grinder or blender. Blitz until they turn into a fine powder.

Step 4: Store
Transfer to a clean jar—this is a great use for old spice jars or small glass jars with tight lids. Store in a cool, dark place.

Lemon Zest Sprinkles

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 2 seconds

Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes 2 seconds

If you have used lemons for juicing then this is a great way to get the most out of your lemons.

Ingredients

3-4 Lemon skins

Instructions

Wash and peel or carefully slice off thin pieces of the lemon skins. Use organic lemons or fresh from the tree.
Layout the skins on a tray and dehydrate using a dehydrator or oven at 45degrees for 2-4 hours until completely dry.
Add the dry peels to a spice blender, food processor, or Nutribullet and blitz to a fine powder.
Place in a jar. I save my spice jars to recycle for future homemade spices such as this.

Notes

Add to sugar for a lemon sugar or add to your dishes for a fresh zesty flavour. Great in salad dressings, stirfry or even on top of ice-cream or yoghurt.

Low-Waste Kitchen Tip

After using the zest, the remaining lemon peel (especially the pith and leftover pulp) doesn’t have to go to waste. Here are two great options:

Compost it: Citrus adds acidity to your compost and breaks down well when chopped.
Make citrus cleaner: Soak the leftover peels in a jar of vinegar for 2–3 weeks to make a natural, homemade all-purpose cleaner. Strain and store in a spray bottle.

This lemon zest sprinkle recipe is a beautiful example of how simple, low-waste habits can add flavour and sustainability to your kitchen. It’s one of those small swaps that turns scraps into something useful, aromatic, and delicious. Next time you juice a few lemons, don’t toss those peels, dry them, blend them, and sprinkle some sunshine on your next dish.

Happy Gardening,

Holly 🌱