Get inspiration for the BEST lemon desserts around with these easy, citrus inspired recipes you’ll adore! If you’re looking for lemon dessert recipes you’re in the right place – get 12 incredible recipes that are bursting with citrus.
Each of these recipes if full of juicy, bright lemon flavor. You’ll find everything from cookies, to breads, ice cream and more!
Learn how to make the most delicious lemon desserts that will leave your family and friends begging for your recipes.
There’s just something about lemon that makes my heart sing! If you’ve been around here long, you’ll know that it’s one of my favorite flavors to incorporate into both sweet and savory foods.
In fact, I have a complete guide to the best Lemon Recipes with each and every one of my best lemon recipes I’ve shared over the years! These are 25 incredible recipes for every season and occasion.
Today, though, I wanted to focus on lemon desserts. I am so thrilled to share these 12 awesome recipes with you, and the wheels are already churning with so many fun ideas!
Use the drop down Table of Contents menu to navigate this post and jump to the tips and recipes that sound interesting to you! Don’t forget to pin and save for later, too.
Tips for Making Lemon Desserts
Helpful Tools
- Zester – A small, handled kitchen tool with a row of small holes at one end. Use by pressing the holes on the lemon skin and pulling toward you. This will scrape the skin and produce little strips of lemon peel.
- Microplane Zester – Similar to a cheese grater, but with smaller openings. Gently rub the zester across the skin to produce small lemon skin shavings.
- Citrus Juicer – These come in various formats. The first (and less expensive) is a petite bowl that has an elevated piece in the middle – a reamer. First, cut your lemon in half and push the cut side down on the reamer. Next, move the lemon around the reamer in a circular motion to release juice. Or, in a lemon squeezer (as linked), place half of the lemon, cut side down, into the concave side of the squeezer. Press down and squeeze juice into container.
Juicing and Zesting
- Freeze your lemons to help make zesting easier and help the fruit release juices quickly.
- Zest the lemon while the lemon is whole, before you cut it in half to juice it.
- Heat the lemon in the microwave for a few seconds to get the juice flowing more easily.
- Roll the lemon on the counter to break up some of the membrane and more juice will come out.
Lemon Basics
In Season – Lemon trees are in their prime fruit production season during the winter. Florida and California produce the most in the US, where lemon trees thrive in the warm weather.
What to Look For – Choose lemons with a bright yellow color, and no dark spots. You’ll want a lemon that is heavy for its size, barely soft, but still firm to the touch.
How to Store Lemons – Store them on the counter for a week or in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or until they get hard or spotted.
Lemon Substitutes
- Lemon Extract – 1:2 ratio of extract to lemon zest; 1:1 ratio of extract to lemon liquer
- Replace Lemon Juice with Lime – 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to lime juice
- Lemon Zest – 1 medium size lemon yields 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Replace a teaspoon of lemon zest with a half teaspoon of lemon extract or dried lemon peel. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice can be substituted for 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
You can find a full list of substitutions here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! However, keep in mind that extract is much more concentrated in flavor. Often, you’ll need just a drop or two, even when a recipe calls for teaspoons of lemon juice.
Frozen lemons are easier to zest! In fact, they also release their juice more easily than fresh lemons, so it’s a really helpful thing to do.
12 Amazing Lemon Desserts
Make it your summertime mission to try one of these lemon desserts each week – much to the thrill and delight of your family, of course.
Each of these recipes is tried and true, and more delicious with each bite. Click the link to get the free printable recipe card for each option!
Frosted Lemon Cookies
First up, a delicious little frosted cookie!
These frosted lemon cookies are bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Easy and quick to make, they are the perfect springtime treat that the whole family will love.
Sweet Lemon Loaf
If you’re a lemon lover, not much is more delicious than the refreshing scent and flavor of an easy Lemon Loaf. This simple Lemon Bread is decadent and divine, full of lemon flavor!
This easy Lemon Bread Recipe takes just 5 minutes hands on time and makes a beautiful breakfast or gift!
Lemon Ice Cream
This homemade lemon ice cream is a rich, creamy taste of citrus and sunshine. Make this refreshing no churn lemon ice cream recipe for a memorable sweet and tart treat you’ll love!
Moreover, this lemon ice cream is perfect when served alongside other lemon desserts on this list, too.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Of course, no lemon desserts round up is complete without a lemon cookie recipe!
These easy, light and refreshing Lemon Shortbread Cookies offer a little crunch, a hint of lemon and that buttery flavor we all love! They’re made with just 5 ingredients and are so simple to make!
Honey Lemon Cake
A delightfully sweet Honey Lemon Cake with a tender crumb topped in a delicious glaze. Make into adorable beehive cakes or in a muffin tin!
Lemon Berry Tart
Refreshing Lemon Berry Tart – this delightful dessert is on a sugar cookie crust! It’s the best fruit tart to add a touch of sweetness to any day or night.
No Bake Lemon Pie
Next, a light and flavorful easy no bake lemon pie. No baking translates to an effortless, yet gorgeous dessert that is loaded with beautiful berries.
With a simple shortbread cookie crust and decadent mascarpone lemon filling, this no bake lemon pie feels special enough for guests. However, it’s simple enough for any night of the week!
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is a delightfully moist bread with a touch of tart lemon flavor, bursting with delicate, nutty poppy seeds! It takes just five minutes hands on time and a few simple ingredients to make 6 miniature loaves for gifting or two large loaves.
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
This easy and classic lemon pound cake recipe is a refreshing breakfast, brunch and dessert favorite! It’s just as good as it is simple and beautiful! Finished with a flavorful glaze and deliciously moist.
Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie
These individual Meyer Lemon Meringue Pies are the perfect spring and summer dessert. These make ahead desserts come together quickly and are wonderfully sweet with just the right amount of tang. This will be your new favorite treat!
Frozen Lemon Dessert
This is the simplest frozen lemon berry pie – So easy and refreshing! Serve frozen to make it one of the summer dessert recipes you’ll want on any hot summer night.
3 Ingredient Lemon Glaze
Finally, we have an easy, refreshing Lemon Glaze made with just three ingredients! You can whip up this amazing Lemon Glaze recipe in just five minutes.
Lemon glaze icing is perfect for breads, pound cakes, angel food cakes and so much more! It might not be a lemon dessert recipe in and of itself, but I’ll never judge you for eating it right from the bowl.
More Fruit Inspiration
Lemon Desserts
Ingredients
Instructions
- Choose your recipe and print the free printable recipe card
- Double check your ingredients for prep, and plan in advance based on the total time for chosen recipe.
- Garnish any lemon dessert or plate with a lemon slice or wedge for more color. Sprinkle zest on top of a dish or dessert, or add a layer of lemon slices to the top of a cake.
Tips
Lemon Substitutes
- Lemon Extract – 1:2 ratio of extract to lemon zest; 1:1 ratio of extract to lemon liquer;
- Lemon Juice – 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to lime juice;
- Lemon Zest – 1 medium size lemon yields 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Replace a teaspoon of lemon zest with a half teaspoon of lemon extract or dried lemon peel. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice can be substituted for 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
