Lemon Lush Dessert
A delightful spring and summer dessert, this Lemon Lush recipe has layers of shortbread crust, cream cheese, pudding, and whipped cream. Easy to make, and yummy to eat!
Lemon is the epitome of spring and summer. It’s fresh, light, and the perfect ingredient for desserts during the warmer months. Lemon Meltaways, Lemon Oreo Truffles, and a Glazed Lemon Loaf are all favorites at our house, but this recipe is very often requested. I’ve been making it since my college days, and it’s still at the top of the list. It’s perfect for Easter menus, or any other time you need to make or bring a dessert. Best of all, it’s very easy to make…don’t let all those layers fool you!
This dessert not only tastes amazing, but it looks stunning on a plate. All the layers together make for such a beautiful presentation, and I love to serve it for special occasions, including as an Easter dessert. Then there’s the way it tastes…the creaminess of the cream cheese with the coolness of the lemon pudding and buttery crunch of the crust…it’s perfection!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Flour
- Butter
- Walnuts (you can omit if there are allergies, or use pecans instead)
- Instant lemon pudding
- Milk
- Cream cheese
- Cool Whip
- Powdered sugar
Many of these are basic pantry ingredients you may already have on hand, and if not, they’re easily accessible at a grocery store. The nuts provide great texture and crunch to the crust, but if there’s an allergy, you can absolutely leave them out. It will still taste amazing! You can also switch out the walnuts for pecans, which I’ve done on occasion when that’s all I have in my pantry. Both work well.
How to make
Start by making the crust first…it needs to bake for 20 minutes and cool before adding other layers. It’s easier if the butter is at room temperature, but still pliable and not too soft. Use a fork or pastry cutter to combine the flour and butter, then stir in the nuts. Butter a 9×13 baking dish really well, then press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake in oven preheated to 325 degrees.
You can make the other layers and keep them in the fridge until the crust has cooled, or wait to make them until the crust has just come out and while it’s cooling.
Second layer: Beat the cream cheese until smooth, and then add the powdered sugar. Fold in the Cool Whip until it’s completely incorporated, then spread the mixture on top of the cooled crust.
Third layer: Mix pudding and milk until thick, and then spread on top of the cream cheese layer.
For the final layer, you have one of two options. You can either use the other half of large Cool Whip container or make your own whipping cream. Making your own with heavy cream and powdered sugar takes a bit longer, but only about 5-7 minutes. I usually prefer to make my own, because I like the taste of it better, but you can certainly use the Cool Whip. I’ve included details in the recipe for both!
Note: If you plan to make your own whipping cream for the top, then you only need to buy and use a regular-sized container of Cool Whip.
Once you’ve finished all the layers, refrigerate until ready to serve. I like to sprinkle chopped walnuts on before serving.
FAQ
Yes! You can switch out any other flavor of pudding that you love. Pistachio and chocolate are huge favorites at our house, and butterscotch is really good too!
More dessert recipes
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Lemon Lush Dessert
Equipment
Ingredients
Layer 2:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powedered sugar
- 1/2 large container Coop Whip
Layer 3:
- 2 3 oz. packages lemon instant pudding
- 3 cups cold milk
Layer 4:
- 1/2 large container Cool Whip
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Layer 4 Option #2:
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Combine crust ingredients, and press into a buttered 9x13baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, then let cool.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, and then add the powdered sugar. Fold in the Cool Whip until it’s completely incorporated, then spread the mixture on top of the cooled crust.
- Mix pudding and milk until thick, and then spread on top of the cream cheese layer.
- For the final layer, you have one of two options. Either use the other half of the large Cool Whip container, or make whipped cream. If so, beat the heavy cream until it reaches a soft peak stage, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread which ever you choose on top of the pudding layer. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate until time to serve.
Notes
*Originally posted 2017
Could I substitute the cool whip in layer 2 for real whipped cream?
Thank you and welcome back!
Yes, you can! I’ve done it both ways, and they work great. Just know that whipped cream isn’t as stable as cool whip, so it won’t last quite as long in the fridge. Both of these layers have powdered sugar in them, which helps a bit with stability.