We’re back with another drop, more specifically, lemon dessert recipes that are pure gold.
Our home cooks and chef pals have brought the lemon thunder. These desserts are punchy, bright, and way too good not to share. If you’re obsessed with anything lemony, this is your kind of list.
25 Tried & Tested Lemon Dessert Recipes
This list is packed with lemon cravings in every form. You’ll find vegan and sugar-free options, some healthy-ish choices, and plenty of classic desserts with a lemony upgrade.
Cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, ice creams, and much more. If you have a citrus craving, we’ve got a lemony version ready to go.
1. Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Low-key fancy and super flavorful, this loaf brings major citrus energy.
Olive oil keeps it rich and moist, while Greek yogurt and lemon zest give it that bright lift. Not too sweet, not too tart, and totally brunch-worthy.
Pair it with coffee and you’re set.
RECIPE: Lemon Olive Oil Cake
2. Easy Biscuit Base Lemon Meringue Pie
Lose the finicky pastry. This pie’s got a killer buttery biscuit crust and a creamy lemony filling.
The lemon curd is topped with a towering meringue that gets a nice toasty treatment at the very end.
Yeah, it looks like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen (even if you don’t).
RECIPE: Easy Biscuit Base Lemon Meringue Pie
3. Lemon Mini Bundt Cake
This is the cutest-ever, citrusy little cakes made with Greek yogurt and lemon zest.
It’s super moist with a bright edge. Finish the bundt cake with a lemon glaze, and you’ve got that sunshine in drizzle form.
Perfect for a party, or for no party. Very pretty but still getting eaten.
RECIPE: Lemon Mini Bundt Cake
4. Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
These baked donuts get dolled up with sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. They’re so light and fluffy but have a ridiculous amount of flavor. Plus: crunchy poppy seeds!
Literal icing on top? A tart lemon glaze that you shouldn’t skimp on. Ready in 30 minutes, bakery-level yum.
RECIPE: Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
5. Lemon Blondies
No mixer? No worries!
These chewy bars are jam-packed with real-deal lemon juice and zest. Hit them with a zippy glaze, and the bars become the kind of flex that makes people gasp, all impressed like you didn’t throw them together in under an hour.
Addictive, tart, dense, irresistible, perfect.
RECIPE: Lemon Blondies
6. Lemon Lush Dessert
The buttery shortbread base and creamy fillings are the stars of this dessert. With every nibble, you get a bit of lemon cream cheese, lemon pudding, and whipped topping.
Make it ahead, keep it chilled, and then serve up what feels like a cloud of sunshine on a plate.
RECIPE: Lemon Lush Dessert
7. Raspberry Lemon Coffee Cake
This recipe is perfect for brunch or an afternoon hangout.
Lemony tartness and sweet raspberries snuggle into a tender crumb and buttery base. There’s a crunchy topping, too, that keeps it delish and homespun.
Serve warm if you’re feeling extra, but it’s solid at room temp too.
RECIPE: Raspberry Lemon Coffee Cake
8. Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
When you need something fast but bakery-level GOOD, these blueberry muffins are who you’ll call.
They are loaded with juicy blueberries, bright lemon zest, and soft, fluffy goodness. Oh, and that streusel plus demerara brown sugar gives it that crunchity-crunch.
Great for mornings, snacks, or basically whenever.
RECIPE: Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
9. Mini Lemon Tarts with Phyllo Cups
These sassy little tarts bring on crunchy layers, tart lemon curd filling, and maximum cuteness.
Pre-made phyllo shells save you time, but the homemade lemon curd gives it that homespun taste.
And we won’t judge if you eat them straight off the baking sheet instead of serving them on a cute platter.
RECIPE: Mini Lemon Tarts with Phyllo Cups
10. Easy Lemon Pizzelle
Thin, crispy, citrusy perfection.These pizzelles are lemon-zesty, vanilla-y, and if you’re into it, anise-y!
Made in a pizzelle iron (pizzelle press? pizzeller?) and perfect for gifting, stacking, or stress-eating by the dozen.
RECIPE: Easy Lemon Pizzelle
11. Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These rich, lemony cupcakes are cool by themselves, but topped with frosting? Forget it!
The batter is flavored with lemon zest and juice for a bright, punchy bite, but that cream cheese frosting pulls it all together into a smooth glide down your gullet.
RECIPE: Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
12. Raw Vegan Lemon Raspberry Bars
These raw bars don’t need fire to ignite your tastebuds into bliss.
Featuring a nutty crust, creamy layers of tart raspberry and lemon, natural sweetener, and other whole foods, these bars are a plant-based snacker’s fridge-must.
RECIPE: Raw Vegan Lemon Raspberry Bars
13. Lemon Curd Mousse with Biscoff Crumble
This baby is a creamy, citrus cloud with a buttery crumble that cracks the whip. Layer it up in a jar for the ultimate dessert-in-a-cup experience.
It’s light but still ‘treatyo’self-ified’. This is the kind of sweet thing that looks fancy, but in reality, it won’t stress you out in the kitchen!
RECIPE: Lemon Curd Mousse with Biscoff Crumble
14. Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake
This blueberry-lemon cake is dense but not heavy, juicy, zest-studded, and CAKED (see what we did here?) in a lemon glaze.
This cake begs to be gifted, layered on a brunch spread, or sliced by the stealthy hand of an undisclosed perpetrator for straight-up counter consumption.
RECIPE: Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake
15. Lemon Oreo Truffles
Grab Lemon Oreos, cream cheese, and white chocolate for bite-sized dreams. Texture? Silky-smooth. Flavor? So right. Easy? HELLO.
Make them ahead for maximum chill factor. And if you’re feeling extra, drizzle sprinkle those bad boys until your heart sings.
RECIPE: Lemon Oreo Truffles
16. Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream
This no-churn babe’s got a sweet-tart vibe and pops of thick blueberry jam. Whipped cream and condensed milk make it so you don’t need an ice cream maker.
Freeze it overnight, scoop it up, and pretend it came from a tiny hipster creamery.
RECIPE: Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream
17. Gluten-Free Lemon Coconut Bread
Lemon and coconut are soulmates, and this loaf is the evidence. Almond flour and shredded coconut keep it gluten-free yet moist, while the lemon glaze on top provides just the right amount of sweetness.
It stays soft for days and will brighten your morning like nobody’s business.
RECIPE: Gluten-Free Lemon Coconut Bread
18. Rustic Lemon Blueberry Galette
Lattice, schmatice. All you need is this buttery crust cradling its juicy blueberry lemon filling.
Oh, and it’s gluten-free and SO forgiving if you’re not into precision baking. Serve it warm, add whipped cream if you’re into that kind of thing.
It’s great whichever way you slice it.
RECIPE: Rustic Lemon Blueberry Galette
19. Lemon and Blackberry Cheesecake
A bright lemon base streaked with jammy blackberry ribbons? I AM HERE FOR THAT.
The cookie crust holds it all together while fresh berries up top make it brunch, bridal, or dinner party-ready. Chill overnight and you’re golden.
RECIPE: Lemon and Blackberry Cheesecake
20. Lemon Gelato Ice Cream
Another ice-cream recipe for the books!
This tart-meets-sweet frozen magic trick is made with lemon zest, cream, & condensed milk. It’s creamy but still sort of weightless? Again, you don’t need an ice cream maker– just some patience.
Scoop this heavenly stuff into a bowl or cone and enjoy straight from the freezer.
RECIPE: Lemon Gelato Ice Cream
21. Lemonade Popsicles
Frozen lemonade on a stick. That’s the whole pitch.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, just enough sweetener, and boom, the most refreshing easy trifecta of stuff in your life.
Stick ‘em in the freezer, pat yourself on the back then chill out hard.
RECIPE: Lemonade Popsicles
22. Easy Sugar-free Lemon Curd
Skip the sugar. Skip the stress. Keep the flavor.
This lemon curd is made with eggs, lemon juice, and a sweetener of choice. It’s smooth, tart, and just perfect for spreading on toast, mixing in yogurt, or just spoon-eating like no one’s watching.
RECIPE: Easy Sugar-free Lemon Curd
23. No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Chill, slice, and devour. That’s the energy of this pie.
The filling gets its body from sweetened condensed milk and tart lemon juice, and it gets spooned into a graham cracker crust and chills in the fridge.
It’s low-key, no-fuss, and always a crowd-pleaser.
RECIPE: No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
24. Lemon Granita (Granita al Limone)
This granita’s got ice, got tartness, and has no business being this fun. Scrape, freeze, repeat.
All you need is lemon juice, sugar, water, and a fork. Serve in a glass with a slice of lemon, and summer is in full swing (even if it’s not).
RECIPE: Lemon Granita (Granita al Limone)
25. Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
A killer combo of lemon zest and blueberries makes these muffins feel fresh and delish!
The lemon sugar topping melds to form this sparkly crust you can’t see, but you can definitely taste!
They’re dairy-free and they come together, like, fast. Perfect for meal prep, coffee breaks, or basic brunch flexing.
RECIPE: Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Wrapping It Up
Loved this roundup of homemade lemon dessert recipes from our home cook partners? You’ll want to check out our Starbucks Copycat Recipes and Homemade Coffee Creamers articles, too.
There’s a whole internet’s worth of recipes to explore over there, and we’re confident you’ll find your next go-to cake or coffee treat there!
