32 Desserts To Make When Life Gives You Lemons
Beyoncé made lemonade, we're going to make lemon bars.
When life gives you lemons, we say it's definitely time to make some lemon pound cake... and lemon sugar cookies, and definitely a lemon cream cake for good measure too. Think about it: Adding lemon to your favorite dessert is basically like adding liquid sunshine. You can't go wrong with incorporating a bit of brightness into your favorite treats, whether with a simple lemon glaze (coming to a lemon ricotta pancake near you, perhaps?) or our go-to bake sale buddy: the classic lemon bar. Whatever you choose to make, these lemon desserts are delicious proof that lemon isn't just for meringue pie!
If you're lucky, you might even have some Meyer lemons on hand. Thought to be a cross between traditional lemons and mandarin oranges, Meyer lemons are less acidic, a bit more herbaceous, and sweeter than their normal lemon counterparts. A perfect addition to desserts and even salads, Meyer lemons are an ideal swap for really any of our favorite lemon desserts (especially this lemon coconut tart). Just be sure to go slow when adding your sugar and taste as you go if you take the Meyer lemon route for any of the bars, pies, cakes and cookies featured.
Now that you've got dessert sorted, stay on theme with all of our favorite easy lemon chicken dishes, our favorite pasta al limone, and maybe even mix up spiked lemonades as a fun nightcap. And if you're as lemon-obsessed as we are, you spend spring and summer perfecting your Arnold Palmer game. We personally love swapping in spiked sparkling basil lemonade for a cheeky, boozy upgrade.
Lemon Cream Cake
This simple lemon cream cake was a beloved favorite at Olive Garden. Why they don’t have it on the menu anymore, we’ll never know. This copycat recipe is more than just second best, though. Even if you have never had the original version, this is the one worth making. The vanilla cake is soft and fluffy with a hint of lemon and gets a thick lemon cream filling that’s just tart enough. The vanilla crumble goes along the outside for a little adornment. It’s a perfect, not-too-sweet ending to your copycat meal of breadsticks and five-cheese ziti al forno!
Get the Lemon Cream Cake recipe.
Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
Lemon sugar cookies are our favorite summer treat. The taste of lemon is so bright and refreshing that it makes us forget all about those chocolate chip cookies. Plus, we love a cookie rolled in sugar for that sparkly crust it gives. This recipe yields cookies that are soft and sweet with that perfect chewy center that keeps you wanting more.
Get the Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe.
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
If you’re looking for a showstopping, mouthwatering dessert to impress dinner guests, look no further than this lemon meringue cheesecake recipe. The layers of graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake, bright yellow lemon curd, and a big swoop of toasted meringue will get everyone in a frenzy even before their first bite. This dessert is just as beautiful as it is insanely delicious.
Get the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe.
Easy Lemon Bars
Pucker up—these babies are sweet and citrusy and are our favorite make-ahead dessert. If you love sour/sweet desserts as much as we do, definitely check out our margarita bars next!
Get the Easy Lemon Bars recipe.
Lemon Icebox Pie
Our version of lemon icebox pie (itself a riff of Key lime pie) calls for an extra-buttery graham cracker crust that’s first partially baked before the filling is poured in. Why bake the crust? We’ve found that pre-baking the crust gives the pie a jumpstart on caramelization—and caramelization is a good, tasty thing. And once cooled and the filling added, a second bake helps stabilize the filling, along with ensuring the yolks are fully cooked. If you’re still looking for a truly no-bake lemon option, check out our lemon icebox cake.
Get the Lemon Icebox Pie recipe.
Copycat Carr's Ginger Lemon Cremes
Question: Is anything more satisfying than a perfect copycat recipe? We think not. We've mastered popular cookie recipes from world-famous Levain Bakery cookies to Pepperidge Farm's Milanos to Panera's classic chocolate chip cookie. It was only a matter of time before we tried our hands at perhaps the most delicious tea cookie ever—Carr's ginger lemon cremes. Snappy ginger spice cookies sandwich a tangy lemon creme filling, perfect for dunking in a mug of milky Earl Grey. These snappy ginger cookies will soften ever so slightly in the fridge—this way they’re still crisp, but soft enough that the filling won’t burst out when you take a bite.
Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
One of our top winter desserts, our lemon-cranberry cheesecake bars were a verified hit this holiday season. They were so well-loved, we knew we had to create a bright, fresh version worthy of the upcoming season and the warm weather to come. Instead of a cranberry filling, we used blueberries in this recipe to completment our lemony cream cheese mixture. The result is a sweet, creamy, and fruity filling layered between flaky pastry—basically, it's our ideal spring dessert.
Lemon Icebox Cake
Icebox cake may be an old-school concept, but this recipe is truly spectacular. The combination of lemon curd and cream cheese frosting is intensely citrusy and refreshing, and the quick candied lemon peel makes it priceless.
Get the Lemon Icebox Cake recipe.
Pink Lemonade Pound Cake
When you need a sweet treat that brings some sass too, this pink lemonade pound cake is just right. Shot-through with a stripe of hot pink, the cake is plenty citrusy, thanks to a whopping 2 tablespoons of lemon zest, plus juice in both the batter and glaze. Perfect for baby and bridal showers, Mother's Day celebrations, and afternoon tea parties, this is the sort of statement dessert that stands out without much work.
Get the Pink Lemonade Pound Cake recipe.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
It doesn't get more classic and understated than shortbread, and here they have a hint of lemon to brighten up the classic melt-in-your-mouth buttery cookie. These start with a standard shortbread dough but have a little extra richness thanks to an egg yolk. Sanding sugar or sprinkles (or both!) add a satisfying, sweet crunch. Though it might not seem like much, just a tablespoon of lemon zest infuses these cookies with lemon punch since all the fragrant oils of a lemon live in the peel.
Get the Lemon Shortbread Cookies recipe.
Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
Bright, lemony and extra-creamy, this mousse sits atop a graham cracker base, resembling a mini cheesecake—one of our other favorite decadent desserts.
Get the Lemon Cheesecake Mousse recipe.
Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Tart, tangy, and sweet, these cheesecake bars are sandwiched between a pastry crust that just happens to be super-easy to make (thank you, store-bought crescent roll dough!). Something about the combo tastes like the Entenmann's danishes of our youth, but even better thanks to the extra sweet and creamy filling.
Lemon-Blueberry Blondies
Blondies are all about two things—brown sugar and vanilla—which pair perfectly with lighter, more delicate fruit flavors. The lemon and blueberry here help mellow out the overt sweetness of the blondies, making these bars reminiscent of blueberry muffins or lemon pound cake.
Get the Lemon-Blueberry Blondies recipe.
Italian Lemon Cookies
Italian lemon cookies—AKA tarallucci al limone or taralli al limone—are a traditional southern Italian treat. Originally served at weddings (to symbolize tying the knot), they’re now commonly found at holiday gatherings for Easter or Christmas. A soft but sturdy dough is flavored with lemon juice and zest, then rolled into a knot. After baking, it gets dipped in a lemon-y glaze and finished with more zest. Set them out on platter of Italian cookies like pignoli cookies and chocolate amaretti cookies for a feast for the eyes!
Get the Italian Lemon Cookies recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Shortcakes
A strawberry shortcake is the quintessential summer dessert; here, we give it a little makeover. The buttery, flaky biscuits are crowned with a homemade lemon curd (store-bought would be fine!), sweetened blueberries, and an easy whipped cream. It’s tart and sweet—and incredibly good. It feels like a mix between a shortcake and a scone, and makes us wish all biscuits came with fresh lemon curd.
Get the Lemon Blueberry Shortcakes recipe.
Lemon Meringue Pie
We'll take any excuse to decorate with meringue. Delicious pie and arts and craft project? Sign us up.
Get the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.
Lemon Curd
Fresh lemon juice and zest are the stars in this lemon curd, creating a natural and distinctly citrusy flavor. This curd comes together with only 5 ingredients and 15 minutes, but does require some planning ahead. The wait will be worth it, because you'll be spooning this lemon curd onto everything, like into baked pastry shells, over pavlova or meringue cookies, or onto buttered biscuits. Or try it folded into sweet crêpes, layered between yellow cake with pastry cream, or folded into whipped cream. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Get the Lemon Curd recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Babka
A traditional babka is a braided, sweet yeasted bread filled with chocolate. This summery take is filled with a blueberry sauce and topped in an easy lemon glaze. The twisted bread is striking, with its bright purply-blue swirls throughout. If lemon blueberry is one of your favorite pairings (us too), this needs to be at the top of your list. Our classic lemon blueberry bread should be next!
Get the Lemon Blueberry Babka recipe.
Lemon Coconut Tart
This revamped lemon tart has a few major upgrades. 1) The buttery graham cracker crust is loaded with toasted shredded coconut. 2) Coconut milk makes the lemon curd filling extra creamy and flavorful. 3) Thanks to Meyer lemons, it's just the right balance between tart and sweet. (But if you prefer citrus desserts with a little more pucker, swap in regular lemons.)
Get the Lemon Coconut Tart recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
As soon as the weather starts warming up, we begin to daydream of all the possible lemon blueberry desserts we can make. This one is officially at the top of our list. It's easy, the batter takes no time to make, but most importantly, it brightens our day with its vibrant glaze. The all-natural color is unbelievable and really makes this lemon blueberry bread stand out, along with its delicious, punchy flavor.
Get the Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine and if wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.
