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lemon lush delight in a casserole dish

Lemon Lush

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Lemon lush is a creamy, delicious layered dessert. It consists of a homemade shortbread crust, a rich cream cheese layer, and a velvety lemon layer.

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Lemon Lush is a creamy, delicious layered dessert. It consists of a homemade shortbread crust, a rich cream cheese layer, and a velvety lemon layer.

The recipe makes a generous 9X13-inch baking dish, so it’s perfect when you need to feed a crowd. It is super popular at church luncheons, potlucks, and Sunday suppers.

Lemon Lush is a creamy, delicious layered dessert. It consists of a homemade shortbread crust, a rich cream cheese layer, and a velvety lemon layer.

The recipe makes a generous 9X13-inch baking dish so it’s perfect when you need to feed a crowd. This is super popular at church luncheons, potluck, and Sunday suppers. Who doesn’t love creamy layers!

If you love lemon recipes, I have more that are sure to please! My lemon dump cake has been viral on the site ever since I posted it, and my lemon sugar cookies are buttery, rich, and perfectly lemony!

Lemon brownies are every bit as delicious as their chocolate counterparts and every bit as fudgy and chewy. Lemon ricotta cookies are just sweet and tangy, moist and chewy!

WHAT IS LEMON LUSH RECIPE

This sweet and creamy, almost no-bake lemon dessert has four lovely layers: a pecan shortbread crust, a cream cheese layer, a pudding layer, and finally, a whipped topping layer. It’s simple to put together and perfect for making ahead!

A slice of lemon lush

 

LEMON LUSH INGREDIENTS

Shortbread Crust:

  • Flour: All-purpose flour.
  • Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar.
  • Pecans: You can switch up the variety of nuts as you like. Walnuts are nice in the crust.

Cream Cheese Layer:

  • Cream Cheese: Use regular cream cheese, not Neufchâtel.
  • Lemon Zest: Use fresh lemon zest. Use a microplaner and zest only the yellow part of the peel. The white part is too bitter.
  • Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice.
  • Powdered Sugar: A.K.A. confectioners’ sugar.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: Adds the perfect richness to the cream cheese layer.

Lemon Pudding Layer

  • Instant Pudding Mix: Only use the Instant variety, not the one that you need to cook.
  • Milk: I use whole milk.

TIPS

  • Cream Cheese: Your cream cheese should be softened before getting started on your cream cheese mixture. It helps to pull it out about 30 minutes beforehand and cut it up into little cubes. If you forget to pull it out, Better Homes & Gardens offers a couple of quick softening techniques you can try.
  • Folding: Gently fold in your Cool Whip (always add light to heavy when folding). Use a large bowl with a flexible rubber spatula and be gentle. This will help keep your mixture light and fluffy.
  • Pecans: Sprinkle chopped pecans on the top of the Lemon Lush.
  • Cool It! Let the crust cool completely before starting with the layering!
  • Chilling Time: Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours or better, overnight.
  • Switch Up The Crust: Try the crust with graham crackers or Nila wafers. My kids prefer this dessert with a graham cracker crust.

A slice of lemon lush lasagna

STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD

  • How Long Can You Keep This In The Refrigerator? It will keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to store leftovers in an airtight container.
  • Can You Freeze This? Yes, you can store individual slices and freeze them for up to three months. Then just grab one out of the freezer and eat, no thawing needed!
    • I like to use disposable aluminum pans, so my good casserole dishes don’t get stuck in frozen limbo. Once you put your dessert together, I suggest letting it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before transferring it to the freezer. “Hotel wrap” this to protect it from freezer burn, and don’t forget to label it. (Here’s an article from Epicurious on how to do it!) You may also want to use wax paper to separate the top of your lemon lush from the plastic wrap. It just makes things easier. Then, slow thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.
  • Make-Ahead Tips: This recipe is actually supposed to be made in advance, so it works out. I like to make mine the day before and let it sit overnight. For best results, you’ll want to reserve the FDA-recommended 2-hour serving rule.
  • Food Safety: If you’d like more information on food safety, check out this link. I used cheesecake as a reference.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS

I tend to serve this as the star of the dessert table at potlucks. Other dessert buffet favorites include strawberry pretzel salad, pineapple sunshine cake, heaven on earth cake, strawberry Jello cake, butterscotch delight, and/or my old-fashioned fruit cocktail cake!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON LUSH

Step by step how to make lemon lush

 

***See the full instructions below.

  1. Make Shortbread Crust: Process the flour and butter until it resembles a coarse meal.
  2. Add the sugar and pecans and process.
  3. Press into the baking pan. Bake.
  4. Make Cream Cheese Layer: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, lemon zest, and juice, and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
  5. Spread mixture over crust. Freeze until set.
  6. Make Pudding Layer: Spread a slightly thickened pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill until the pudding sets slightly.
  7. Whipped Cream Topping: Add the remaining whipped cream over the set pudding layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  8. Garnish and serve.

MORE EASY-LAYERED DESSERT RECIPES

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A slice of lemon lush
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Lemon Lush

Lemon lush is a creamy, delicious layered dessert. It consists of a homemade shortbread crust, a rich cream cheese layer, and a velvety lemon layer.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Chill Time4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 16 Servings
Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Layer:

  • 2 (8-ounce) packs cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream

Lemon Pudding Layer:

  • 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes lemon instant pudding mix and pie filling
  • 3 cups milk
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray.

Make Shortbread Crust:

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the flour (2 cups) and butter (1 cup) until it resembles a coarse meal.
    How to make lemon lush step 1, Make Shortbread Crust: process the flour and butter until it resembles coarse meal.
  • Add the sugar (1/4 cup) and pecan (1 cup) and process until it's cut in.
    How to make lemon lush with shortbread crust step 2, Add the sugar and pecan and and process.
  • Press into baking pan. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let the crust cool. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining layers.
    How to make lemon lush delight step 3, Press into baking pan. Bake.

Make Cream Cheese Layer:

  • In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer set on high, beat cream cheese (2 packs), lemon zest (2 teaspoons) and juice (3 tablespoons), and powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush lasagna step 4, Make Cream Cheese Layer: Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
  • In another large mixing bowl, add heavy cream (3 cups) and with the mixer on a high beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
  • Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture over crust; freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush with shortbread crust step 5, Spread mixture over crust. Freeze until set.

Make Pudding Layer:

  • In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set on low, beat together lemon pudding (2 boxes) and milk (3 cups) together and beat for 2 to 4 minutes, until the pudding has slightly thickened. If the mixture hasn't started to thicken, place it in the refrigerator until it has.
  • Spread the slightly thickened pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill until pudding sets slightly, about 15 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush step 6, Make Pudding Layer: Spread slightly thickened pudding mixture over cream cheese layer. Chill until pudding sets slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping:

  • In an even layer, add the remaining whipped cream over the set pudding layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or better, overnight.
    lemon lush delight in a casserole dish

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Notes

  1. Cream Cheese: Your cream cheese should be softened before getting started on your cream cheese mixture. It helps to pull it out about 30 minutes beforehand and cut it up into little cubes. If you forget to pull it out, Better Homes & Gardens offers a couple of quick softening techniques you can try.
  2. Folding: Gently fold in your whipped topping (always add light to heavy when folding). Use a large bowl with a flexible rubber spatula and be gentle. This will help keep your mixture light and fluffy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 201mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1469IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 125mg
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Comments

  1. Susan Wise says

    Isigned up for your recipes but I maybe shouldn’t have without checking if you charge for a subscription. I’m 75 and can’t afford any more bills right now.

    Reply

    • Kathleen says

      Hi Susan. I’m so glad you asked. There is NO charge. All the emails I send are absolutely free and there are no strings attached!! I’m happy to have you as part of our community.

      Reply

  2. JDalton says

    Is the whip cream plain with no sweetener? I can see not needing sweetener for the cream cheese layer cuz there’s powdered sugar mixed into the cream cheese, but the final layer is plain whipped cream with no sweetness? Is this correct?

    Reply

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