Lemon Lush

This homemade lemon lush is the best dessert lasagna featuring a delicious shortbread crust topped with layers of cheesecake, pudding, and Cool Whip.

Jump to Recipe

A Southern favorite, this heavenly one-pan lemon lush is so simple to make. A buttery pecan shortbread crust creates a delicious base for layers of light and refreshing cheesecake, creamy lemon pudding, and Cool Whip to finish this perfect dessert lasagna.

Lemon Lush Ingredients

Don't want to lose this recipe? Get it emailed to you directly! Enter your email below. Plus you'll get a free e-cookbook and amazing recipes sent to you daily.

Email *

Save This Recipe

You’ll need:

For The Crust:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of butter, softened
• ½ cup of white sugar
• ½ cup of crushed pecans

For The Cheesecake Layer:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel

For The Pudding Layer:

• 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes of instant lemon pudding mix
• 3 cups of milk

For The Frosting:

• 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip
• Garnish with grated lemon zest

Substitutions And Additions

WHIPPED CREAM: If you want to make homemade whipped cream instead of using Cool Whip and you have heavy whipping cream on hand, check out our stabilized whipped cream recipe.

LIME: Replace the lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon pudding with the lime equivalent for a tangy lime version of this dessert.

CRUST: Instead of the pecan crust, you could opt to make a graham cracker crust instead.

How To Make This Lemon Lush Recipe

STEP ONE: Stir the crust ingredients together and then press by hand into a 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

STEP TWO: Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, and let the crust cool while you work on the rest of the recipe.

STEP THREE: Cream the cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer. Add the lemon juice and lemon peel and mix.

STEP FOUR: Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled crust.

STEP FIVE: Whisk together in a medium bowl the instant pudding mix and milk until a thick yet pourable consistency.

STEP SIX: Immediately pour the pudding on top of the cheesecake layer.

STEP SEVEN: Chill for at least one hour.

STEP EIGHT: Pour the whipped topping on top of the lemon cream cheese layer.

STEP NINE: Chill the entire dessert in the fridge for at least one hour or up to overnight.

STEP TEN: Before serving, garnish with grated lemon peel.

STEP ELEVEN: Slice into bars, and you’re ready to eat! 

How To Serve

This luscious lemon lasagna is an amazing layered dessert that would be perfect to share at barbecues or other summer gatherings this summer.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and our iced tea on the side.

If you love lemon recipes, make sure you try our lemon poke cake, white chocolate lemon truffles, and these lemon sugar cookies for more sunny citrus treats.

MORE LEMON RECIPES

Dessert Bars

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Cookie Recipes

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: If you have lemon lush leftovers, be sure to store them in the fridge in an airtight container or covered in aluminum foil.

IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze this creamy dessert in an airtight, freezer-safe food storage container for up to three months. 

Cool and creamy, this lemon lush dessert (also called lemon delight) is a bright and sunny citrus-flavored classic sweet treat you’ll love. I hope you’ll indulge in all of the delicious layers in this fresh dessert soon! 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• No-Bake Chocolate Pudding Pie
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna
• No-Bake Oreo Pie
• Chocolate Pudding Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
• Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
• Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
• Lemon Bars
• Cherry Cheesecake Lush
• Lemon Cheesecake
• White Chocolate Lasagna
• S’mores Lasagna
• Mint Chip Dessert Lasagna
• Lemon Curd
• Lemon Lasagna
• Banana Delight
• Lemon Chiffon Cake
• Butterscotch Cool Whip Pie
• Lemon Drizzle Cake
• Raspberry Lasagna
• Peanut Butter Lasagna
• Lemon Cake
• Cool Whip Candy
• Lemon Blueberry Cobbler
• Hot Cocoa Lasagna
• Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd
• Blueberry Cheesecake Tacos
• Christmas Lasagna Dessert

Get Recipes on Pinterest

Follow Us

Lemon Lush

5 from 3 votes

This homemade lemon lush is the best dessert lasagna featuring a delicious shortbread crust topped with layers of cheesecake, pudding, and Cool Whip.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Print RecipePin RecipeReview Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup pecans, crushed

Cheesecake

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon peel, grated

Pudding

• 6.8 ounces instant lemon pudding
• 3 cups milk

Topping

• 8 ounces Cool Whip
• lemon peel, grated

Instructions

 

• Stir all the ingredients together and then press by hand into a 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick spray.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let the crust cool.
• Cream the cream cheese and sugar together.
• Add the lemon juice and lemon peel and mix.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crust.
• Whisk together the pudding and milk until a thick yet pourable consistency.
• Immediately pour the pudding mixture on top of the cheesecake layer.
• Chill for at least one hour.
• Top the pudding layer with Cool Whip.
• Chill the entire dessert in the fridge for at least one hour up to overnight.
• Before serving, garnish with the grated lemon peel.

Notes

• Make sure that your crust is completely cool before going on to your second layer. It’s important that the crust is cooled so that the following layers set properly on top of it.
• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, otherwise, you will end up with lumps in your mixture.
• Chilling overnight will allow all the flavors to mingle and blend together even more!

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 1mg

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Get Recipes on Facebook

Follow Us