Luscious Lemon Dessert Recipes

Updated June 22, 2020

Lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon liqueur and more flavor our recipes for pies, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, cheesecakes and ice cream.

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Lemon-Cream Cheese Pie

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This creamy lemon pie, a longtime reader-favorite recipe, is a signature dessert at Al's Oasis, a family restaurant along the east bank of the Missouri River in Chamberlain, South Dakota.

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Lemon Posset

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This brilliant (and totally old-school) British dessert uses just heat and kitchen magic to turn lemon and cream into luscious pudding.

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Candied Lemon Pound Cake

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This moist, buttery pound cake has a triple threat of lemon: Chopped candied peel speckles the interior, and thin strips dance along the top, over a sheen of puckery lemon icing. The recipe comes from Nathaniel Reid Bakery in St. Louis.

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Puckery Lemon Bars

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These lemon bars are less sturdy and more lusciously creamy than their classic bake-sale cousins. You may want to eat them with a fork.

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Lemon Curd Bars

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Little Traveler in Geneva, Illinois, uses creamy, tangy lemon curd to make these bars for its "girlfriend tea" events.

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Lemonade Cake

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Lemon Butter Frosting tops a summer-perfect cake flavored with thawed lemonade concentrate.

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Triple Lemon Pie

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This pie earns its triple-lemon name from peel, juice and extract. (You can add lemon slices and whipped cream on top of the baked pie for even more lemony goodness!) A store-bought piecrust speeds prep.

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Lemon Curd Tart

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This decadent recipe comes from Incredibly Delicious in Springfield, Illinois. "The lemon curd is one of our favorite workhorses," says owner-chef Patrick Groth. "My mother, who has worked for us for the last 16 years, is the only one who makes it. Hers is perfect, tart and smooth."

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Lemony Prairie Cake

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Mix just six ingredients, including lemon-lime carbonated beverage, to make this lovely, citrusy cake from an Alta Vista, Kansas, reader.

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Meyer Lemon Pots de Crème with Honeyed Kumquats

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The creamy lemon puddings look and taste sophisticated but are actually quite simple to make, and they can even be prepared in advance.

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Lemon on Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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Infuse traditional shortbread with lemon zest and top with lemon icing to create our Lemon on Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

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Blueberry-Topped Lemon Cheesecake

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This recipe features a luscious fresh blueberry sauce on creamy lemon cheesecake.

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Toasted Fennel-Lemon Cake

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This moist beauty begs for a mug of afternoon tea. Fennel seeds add the faintest hint of licorice flavor, just enough to make the cake stand out from the other Bundts in the room. We like the sweeter flavor of Meyer lemons in this cake. Look for them sold in bags at large supermarkets. If you substitute regular lemons, reduce the zest to 2 tablespoons.Toasted Fennel-Lemon Cake

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Lemon Drop Cupcakes

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Lemon liqueur and lemon zest flavor these cupcakes, while swirled lemon frosting adds an elegant topping. Finish with glazed lemon slices or crushed lemon drop candies.

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Luscious Lemon Bars

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Sweet and tart, these moist, powdered sugar-topped classics will disappear fast at a potluck.

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Lemon-Blueberry Biscuits

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Lemon yogurt is the secret ingredient in these pretty biscuits. The recipe comes from Natura Farms in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. 

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Luke's Lemon Meringue Pie

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This lemon meringue pie recipe, which includes candied lemon peel, is a favorite at Southmoreland on the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The recipe comes from Luke Reichle, brother of Southmoreland co-owner Mark.

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Blueberry-Lemon Loaf

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Make this loaf on a Sunday night so it's ready for a quick weekday morning meal.

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Lemon Blueberry Fan Cookies

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Lemon extract and blueberry jam make the perfect sweet and tangy combination for these eye-catching shaped cookies.

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Fresh Rosemary & Lemon Cupcakes

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Italian flavors inspired this cupcake, with its refreshing blend of fresh rosemary and lemon and topping of lemon glaze.

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Lemon Walnut Biscotti

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Biscotti gets its crunch from twice-baking. This citrus-speckled recipe comes from the former Inn at Kristofer's in Sister Bay, Wisconsin.

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Spiked Raspberry-Lemonade Cupcakes

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Lemon peel, lemon juice and raspberry liqueur give these cupcakes a refreshing sweet-sour flavor. Top with a fresh raspberry and lemon slice before serving.

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Lemon Drop Bark

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Melt the candy coating, add the candy, and you're done. It's that simple. The crushed lemon drops give this sweet treat some pucker.

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Delicious Lemon Cupcakes

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Lemon frosting tops a cupcake flavored with shredded lemon peel.

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Crustless Lemony Cheesecake

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This cheesecake bakes in a souffle dish or casserole inside your slow cooker and surrounded by warm water. The result is a delicate dessert, lower in calories than many traditional cheesecakes.

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Rhubarb-Lemon Chiffon Pie

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This light and airy pie recipe was a prizewinner at the Aledo, Illinois, Rhubarb Festival.

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Lemon Thyme Tea Bread

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The intense flavor of tiny-leafed thyme teams up with lemon peel for this quick bread moistened with cream cheese.

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Lemon-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

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Irresistible tangy lemon and rich pecans flavor one of the easiest cookies around: buttery shortbread. Serve with a cool dish of ice cream in warm weather or a hot cup of tea when it's chilly outside.

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Lemon-Drop Ice Cream

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This cool treat gets a triple dose of lemon: peel, juice and puckery lemon-drop candy. It's a favorite from the recipe collection of a West Des Moines, Iowa, reader.

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Triple-Layer Lemon Cake

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Lemon cream cheese frosting tops a rich special-occasion cake made with lemon peel, lemon juice and lemon curd.

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