Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (2024)

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (1)

Lemons are available year-round, of course, but they're especially good when they're in season. You hardly need a reason, however, to include lemon flavor the next time you're making dessert. The contrast of tart acidity and sugary sweetness is a classic pairing: Think old-fashioned lemonade, or Lemonhead candies, both of which are irresistibly good.

So let that flavor combo make your homemade desserts extra special as well. And here, we have all kinds of ways to make lemony desserts, from the simple (lemon sandwich cookies) to the extra-impressive. The citrus is particularly delicious in lemon cake recipes, but it also makes everything from cookies, pies, tarts, bars, muffins, scones, and more taste amazing.

One of the great traits of lemon, however, is that it doesn't need to be the star ingredient. A touch of lemon zest, or a little lemon juice will brighten up strawberry desserts or blueberry recipes and add a pop of flavor to sugar cookies and crème brûlées. And easy-to-make lemon curd is the ideal topping for all manner of sweet treats, from bundt cakes to meringues to cupcakes.

So whether you're baking to manage stress, trying to make dessert-night a little more interesting, or thinking up something sweet to celebrate a loved one or occasion, try one of these editor-favorite lemon desserts. You won't be sorry.

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1

Meyer Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (3)

These cute little bundt cakes are delectable with the tart, rich, lemon curd topping. You can also make one big cake, but the little bundt cakes are worth the special pan.

Get the recipe.

SHOP MINI BUNDT CAKE PAN

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2

Spring Daisy Lemon Layer Cake

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (5)

This Easter-themed cake is also perfect for celebrating birthdays, special occasions, or for-the-heck-of-it whenevers... especially for daisy lovers (or loved ones named Daisy).

Get the recipe.

SHOP DAISY COOKIE CUTTERS

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3

Jasmine Madeleines With Lemon-Poppy Seed Glaze

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (7)

Can't travel to Paris for a delicious brunch? Just whip up this French confection—it's the next best thing!

Get the recipe.

SHOP MADELEINE PANS

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4

Lemon Creme Sandwich Cookies

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (9)

Store-bought lemon cookies make these bites come together in mere minutes.

Get the recipe.

SHOP LEMON COOKIES

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6

Meyer-Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (13)

This sweet, simple tart is the ideal combo of three different flavors: the lemon tart, the ginger crust, and the almond whipped cream.

Get the recipe.

SHOP TART PANS

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7

Lemon-Buttermilk Tart

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (15)

Rich buttermilk and fresh lemon zest give this decadent pie so much flavor.

Get the recipe.

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8

Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (17)

With refrigerated pie crust and a jar of marshmallow cream, making this pie is, well, as easy as pie.

Get the recipe.

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9

Pistachio-Lemon Bundt Cake

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (19)

This satisfying treat gets its kick from rum-infused batter dotted with roasted pistachios. Yum!

Get the recipe.

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10

Duke's Lemon Drop Sheet Cake

Call it a citrus triple threat: This sheet cake features lemonade, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Get the recipe.

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11

Coconut Lemon Bars with Marshmallow Frosting

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (23)

An airy marshmallow topping and scrumptious coconut crust put these lemon bars in a class of their own.

Get the recipe.

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12

Lemon-Lavender Bars

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (25)

A floral note complements the citrus bite of these classic bars from Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell of Beekman 1802.

Get the recipe.

RELATED: Dessert Recipes from the Beekman Boys

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13

Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (27)

The key to a light and airy scone? Don't overwork the dough.

Get the recipe.

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14

Berry and Lemon Pavlova

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (29)

Who doesn't love the light, crispy, airy meringue of a pavlova? You can use jarred lemon curd, as the recipe suggests, or make your own.

Get the recipe.

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15

Lemon-Coconut Cake With Mascarpone Frosting

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (31)

This easy cake pairs tart lemon with rich, decadent mascarpone frosting.

Get the recipe.

SHOP FONDANT DAISIES

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16

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (33)

These soft and buttery sugar-coated cookies taste even better with a splash of citrus flavor.

Get the recipe at Frugal Mom Eh.

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17

Lemon Crumb Muffins

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (35)

Finished with a sticky lemon glaze, these muffins make for a delightful breakfast treat.

Get the recipe at Baker by Nature.

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18

Whipped Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (37)

Phyllo dough gives this ultra creamy cheesecake a nice flaky crust.

Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

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19

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (39)

One bite into these cupcakes reveals the sweet surprise: a homemade lemon curd filling.

Get the recipe at Life, Love and Sugar.

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20

Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (41)

This velvety cake is almost too stunning to eat. (Almost!)

Get the recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction.

Zesty Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (2024)

FAQs

What is the name of the famous dessert made of lemon on the Amalfi Coast? ›

Delizia al limone (Lemon Delight) is a tasty spoon dessert made of a dome-shaped sponge base, filled with cream and covered with lemon glaze. You will find different variants of the Delizia in every pastry shop of the Amalfi Coast, but here are our top five pastry shops where you can taste it!

How much juice is in one lemon? ›

One regular-sized lemon contains about 2-3 tablespoons of juice. Since all lemons aren't exactly the same, we like to stay on the side of caution and assume that one lemon contains 2 tablespoons juice. This means, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, you'll need to use about ½ a lemon.

What is the traditional dessert of the Amalfi Coast? ›

Lemon Delight, or Delizia al Limone, is synonymous with the Amalfi Coast. These mini sponge cakes filled and coated with lemon custard were created in 1978 by Carmine Marzuillo, a pastry chef from the Amalfi Coast, and the Lemon Delight immediately became one of Campania's most popular desserts.

What is Sicilian lemon? ›

Sicilian Femminello St. Teresa lemons have unusual qualities that make them particularly desirable: they are less acidic than other varieties, have more juice, and have oilier skin. Sicilians are proud of their lemons, and they should be. Nine out of ten of the lemons in Italy come from Sicily.

Can I freeze whole lemons? ›

To freeze whole lemons, place them in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Use whole frozen lemons for juicing. To thaw, microwave for a few seconds, or place the lemons in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the lemon and juice.

Can a lemon tree have too many lemons? ›

Be sure to look at the number of lemons you have growing. In order to prevent fruit overbearing, when your tree starts to fruit, you'll want to remove a few lemons in large clusters when they're pea sized. This will promote the growth of larger lemons when they reach maturity.

How long do lemons last in the fridge? ›

The best way to store lemons is in an airtight container in the refrigerator — stored this way, whole, uncut lemons will last up to one month. Alternatively, whole lemons can last on the countertop at room temperature for up to one week.

What does soaking lemons do? ›

The Benefit of Lemon Skin Soaked in Water

Lemon water is popular as it not only tastes so refreshing but some claim that it helps improve energy levels and your mood along with being an immune system booster.

Why do people put whole lemons in water? ›

Ways Your Body Benefits from Lemon Water. The health benefits of drinking lemon water may include adding vitamin C and antioxidants to your diet, cutting back on sugar-sweetened drinks, and aiding weight loss. You may not want to drink it too often, though.

What cancels out lemon in food? ›

Sweetness has the magical ability to balance out acidity. Depending on the dish you're making, consider incorporating ingredients like honey, sugar, maple syrup, or even a splash of fruit juice. These sweet companions will help to tame the excessive lemon tang and create a harmonious flavor profile.

Is lemon juice in a bottle the same as a real lemon? ›

However, if you've ever tasted bottled lemon juice, you'll notice that the flavour is a little off – not bright and lemony like the real stuff. This is because bottled lemon juice usually contains additives and preservatives such as Sodium Metabisulphite (E223) or Potassium Metabisulphite (E224).

Does lemon juice go bad? ›

Fresh squeezed lemon juice has a shelf life of about 3–4 days if it's stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Due to pasteurization and added preservatives, commercial bottled lemon juice has a much longer lifespan. An unopened bottle can last for 3–6 months in the pantry or 6–12 months in the fridge.

Is 100% lemon juice good to drink? ›

You can drink lemon juice daily. Drinking it in lemon water or lemonade are good options. Straight lemon juice is very sour and acidic, which may irritate your teeth or cause tooth decay.

What is the name of the famous Italian dessert? ›

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

What are Amalfi lemons called? ›

Amalfi Coast lemons are a traditional lemon variety (Citus limon) from the Amalfi Coast region of Italy. This variety was originally developed as a cross between small, local lemons and bitter oranges. They are also called Sfusato Amalfitano in Italian.

Can you eat the skin of the Amalfi lemon? ›

This world famous lemon is grown in the Amalfi region of Italy and is known as the most aromatic lemon in the world! The Amalfi lemon is sweeter than a regular lemon and has an untreated, edible skin, which is why it's the perfect lemon for an authentic Limoncello..

What are the Sorrento lemons called? ›

Sorrento Lemons. Sorrento Lemons are locally selected forms of the Feminello variety. These selections are sometimes known as 'Ovale di Sorrento' and 'Sfusato Amalfitano', although the grower I spoke to only knew his lemons as Feminello.

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