Lemon Lush Dessert

Creamy sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip layers sandwich a layer of lemon pudding in this classic Lemon Lush Dessert. It's a perfectly delicious comfort food dessert for any time that lemon craving hits.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER

Layered Lush Dessert is a straight-up all-time classic. And of all the flavors this creamy comfort food dessert comes in, I do believe Lemon Lush is my favorite. Oh, chocolate lush and pistachio lush are definitely up there -- but in my world, lemon's got them beat, for sure.

There's just something about the way the lemon pudding middle and the creamy layers above and below combine to deliver up truly fabulous flavor. -- Which makes Lemon Lush a perfectly delicious dessert for any time that lemon craving hits.

Lemon Lush is a perfectly delicious comfort food dessert for any time that lemon craving hits.

In addition to its comforting creaminess and lovely lemon flavor, another bonus is that Lemon Lush is easy to make.  Admittedly, it's got several layers to build, but none of those layers are difficult to make at all. Just a little mixing, baking of the crust, and spreading layers in a pan is all it takes. 

Whip up a pan of Lemon Lush's creamy deliciousness for Easter, a spring potluck, summer cookouts, or anytime you're craving some lemon. This creamy classic layered dessert is perfect for any occasion.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Creamy comfort food dessert - Sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip layers sandwich a layer of lemon pudding in this classic creamy comfort food dessert.
• Easy to make - Although it's several layers to build, Lemon Lush is still really easy to make. Just a little mixing, baking up the crust, and spreading layers in a pan is all it takes.
• Fabulous flavor - The lemon pudding middle and creamy layers above and below combine to deliver up some truly fabulous flavor. 
• Pretty layers & color - The contrast of the white creamy layers and bright yellow middle creates one very pretty dessert, for sure. Deepen the lemon pudding's yellow by mixing food coloring in with the pudding, if you'd like.

Lemon Lush Ingredients:

A pan of Lemon Lush Dessert is made with distinct layers that are built on top of one another. Here's what you'll need for each of its beautiful layers.      

For the bottom crust layer:

• All-purpose flour - Serves as the base of the lush's crust. 
• Finely chopped nuts - Combines with the flour to create a crust with some textural crunch. Choose either pecans or walnuts, and chop then finely to avoid large pieces in the crust.
• Butter - Binds the crust together as the crust bakes. We recommend sticking with real unsalted butter, rather than substituting margarine, for the best flavor result.

For the creamy middle layer:

• Cream cheese - Serves as the base of the creamy middle layer. We recommend using regular cream cheese rather than less-fat Neufchatel because it creates a sturdier, creamier layer.
• Powdered sugar - Sweetens the cream cheese and tames its tang. Powdered sugar dissolves into the layer's cream cheese and Cool Whip more readily than does regular granulated sugar.
• Cool Whip - An 8-ounce container of Cool Whip is used for this layer, adding fluffiness to the cream cheese mixture. You can substitute homemade whipped cream, if you'd prefer.

For the top layers:

• Lemon instant pudding - Either regular or sugar-free instant lemon pudding works with this recipe. Cook-and-serve lemon pudding will also work. -- If you use cooked pudding, be sure to cool it to almost room temperature before spreading it on the cream cheese layer, and then let it cool completely before topping the pudding with the final Cool Whip layer.
• Milk - Whole or 2% milk both work just fine. Note that you'll use less milk than is called for on the lemon pudding package.
• Cool Whip - An 8-ounce container of Cool Whip tops the dessert. Substitute homemade whipped cream, if you'd prefer.
• Pecans or walnuts - A sprinkling of chopped pecans or walnuts adds a nice look and a little crunch to the top of the lush dessert.

How to Make Lemon Lush:

While it's admittedly several layers to build, Lemon Lush is still really easy to make. Just a little mixing, baking up the crust, and spreading layers in a pan is all it takes.

To get a pan started, first create the dessert's crust. Blend together a bit of flour, finely chopped nuts, and butter until it's crumbly and about the texture of coarse sand. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and bake it for about 15 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool before adding on the next layers.

Next, mix together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a container of Cool Whip to create the creamy middle layer. Spread this evenly over the cooled crust, working gently so as to not pull up pieces of the crust. An offset spatula helps a lot with this.

To make the lemon layer, whisk together instant lemon pudding powder with milk until it's well combined and beginning to thicken. Spread this evenly over the cream cheese layer in the pan.

Top the lemon pudding with a layer of Cool Whip. Then sprinkle on a few coarsely chopped pecans (or walnuts) to add a nice finish to the dessert.

Refrigerate the finished Lemon Lush for a couple of hours or overnight to let the layers set and allow the flavors to meld.

Then you're ready to dig in to the lemony deliciousness!

Recipe FAQs:

• When making Lemon Lush, does the crust have to be baked or can I just make the dessert no-bake? - Yes, the Lemon Lush's crust must be baked. Since the crust is flour based, it has to be baked to make the flour safe for consumption. If you'd like to make a no-bake version of Lemon Lush, make it with a graham cracker crust instead.

• Can I add yellow food coloring to the lemon pudding mixture to make the pudding layer brighter yellow? - Absolutely, yes, you can add food coloring to make the pudding layer brighter yellow. The easiest way to do this is to stir about 4-5 drops (or more/less to your personal preference) of yellow food coloring into the milk before mixing the milk with the lemon pudding powder. Once the pudding and milk mixture is mixed up, it's more difficult to stir in the food coloring.

• Can I use cook-and-serve lemon pudding instead of instant to make Lemon Lush Dessert? - Yes, you can use cook-and-serve lemon pudding instead of instant, just be careful about the temperature of the pudding so you don't melt the other layers as you build the dessert. Cool the cooked pudding to almost room temperature before spreading it on the cream cheese layer, and then let it cool completely before topping the pudding with the final Cool Whip layer.

• Can I use other flavors of pudding with this recipe? - You sure can! Pistachio lush and chocolate lush are especially delicious.

Check out these other creamy dessert favorites:

• Chocolate Lush Dessert
• Pistachio Lush Dessert
• No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert
• Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding from Scratch
• Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie
• Cherry Yum Yum
• Blueberry Yum Yum
• No-Bake Banana Split Cake
• More dessert recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

lemon lush, lemon lush dessert, lemon slush cake, layered lemon pudding dessert

Dessert

American

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Lemon Lush Dessert

Creamy sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip layers sandwich a layer of lemon pudding in this classic Lemon Lush Dessert. It's a perfectly delicious comfort food dessert for any time that lemon craving hits.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Bottom:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 c. butter, softened

Middle:

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. confectioners’ powdered sugar
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping

Top:

• 2 (3.4 oz.) packages lemon instant pudding
• 3 c. milk
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping
• 1/4 c. chopped pecans

Instructions

Prepare the Bottom:

1. Using a fork or an electric mixer on low speed, blend together the flour, finely chopped nuts, and butter until crumbly and about the texture of coarse sand.
2. Pour into the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish and pat down lightly with your hand to form a crust.
3. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Prepare the Middle:

1. Beat together softened cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer. Stir in Cool Whip until well combined.
2. Carefully spread in an even layer on top of the cooled crust.

Prepare the Top:

1. Mix together pudding powder and milk with a whisk. Spread evenly on top of cream cheese mixture.
2. Spread Cool Whip evenly over the pudding. Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.
3. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight to set.

Similar Recipes

Chocolate Lush Dessert

Easy 3-Ingredient Lemon Mousse

Pistachio Lush Dessert

Images and text ©The Kitchen is My Playground

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @kitchenplaygrnd on instagram and hashtag it thekitchenismyplaygroundblog

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS FOR LATER

This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.