Food and Recipes Fruits Citrus Lemon 49 Lemon Dessert Recipes as Lovely as They Are Sweet By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Southern Living Allow us to introduce you to our best lemon desserts of all time. We love cooking with all types of citrus including oranges, limes, and grapefruit, but there's something about lemon that holds a sweet spot in our heart. Especially when combined with other fresh fruit flavors, like blueberry or raspberry, lemon brings a brightness and tartness to desserts to make them dynamic. These bright and delicious lemon dessert ideas will be the hit of any gathering you bring them to, and we're sure everyone will ask you for the recipe. Our fan-favorite Lemon Bar Cheesecake combines your two go-to desserts—lemon bars and cheesecake—in one. A Lemon Bundt Cake drizzled with glaze and crowned with thin strips of lemon peel will be the star of any spring party; Blueberry Lemon Crumble Bars are the ideal pack-and-go picnic snack. From melt-in-your-mouth bars to elegant layer cakes, our best lemon desserts are consistent crowd-pleasers. Get ready to pucker up for these beautiful bakes. 01 of 49 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Poke cakes ensure that the inside of the cake has just as much flavor and moisture as the frosting. 02 of 49 Cranberry Lemon Bars Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Cranberry Lemon Bars Cranberries and lemons come together to create a colorful dessert that's both tangy and sweet. 03 of 49 Lemon Bar Cheesecake Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon Bar Cheesecake Two of our favorite things (lemon + cheesecake) come together in one amazing cake. You're going to want to grab your springform pan immediately. 04 of 49 Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake Skip the curd if you're not into it. Our Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake can be enjoyed as dessert or as a sweet breakfast treat. 05 of 49 Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Vanilla Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze The bright taste of lemon juice gives a touch of spring to this flavorful dessert. 06 of 49 Basil Lemon Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Basil Lemon Bars You'll need just 10 ingredients to pull together this herb-infused take on classic lemon bars. 07 of 49 Lemon-Lime Pound Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Lime Pound Cake Pound cakes are easy by nature, but this Lemon-Lime Pound Cake takes minimal effort with an absolutely delicious result. 08 of 49 Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust Alison Miksch; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust A gingersnap crust makes these lemon cheesecake bars holiday ready. 09 of 49 Citrus Pull-Apart Bread Hector Sanchez Recipe: Citrus Pull-Apart Bread We can't get enough of this sweet bread. The recipe makes two loaves—you can keep one and share the other, if you're feeling generous. 10 of 49 Lemon Chiffon Pie Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Pie You can use store-bought crust, if desired, to help this seven-ingredient pie come together a little easier. 11 of 49 The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake Southern Living Recipe: The Lemon Cheese Layer Cake You'll find homemade lemon curd sandwiched between the four layers of this lemon cake. The curd will need to chill for 8 hours after it's made, so make sure to prepare it in advance. 12 of 49 Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars A marbled finish will wow your guests, but is easy to create. 13 of 49 Meyer Lemon Sponge Pudding Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Meyer Lemon Sponge Pudding Using egg whites gives this dessert an airy texture for a lighter yet just as delicious dessert. 14 of 49 Lemon Meltaways Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Lemon Meltaways This recipe makes three-and-a-half dozen cookies, so you'll have plenty to go around at any gathering. 15 of 49 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake The Arnold Palmer is remade in cake form. We don't object. Make this cake tipsy by substituting 2 tablespoons vodka or bourbon for the lemon juice in the frosting. 16 of 49 Shaker Lemon Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Shaker Lemon Pie This old-fashioned pie is made with thinly sliced whole lemons—peels and all. 17 of 49 Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. 18 of 49 No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hilegas Recipe: No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie This cool and creamy dessert was made for hot Southern days. 19 of 49 Luscious Lemon Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Luscious Lemon Cake Frosting just the top and between the layers is a time-saver. 20 of 49 Lemon Bar Cake Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford Recipe: Lemon Bar Cake Lining your slow cooker with aluminum foil will make cleanup a breeze. 21 of 49 Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Prepare the lemon curd up to two weeks in advance, just store it in the refrigerator. 22 of 49 Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Lemon-and-Chocolate Doberge Cake This multi-flavored cake is truly a labor of love, but the end result is worth it. 23 of 49 Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie The meringue topping balances out the tartness of the filling. 24 of 49 Luscious Lemon Bars Southern Living Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars You can make this recipe up to one month ahead and freeze. 25 of 49 Lemon Thumbprint Cookies Southern Living Recipe: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies This big-batch recipe combines the tangy taste of lemon and sweet flavor of raspberry together for the perfect treat. 26 of 49 Lemon Raspberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake Lemon and raspberries? Well that's simply a match made in heaven. 27 of 49 7UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: 7UP Bundt Cake With this classic recipe, your favorite soft drink transforms into an extra-elegant Bundt cake. 28 of 49 Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie Southern Living Recipe: Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie What makes this Lemon Meringue Pie the best ever, you ask? The mile-high meringue, of course. 29 of 49 Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars A crispy crumble topping is the cherry on top of these delectable, packable bars. 30 of 49 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake What better way to toast to the springtime than with this Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake? 31 of 49 Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe: Lemon Bundt Cake Shake up Mama's traditional Bundt recipe with a nice hit of tart lemon. 32 of 49 Lemon Loaf Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Lemon Loaf Cake Tender and moist, this cake is a beautiful complement to a cup of coffee. 33 of 49 Lemon Drop Meringues Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Lemon Drop Meringues Drop a little sunshine on your plate with these gorgeous citrus meringues. 34 of 49 Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes Transform a box of cake mix into these bright cupcakes that taste totally homemade. 35 of 49 Lemon Tiramisu Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck Recipe: Lemon Tiramisu This heavenly spin on tiramisu is ideal for spring. 36 of 49 Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie Recipe: Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie You can make your own graham cracker crust for this icebox pie or use store-bought to save some time. 37 of 49 Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie Serve two desserts in one with this ice-cream pie. 38 of 49 Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon-Orange Chiffon Cake The flavor of lemon zest in this cake recipe is found in the buttercream frosting. 39 of 49 Blueberry Lemon Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Cake In addition to the pictured blueberries, feel free to garnish the top of this layer cake with candied lemon peels as well. 40 of 49 Cakey Lemon Brownies Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf Recipe: Cakey Lemon Brownies Chewy brownie consistency with the bright flavor of lemon bars? We've met our new favorite dessert. 41 of 49 Lemon Cupcakes with Lavender Frosting Hector Sanchez Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes with Lavender Frosting Gelatin cupcakes are a fun take on classic gelatin salad. 42 of 49 Lemon Meringue Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon Meringue Cookies These melt-in-your-mouth cookies look gorgeous on your favorite cake plate. 43 of 49 Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake This dreamy cheesecake is a gorgeous blend of tart and sweet flavors. 44 of 49 Lemon Meringue Roulade Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon Meringue Roulade We made lemon meringue pie into a decadent roulade that's made for spring parties. 45 of 49 Lemon Pudding Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon Pudding Cake These fluffy, custardy cakes are ideal for serving personal portions to family members. 46 of 49 Lemon Cream Cheese Bars Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon Cream Cheese Bars These aren't your mama's lemon bars. Prepare to fall in love with the incredible texture of this dessert. 47 of 49 Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake This stunning pound cake combines fresh blueberries with the sweet tang of lemon. 48 of 49 Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Jennifer Causey Recipe: Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream You don't need expert decorating skills to make these adorable cupcakes picture-perfect. Simply top each one with a lemon slice and raspberry. 49 of 49 Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake This easy loaf cake was made for weekend brunch. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit